kc1052

Hi guys. I'm a rising senior and, unfortunately, I don't have much experience at all with the college search process. I've come up with a few schools that I think would be a good match, and a couple "safeties", but I'm just not all that familiar with the whole search process. Does anyone have any school suggestions for me to study music ed in? And yes, I could google schools, and I have, but this might be more helpful because there are actual people on these forums with actual college experiences.
My stats are:
1960 SAT (but will retake in fall, hoping for maybe 2000?)
3.5 GPA
a lot of EC in music (including assisting in orchestras for young kids)

So far, I've come up with Umass Amherst, Umass Lowell, and Westfield State, which I've scheduled visits to. If possible, I'd like to attend school in MA so that I can get in-state tuition prices.
Thanks!

mom2collegekids

couple "safeties

Are you certain that you can afford your safeties (that your parents will pay all costs or you'll get some kind of ASSURED aid to cover all costs)???

A school isn't a safety unless you know you have all funding.

kc1052

As it is right now, my parents don't have any money to put into my college education, so I will be working throughout college, scholarship searching, and most likely taking out loans. I wish it wasn't that way, but since we don't have money to put in, there isn't really a financially safe school out there, lol. By "safeties", I meant that I am well above the typical first-year student profile and that I should be accepted based on academics.

bruno14

If you're not sure about your ability to pay, have you considered doing your first year or two at a local community college and then transferring somewhere else in-state? You can probably keep your costs down that way.

From doing a quick search, looks like your four-year options are Salem, Bridgewater, Westfield, and the UMass schools.