<p>I just about always agree with Alexandre, but this is one case where I will say follow your heart – once you’ve stopped an listened deeply to what your intuition tells you, and, provided you’re TRULY financially able if your intuition tells you to “go for it” at UMich SOM, (sit down with your folks on this and map out what you’ll pay back, what they’ll help with, scholarship, etc. Go into it with your eyes wide open. Your 1/2 tuition scholarship will be GPA dependent, meaning you will need to keep a 3.2 plus performance progress).</p>
<p>The reason I am saying this is because I am hearing a bit of “people-pleasing” in your post, which is normal for a kind and respectful daughter – and necessary if the money isn’t there. But if, in fact, the money is there, and you are just being a little shy, I do feel the SOM is quite a thing to let pass by for an artist of any caliber, and one you might regret and say ‘what-if’ down the road. And at the end of the day if you follow your passion, the money will follow. (Don’t get me wrong – this applies to UNC as well. The question is, would you say one day “If I had known I would have gone to Michigan…”)</p>
<p>Another thing I want you to consider is that a “history degree” does not in any way make you “more employable” than a music degree. Employers understand the level of commitment required to study music at a place like UMich SOM. The skills you will learn will be every bit as transferable as those in the liberal arts, and I can assure you that you will still be studying “academics” (as anyone who has taken a music history or theory course at UM will tell you – as rigorous as they get).</p>
<p>Do read the handbook, however. Normally, to dual degree, you would have applied to SOM AND LSA – it is a bit different than “double majoring” although maybe you can just double (you can’t in my son’s program but it has many requirements). However, once you start out as an SOM student, I believe you can apply to LSA for the dual without much difficulty. Your first year will be filled with the music degree reqs and your first required English class anyway.</p>
<p>You also asked about my son – he is loving every minute of it despite the challenge, and it is indeed a challenge, particularly in terms of scheduling. Nonetheless, he gets out a lot and will trade off sleep for socializing any day 
The collegial environment in the SOM is awesome, as are the other profs he’s been working with. In his case, for particular reasons relating to what he’s doing, he may not end up proceeding with the second degree at LSA and may instead do the multimedia MFA at the SOM program or a film scoring grad program at USC down the road. He hasn’t decided yet. In his case, the second degree will take a 5th year, so we have to balance the value of the second degree (in terms of cost) against the value (and expense) of a terminal MFA at UMich, USC or NYU. The benefit of the terminal MFA is you can then teach.</p>
<p>And just so you know, those types of options would be open to you as well. Because the SOM is so large and innovative, they frequently “cross program” with Art & Design (Interarts degree) Engineering (sound engineering) etc. So a really “employable” route would be to study music performance and take arts administration and marketing courses. Just a thought.</p>
<p>No matter what you decide, you have great choices and an exciting time ahead of you, so congrats!</p>
haha and while it wouldn’t be the BIGGEST problem financially, in this economy $120,000 is a lot to be in debt and although my parents say that if I truly want to go to UMichigan they will try to support me… I would feel better making it not cost anything. So they will be in debt if I go to Michigan… but that’s why i’m weighing all my options…</p>