<p>Gettysburg College in PA!!</p>
<p>Also Ithaca College</p>
<p>With admissions to schools being so competitive – particularly for women (this is an issue in vocal performance and MT) – and performers who have graduated from “lesser know” schools building VERY successful careers, I believe that most students should consider putting together a balanced list of schools. A list combining schools generally considered “top” and schools that may not be as well known, BUT offer strong training, strong faculty, performance opportunities, etc… some of these programs may be non-auditioned… although I believe that may be more difficult to find in music than in musical theatre, and there are actually very few completely non-auditioned musical theatre programs as well.</p>
<p>NOT being admitted to a program with a VERY low admit rate does not necessarily mean the student does not have potential for a career as a performing artist. Human beings develop at different rates, and not all are at the same point of development at the age of 17 or 18. In addition to that, every year students are admitted to some “top” programs and not others; to some “top” programs and not admitted to programs that would be considered “lesser known” … this can be based on a number of factors… the types and gender balance of performers they are looking to fill their class and the applicant pool at a particular school that year (extreme example – the school is only looking for 2 tall blonde dancer sopranos in their freshman class, but 200 audition), the performance aesthetic at a particular school, the perceived fit (by the faculty) for the student at that particular school… music and musical theatre program admissions it is a subjective process, so there are many variables. </p>
<p>All that being said, some students do choose to take the route of ONLY applying to “top” schools and reevaluating if not admitted. This is a sound path as well, as long as the student is prepared to take a gap year to reevaluate if not admitted to one of their top choices. </p>
<p>All the best to the students and parents entering this years audition cycle, and beyond :)</p>
<p>UMiami is known for giving merit money. Don’t know about voice specifically, but my S was offered almost full COA between Music Scholarship (sax) and Academic Merit Grants. Several of his (non-music) friends received great merit packages, too.</p>
<p>USC gives great academic merit money. The music money is minimal. Musicians with good stats can get academic money, though - my son’s roomie last year had a full tuition scholarship but was a guitar BM. PM me if you have any questions.</p>
<p>The information posted in #6 in this thread is great. Does anyone know if a spreadsheet like this exits for any other years? thank you.</p>
<p>We also did a spreadsheet in 2010 which is available at <a href=“2010 CC Music Major Data - Google Sheets”>2010 CC Music Major Data - Google Sheets;
<p>Before the spreadsheets, we kept the information in Master List format only</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/618208-master-list-music-school-acceptances-fall-2009-a.html?highlight=Master[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/618208-master-list-music-school-acceptances-fall-2009-a.html?highlight=Master</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/424909-master-list-music-school-acceptances-fall-2008-a.html?highlight=master+list+music+school+acceptances[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/424909-master-list-music-school-acceptances-fall-2008-a.html?highlight=master+list+music+school+acceptances</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/310197-master-list-music-school-acceptances.html?highlight=master+list[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/310197-master-list-music-school-acceptances.html?highlight=master+list</a></p>
<p>Hint: These are cumulative, so you can skip to the end and get everything summarized in the last post.</p>
<p>Hey, bass dad, we should take your above post and make a sticky for it with the single post of links. Who has mod powers?
Thanks again, btw, for all you and the Vdads do ;)</p>
<p>kmcmom13,</p>
<p>We already have a sticky thread called Useful Music Links that would probably be a good place for this. When I have a little more time, I will create links there for all the Master Lists for both acceptances and decisions, plus the spreadsheets from the last couple of years.</p>
<p>We do not need to bother the moderators for this but, should you need one for something else, you can always send a PM to CollegeMom or Mod Team.</p>
<p>You are welcome. I am glad that others still find those posts useful.</p>
<p>Great information, thank you all! I thought of a question while reading through the thread, as well as the very handy spreadsheet(s). I imagine it’s possible that many of the students listed on the spreadsheet simply didn’t report their scholarships, but there is no $ reported whatsoever for composition majors. (Ok, Ive just seen the 2010 spreadsheet, and it looks a bit more hopeful.) I’m suddenly realizing quite clearly that schools don’t really “need” composers in the same way they “need” violinists, for ex. I’ve been concerned more with my S’s need, and his personal merit ( 
) and not so much about the need of the schools, though it’s so obvious. Is my suspicion correct that schools are far less likely to offer music merit $ for composers? (His merit likelihood for academics is not fabulous 3.71 weighted HS GPA, 2050 SAT (1350 w/o writing), and only 2 AP classes, though 3 AP tests. Oh, also National Merit Commended, though I doubt that means much.)</p>
<p>S is in the process of applying to a few schools for jazz trumpet, but to most of his list for modern composition (most likely auditioning on piano). Hes particularly been looking for schools that will allow him to do a BMus, but keep up both interests in some way, even if one of them is just through ensembles or electives. The best options hes found for that little bit of freedom, and where he thinks hell be happiest, are music schools w/in large universities, Lawrence being the one exception. Hes come up with several out of state publics not great for merit aid I imagine. He already crossed off Michigan, though he would love to go there, because its so expensive and we understand theres little aid likely.</p>
<p>Here are the highest hopes, pretty much in order, and if anyone has any opinions about aid for composers at any of these, wed love to know. - Thanks!</p>
<p>Indiana University
Lawrence University
University of Colorado at Boulder
USC
University of the Pacific
Cal State Long Beach (plus SFSU & San Jose) (probably just for trumpet)
University of Arizona (? Just started looking into this one.)</p>
<p>K8sDad, no audition based program can be considered a safety with the low admissions rates, relatively small departments and high number of auditions compared to class size. If you are looking for a safety, find schools that are non-audition, where admission is based on academic criteria and your daughter is in the top 25% or better and where the music or theatre department is strong and offers what your daughter is seeking.</p>
<p>As to scholarships from schools on your list, UArts offers up to $12,000/year in university talent/merit scholarships and there is some departmental money which can be available. You may also want to look at UArts for MT.</p>
<p>There is plenty of merit money for composers - just as much as for performance majors. Not everyone is comfortable posting actual amounts which is why sometimes you don’t see anything listed. I still can’t quite bring myself to do it but my son was offered merit money everywhere. (Admittedly - he was at the top of the applicant pool, in all areas - and in addition we had financial need.) Suffice it to say that one can get up to full tuition, and even a full ride, depending on the school and the applicant’s stats, financial need, and musical ability.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t rule out Michigan if he’s at the top of the musical applicant pool (it doesn’t look like his stat’s are strong enough for their very generous academic merit awards.)</p>
<p>USC’s music merit aid is unpredictable as schools go. They are decent with financial aid, however, although often including significant loans. They also give out their academic scholarships based on stats.</p>
<p>Long Beach is a terrific option - he might get academic merit there and they’re really building their composition and musicology department. Some exciting folks there. My son was offered a full ride plus there as a National Merit Finalist. Of all the CSU’s I’d say that is the one to be most excited about.</p>
<p>I’ve heard Lawrence is generous with merit money, too.</p>
<p>My advice is to apply where he wants to go, and trust/hope the money will work out - with one financial & artistic safety thrown in just in case…</p>
<p>I wouldn’t rule out Michigan either because my sense is if they really really like and want a som student who has a low EFC they could be far more generous than the usual academic m.o. We do know a few OOS kids with high need that received exceptionally generous packages. It’s just that on average, many posters think of umich as if it’s a private, and it’s not, nor is it a meet-need school. But it does have a 7 billion dollar endowment. It’s also worth auditioning there because your s will likely end up getting an interview with a panel of truly leading composer profs, and even if he can’t afford to go, he can certainly benefit by staying in contact with them, especially if he pursues grad work, which is often funded.
Just be real up front with him about it taking a financial miracle.
And yes, they like strong jazz trumpeters there, and actually offer a BFA in jazz perf/improv with it’s own theory sequence and that includes creative composition. Many of my son’s more creative collaborators in his composition and scoring classes hail from the jazz program 
Best wishes in your search!</p>
<p>I don’t think you can infer very much at all about the availability of scholarship money to composition majors from the numbers in the spreadsheets. Not everyone reports their scholarships on those spreadsheets. I have had people who told me that they received scholarship money (and even a few who told me how much they got so that I could use that data in calculating an average scholarship amount) but who did not want that information to be associated with their name on the spreadsheet. I would also guess that there are others like SpiritManager who received scholarships and did not mention them at all.</p>
<p>Thanks so much everyone, I’m feeling tremendously better! This forum is a wonderful thing.</p>