<p>Hi everyone, I have been accepted to the University of Michigan music school for composition, and I think I have narrowed my list down to that or USC (Southern Cal). Which one is generally regarded as having a better program? Thanks!</p>
<p>They’re equally good. You’re going to have to make your choice based on other factors such as whom you’d be studying with, curriculum requirements, performance opportunities & locale.</p>
<p>Have you had the opportunity to visit both campuses? Were you accepted at Thornton? The admission letters will not be mailed until March 27th, 2012. Study each website and see what is being performed at the schools, view some of the videos offered and read faculty profiles in that department. Thornton is located in an important center for the entertainment industry. </p>
<p>For Thornton the composition faculty is:</p>
<p>David Crockett-Chair
Stephen Hartke
Frederick Lesermann
Erica Muhl
Frank Ticheli
Morten Lauridson-National Medal of Arts Recipient</p>
<p>Xtra, are you in-state or OOS for UMich? Do you have financial offers/info in hand yet? Will you have “financial need” as defined by FAFSA/CSS, or will you be full pay?
Do you like/will put up with snow? Do you like/will put up with LA?</p>
<p>Are you familiar with the varied works/styles of the comp profs at each school? How would you describe your compositional style – and what is your instrument?</p>
<p>As SpiritManager said, both programs are pretty comparable and among top programs.
My son attends UMich and loves it (but he is not a straight comp major; he is a performing arts technology major in the curriculum that includes some composition, so his composition courses have been a mix of electro-acoustic and traditional, which he loves pretty much equally.)</p>
<p>In terms of finances, USC is a “meets need” school, meaning if you are assessed as having substantial need, the financial aid is typically pretty robust. UMich does not meet full need of OOS students (but can, and does often make attendance attractive for some OOS applicants via scholarships) – it is not technically as “generous” but even at OOS rates it is also not quite as expensive as a private school (although close, within about $8 - $10k COA of most privates).</p>
<p>Congratulations on your selection and best wishes for your decision. You can’t really go wrong.</p>
<p>Be sure to visit each while school is in progress and sit in on some of the classes. That is the best way to get a feel for fit.
Cheers,
k</p>