<p>I currently attend oberlin college and conservatory as a double degree student: performance and psychology
Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing school and conservatory and I recommend it to everyone! I've just realized that my private teacher and I are not connecting as well as we should and I'm not thriving in this environment for some reason. Again, it's an amazing school. I am looking for other schools with double degree programs that have really good music departments that I could transfer to at some point. I am a third year which makes it tricky. I'm not looking to transfer to other conservatories or peabody and the like but if you know of any other good schools that offer double degree and have a semi-competitive music program that would be awesome. I'm not looking to give up on my instrument, I just realize I am not at the level I should be at this point to make a career out of it. So I would want to go somewhere with a good faculty of music but one where I could also delve deeply into the psych degree.</p>
<p>Have you considered Lawrence University? It is known to be slightly less competitive on some instruments, but still a very fine school. You could also give up the pursuit of a double degree and just get a double major. because of transferring it still might take you five years, of course. Look into schools like Williams, University of Puget Sound, Tufts, Swarthmore, Skidmore. Lots of LAC’s have wonderful small music departments. If it weren’t for music, where would you want to be?</p>
<p>I’m not giving up music. I just need an environment where i can thrive but still double degree and get a BA in psychology. I don’t care that it’ll take the 5th year, I already planned on that anyway.</p>
<p>I second the Lawrence and U Puget Sound rec’s, and would add Case Western, and St. Olaf to the mix.</p>
<p>USC [ Southern Calif] has the very fine Thorton School of Music,
<a href=“http://music.usc.edu/”>http://music.usc.edu/</a>
as well as a great College of Liberal Arts ,
<a href=“http://dornsife.usc.edu/”>http://dornsife.usc.edu/</a>
USC takes thousands of transfer students each year and has a program that encourages students to double major in diverse degrees- Renaissance Scholars program.
<a href=“USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences - YouTube”>USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences - YouTube;
<p>@menloparkmom - the OP is looking for a non-competitive not-quite-as-high-tier music program than Oberlin Conservatory. USC does not fit that profile. Thornton is one of the most competitive music schools in the country.</p>
<p>@Hornist007 I still don’t understand why you feel you must get a BM in music rather than a BA. You can still study your instrument at a high level while getting a double major at many of the suggested schools, rather than a double degree. At most schools you can continue to study privately. For instance, just to throw out a few - at UC Berkeley or Yale - you could have private lessons on your instrument, but not get a performance degree. What is it about Oberlin that does not fit for you? Do you want a bigger school? A more conservative student body? More pre-professional students or fraternities? To be in a big city?</p>
<p>I agree with SpiritManager to consider the BA programs at strong music LACs seriously. Add Vassar and Hamilton to her list. Alternatively, if you really want the BMus and BA , consider the Hartt School and the University of Hartford. It is possible to do a dual dgree there. I did it many years ago and it was perfect for me.</p>
<p>Can you stay at Oberlin and transfer out of the conservatory, get a new teacher, and focus on a psychology major with a music minor, or something like that? I would think transferring in your situation might be problematic. Have ou checked to see how your classes might transfer, what prerequisites you have done and still have, and so on?</p>
<p>I agree with compmom in that transferring at this late stage in the game would be problematic. You’re already too late for next year, and you say you’re a “third year”–does that mean you are currently a junior and there would be trying to transfer at the end of your senior year? Or did you mean you are currently a sophomore and upcoming third year? </p>
<p>Is not connecting with your teacher the only reason you wish to transfer, or are there other reasons? Have you tried to figure out why you’re not connecting? We all have many teachers in our lives–some we connect with, some we don’t–so you just try to learn what you can from the lesson and sort out the things you don’t maybe agree with or don’t work. When I have had teachers I didn’t feel as connected to as others, I supplemented my instruction with summer festivals, listening and watching every performer I could, attending and performing in every masterclass possible, etc. etc. When lessons didn’t inspire me to practice I looked to other means for motivation. So, I guess what I’m saying is if that is the only reason you want to transfer, then I would suggest finishing out where you are at this point.</p>
<p>If there is more to the story and you are fundamentally unhappy with where you are, being that it is too late to transfer, taking a year off is another possibility. Find another horn instructor, work on exploring why you haven’t been progressing, visit other colleges to find a place that you might be happier. Or, go with the psych major, music minor as compmom also suggests. </p>
<p>Keep us posted–I’ll be interested to hear the outcome of your decision-making.</p>
<p>Consider Vanderbilt - the psychology and music programs are both quite strong and they offer a double major with either a B.A. or B.Mus. degree.</p>
<p>Stetson U in Deland Fl would fit your criteria of allowing a dual BM and BA in Psych. Full disclosure I teach there but in Math not music! Small but quite good music school. </p>