I am currently a rising high school senior, and am in touch with multiple LAC coaches that I want to run track at (Bates, Wesleyan, Hamilton, etc). I have always had a huge passion for music as well, as I am a part of 2 choirs (one being a select a cappella choir), and also a church choir. My question is, will I be able to be a student-athlete at a school like Bates or Wesleyan as well as be a part of an a cappella group?
it would be tough, I would reach out to the choir groups and see when the have net in the past and see if it lines up compared to track, which usually is a year round sport.
Colleges offer such a variety of singing groups that it seems as if it would be necessary to include athletes among their members in order to fill them.
https://academics.hamilton.edu/music/ensembles/ensembles-overview
You should be able to do both at a Division III College. Given the size of the listed schools, don’t be timid, call the music directors and ask the question directly. If you are a strong enough student for admission to these listed colleges, you can handle it!.
Student/athlete/musically inclined should be mutually available at these fine colleges. Yes, you will probably be challenged, but that is why you selected them! If you want it and enjoy it, you will do fine, possibly even better. You will not have time to waste!
@retiredfarmer I actually just reached out to the Hamilton coach, and he said multiple of his athletes have also been a part of an a cappella choir. So I guess it is manageable, which was the answer I was looking for. I will also reach out to the music director. Thanks!
Yes, you will have plenty of opportunities to sing at Bates. Note that with current circumstances, things might not be back to normal in that regard yet.
https://www.bates.edu/music/college-choir/
https://www.bates.edu/news/2018/10/12/video-crosstones/
https://www.bates.edu/arts/opportunities/student-arts-organizations/
Absolutely. Lots of kids in a Cappella groups are also varsity athletes.
@Lindagaf @gardenstategal the schools I’m looking at are all very prestigious universities. The students still have enough time to play their varsity sport, perform in the a cappella group, AND do well in school? (or at least have the time to do all the work they need to)
Also at a non-liberal arts school like NYU (I am in contact with the coach but their a cappella groups are typically very well respected in terms of competing but I’m not sure if that makes a difference in the time commitment). I would love to be able to be a part of a varsity team as well as sing in an a cappella group AND do well in college, I just want to make sure I wouldn’t be putting too much on myself.
Yes, @ncelotto . The school I am the most familiar with is a very selective NESCAC school. Many of the members of the acappella groups were also high performing varsity athletes and strong students.
If you feel unable to juggle, you can probably still find outlets that require less time.
@gardenstategal awesome, thank you so much!
At these highly selective schools, there is an expectation that students will be involved in activities outside the classroom. Who knows what your schedule will be, but I am sure you will have time to participate in other things besides your sport. One thing you will learn to do better is manage your time well.
My daughter just graduated, but she had very demanding classes and campus jobs for most of her time at college. She still maintained high grades and did plenty of other stuff too. All kinds of students keep busy schedules at the colleges you are interested in. Maybe there won’t be time for everything you want to do, but you will learn to prioritize what matters to you.
Most athletes are very organized and can fit other things into their schedules. My daughter was in engineering, played her sport for 4 years (captain for 2), belonged to a sorority, had a boyfriend, belonged to a few clubs, did volunteer work (mostly through the team and sorority), and even did work for a professor. I’m pretty sure she went to a few parties too.
But she was organized. If she had a test on Thursday but a game on Wednesday, she knew she had to study for that test on Monday and Tuesday. If she had a lab report due on Friday but they were going away for the weekend, she had to turn it in on Thursday.
On the other had, her sorority was very understanding of her team requirements and she missed a lot of things in the spring. If you have a game and the choir has a competition, you’ll have to decide which is the most important (and I bet it will be the sport)
@Lindagaf @twoinanddone thanks for the feedback. I think I am going to go for it. I love both and really want to be a part of both of them in college. I would say I am pretty good at time management, so I just have to use my time wisely and I think I’ll be successful. Thanks again!
This video nicely represents a Bates a cappella group: