<p>Lorelei, you nailed it in one with this comment. Back when my son interviewed at NYU, the composition prof. he spoke with (for a very long time - DS felt bad that she kept him into someone else's interview time) literally chased him down the hall as he was leaving, giving him her business card on which she had written her home and cell phone numbers. She said that, as far as she was concerned, he was accepted, and that he should call her if he had any questions or there was anything she could do to help him. DS thought it was very flattering but somewhat alarming that she was so impressed with him and his music when he wasn't all that impressed himself. As it turned out, NYU wouldn't let him double-major within the same department (music composition and music education are both run out of the Education dept.), so he turned the music comp. acceptance down and went elsewhere. When DS visited Oberlin he had the opportunity to interview with two of the music composition profs. Prof. A badmouthed Prof. B, and vice versa, and when DS got home he told me that he was worried about getting caught in the middle of their private war, and pulled his application. You have to wonder if the professors have any idea how their behavior can affect potential students?</p>
<p>I concur with thumper. "Survivable" is just about right. The room/board charge for 2005-6 is $10,650 and the dorms are open for about 215 days a year, resulting in a per diem cost of just about $50 per occupant. If we assume half goes for food and half for housing, we come up with a monthly rental cost of $1500 for about 150 square feet of space with a shared bathroom.</p>
<p>BassDad - I misunderstood -- thought you were the father of a 'bass' -- i.e. vocalist -- I don't have any info on the instrumental teachers at Oberlin. GOOD LUCK!</p>
<p>julia - I think that it is unlikely that you can make yourself a more desirable candidate. Pretty much everything is based on the audition. They have your audition and will make their decisions based on that. Since you can't reaudition, all you can really do is keep your fingers crossed. However, I would strongly suggest that you look at your other options and move on.</p>
<p>Lorelei --Thank you for your wise words re: teachers. S is actually experiencing nothing inappropriate. He is just not used to this kind of attention. The calls he received in this case were kind and congratulatory with no pressure. Nobody, however, has told him the etiquette for approaching this decision. I did ask a dean at another college what to do in that case of several choices, and he at least had some ideas of how S should proceed. We are going to visit three more schools in the next two weeks. He will meet the teachers with whom he has corresponded, and hopefully, things will become clearer. We really appreciate the input we have received on this thread. You are all wonderful!</p>
<p>Regarding NEC---he finally received the letter saying that he was accepted to the Tufts/NEC double degree program, but no financial aid, merit or otherwise. He was enthusiastic about this program when he first applied, but now he would only go to NEC if he could live at Harvard where he was waitlisted. He has to assume that he will not be going to Harvard, so he is going to turn down NEC. So Julia, there's your spot (!) We know a student from our general area who is going to reject Harvard, but we somehow are not counting on this helping S get off the waitlist. S is focusing on his other excellent options.</p>
<p>Shennie, while I'm definitely going to keep my hopes up, you're right. I'm trying to work on plan B. As I am still going to Tufts for sure, I think I'm basically going to try to find a good private voice teacher (perhaps Carole Haber or Lorraine Nubar, who are the teachers at NEC that I was planning on choosing between) in Boston, taking music theory classes at Tufts and then perhaps reapplying for NEC and the dual degree program next year. If you have any Boston contacts (or suggestions) that I might want to look at, please let me know. </p>
<p>Operamom, I'm glad that your son has so many wonderful choices! Best of luck to him in making this decision. And thanks for the Tufts/NEC spot! :)</p>
<p>We just returned from Oberlin and Northwestern. S loved both. The music departments were enormously accommodating: he attended rehearsals, classes, studio sessions and observed and received lessons. I walked the campus, sat in the conservatory lounges and listened to students, and we both went on the tours. The teachers he met were excellent, and he has at least one teacher with whom he would like to study at each place. We are now about to visit UCLA and JHU/Peabody. At the end of next week, he will make his decision. He would be very happy at either of these schools. </p>
<p>We returned from Oberlin today and, as operamom notes, the music department was enormously accommodating (not to mention the admissions office, and all of the faculty and students we met). The teacher situation has been resolved to our complete satisfaction and my daughter had a blast living on campus for a couple of days. We are going to talk things over this weekend before sending in the registration card, but I think it is pretty much a done deal at this point.</p>
<p>Right now my son is visiting three colleges on his list. He left Lawrence today, but I haven't heard the final report yet. After the first day, his feelings were mixed--great people there, a trumpet teacher he liked, but not sure if it was what he wanted. He will be at Preview Day tomorrow for U of North Texas, then head over to University of Northern Colorado for two days. And Indiana U is still a possibility. It had been knocked off the list when they didn't offer any real financial aid. However, he recently found out he was accepted as a Performance Major, something he had not realized, and that he would be able to study with a professor, rather than a grad student. The trumpet teacher he talked with said he would see if he could get them to give more aid to him--if that happens, he may be visiting IU next week. May 1 is approaching way too fast!</p>
<p>First post so forgive me if I'm being redundant (I havent read the whole thread) DD is a month from graduating.Was a flute performance major now a MUsicologist. Loved Oberlin when she auditioned there (the God of Flute teachers is there) but thought she'd go stir crazy in the town after a few months. Impressed by Northwestern as a University, thought the Music School facilities were appalling.Rejected NEC as too small and the dorm situation as mentioned before.Got to Peabody and wanted to flee..stood in the courtyard and said she felt like she was "in jail"LOL.Very surprised and impressed by Indiana..had personal time with the Music Dean,liked the facilities,overall friendliest audition process.Came in as 2nd choice.Wound up at Arizona State...facilities outstanding,excellent studio teacher,loved the desert,accepted to their Honor;s College + full scholarship (merit).Has really been a happy camper.Lots of musical opportunities..no competition ..its the only game in town so to speak!</p>
<p>Just back from UCLA. They only accepted @ 12 students this year. The program is basically a small conservatory embedded in a fabulous university where one can study anything. S had already received one merit grant and was told of another today. He loved the professors, had lessons with two of them and was told that he would get to study with a new (famous) male opera singer who just joined the faculty. The students in the opera rehearsal he observed were excellent. Particularly attractive is the collaborative attitude towards teaching in this department and the assertion that the department sought talented musicians who were also top students. UCLA has a large set of distribution requirements which is an aspect that is particularly attractive to S since he has broad academic interests he is not willing to give up. They also were willing to accommodate incorporating composition and conducting into his major if he wants to design it. Right now, UCLA is #1. Monday we leave for JHU/Peabody.</p>
<p>operamom: what a whirlwind of excitement! It sounds like everything looks really wonderful, great opportunities from which to chose. All are major schools of music, so he cannot go wrong. Keep us posted.</p>
<p>Looks like I will be making my son an airline reservation to visit Indiana U. The trumpet teacher got him a $4000 merit grant--just enough, with the loan and work study already offered, to make it almost affordable. :-) Well, he's got four to choose from now...</p>
<p>So here I am, an above average (but still waay below Ivy League) student interested in pursuing a vocal performance major and an economics major. Here's the thing: I want to be happy and pursue something I love (music), and I think it was one of the dads (Bassdad or gadad) who said that if music is their kid's first love, they don't want them to do something else in their lives just to keep from being a "failure." I was truly touched. But I also want to be able to buy me stuff! I hate to sound so materialistic, but I'm just human!
So here's my point/question of the day: Are there any GOOD universities that I can get accepted into the music program as a voice major, and use that acceptence as a backdoor into pursuing a social science major also? Kind of like those atheletes...I guess. Yknow, full scholarship to great schools, study whatever, just keep playing!</p>
<p>immajap88 -- a lot of schools actually do this. If you're an amazing musician and want to pursue a double-major at a university (like Northwestern, Carnegie-Mellon, USC, Harvard, Rice) your chances of being admitted are increased as well as financial aid opportunities. LACs like Oberlin also do the same. Of course, these places also expect you to be a pretty good student academically; to what extent varies from school to school.</p>
<p>The Rice music school is not keen on double majoring, but it can be done depending on the other major. Sciences with labs can not be done. Indiana is another good option with scholarship money available.</p>