<p>Hello! I will be a freshman this coming fall at a smaller school in MI, where I will be majoring in music education (voice as primary instrument). This school was not my top choice, but was the only music program that I was accepted to. In case I do not like this school, I am considering transferring to a bigger university for my sophomore year during the fall or winter semesters (University of Michigan, CCM, IU-Bloomington). Has anyone had any luck transferring to these schools? Is there anything that I should be aware of before I do any more research? Also, is it considered rude to transfer from one program to another? Thank you</p>
<p>It is not rude to transfer, but with music it is more difficult both in terms of relationships and in terms of credit loss. Each school has its peculiarities in their theory/aural training/music history/ensemble requirements, so often you end up losing tons of credits. Be certain to have confirmation about the credit transfers prior to making a decision.</p>
<p>Be aware that UM, CCM, and IU are all quite competitive for music admissions.</p>
<p>Bass, what school will you be attending, and had you previosly applied to umich som? I know of a few who transferred from alma, but don’t know if they were able to transfer major credits or not.
I do know of someone once wait listed at umich whose been “working with” umich to transfer in sophomore year from another top conservatory so I know it can be done. In programs other than music, I know umich prefers to wait til sophomore year to gauge academic performance. If you have any connections there, you should talk to the department directly for advice. I expect they’d be very forthcoming.</p>
<p>basspiano, you may want to give this school a chance. The above posters are correct in suggesting that transferring to another school may not be as easy as you think, unless you have time (extra semesters) and money (add’l tuition to pay for those extra semesters) to burn, as you may not be able to transfer music related courses from one school to the next. Since you’re already in a music education program, you’re at least in the right field, and since you were not able to get in somewhere else, it could suggest that this is the right school for you for now. The worst thing you can do for yourself is think that after a week as a freshman you will transfer to a new school. In music, you make contacts and network all the time. If you want to go to a more challenging school, think forward to grad school where those connections, your skills, and your grades will help you get to the best grad school for you. p.s. Enjoy your freshman year … you only have it once and and you’ll never grow so much in a year.</p>
<p>I’d like to add this. Could someone here list the “best” additional transfer threads? What I’d like to know more of (and I appreciate the original person who made the additional post here) are talk.collegeconfidential.com/Music Major “music student transfer stories”.</p>
<p>Basspiano,</p>
<p>No one seems to have answered so I’ll answer myself.</p>
<ol>
<li>First, let me defend (not that you need it) your position. We’re in a different kind of economy under a different kind of American governance now. It used to be that one could afford to take chances. If you got a degree from a school that was, say, less than prestigious, we were a land of plenty where there was ALWAYS opportunity to make the most of it if you were willing to work, be creative yet play by the rules.</li>
</ol>
<p>Now, I can see where people could be more uneasy if they think they’re chosen the “wrong” school. (Believe me, I’ve been fighting with myself over this one for my son. We made a decision based on what information we had at the time. Since then, more information has come out (nothing against his school, but rather financial information which would have made us less reticent to go with what we perceived was the better school musically. And I PRAYED about this one…it’s also a lesson on me trusting God.)) And if one feels they have made the wrong decision one wants to know what options he has to do something better.</p>
<ol>
<li> About that freshman year. Indeed, it would be wonderful to both enjoy that first year in college and go all four years to the same school. I wish blessings to those who do that or have done so. But in my own (non-musical) college experience, I found people who had a blast transferring in from either a community or a 4 year school to the school they really wanted to be at even if they didn’t go there all four years.</li>
</ol>
<p>More importantly, I just spoke yesterday with a young lady who does summer opera near the town I live in. She just graduated from a MAJOR music program in a well-known heartland university. She said that one of her good music major friends transferred as a sophomore to this particular school and ended up doing very well there. (BTW, this young lady wasn’t at the school; I encountered her while looking for quart/gallon ziplock bags at Walmart.) It can be done, so you just have to know what you’re doing, and with that in mind…</p>
<ol>
<li> A. It will be tough getting a frosh schedule where you don’t have to take some classes over, particularly musically. I’d see about taking some CLEP (if the school you really want to go to accepts it - they should say on their web site) and anything to “buy yourself some space” where you can transfer. I do know that some of these schools (such as the “heartland” one I talked about earlier) do offer scholarships to transfers, but you’ll want to really shine at where you start to be considered. Who knows? You may indeed want to end up staying all four years where you’re at.</li>
</ol>
<p>But transfers can be successfully achieved for the music student. Just plan ahead as far as possible and execute your plan if you really think it would be best for your career. And I’d add first and foremost: pray, pray, PRAY about this decision, and be ready to be led not by your own heart on it.</p>
<p>Best of blessings to you, basspiano.</p>