wohin

Could someone tell me what's wrong with Westminster. I keep hearing how terrible it is, but I never actually hear why. I mean, there's a facebook group and everything!

violadad

From the consensus here, Westminster is usually mentioned in a positive light, particularly for choral and music ed. There may be other opinions, as not all schools and programs are right for all people.

A couple of previous threads from this forum:
Westminster CHoir College
So what about Westminster

And a few from the Music Theater Forum as well
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/...ht=westminster
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/...ht=westminster

If you use the "search this forum" feature and "westminster", you'll get additional threads in each forum. I just linked the ones with Westminster in the thread titles and there are additional posts where the name is cited in specific posts within a thread.

I have no personal knowledge. Singersmom07's daughter (vocal performance) was accepted there last year but chose to attend Rice; I believe cartera45 had planned a visit this past summer. You may want to contact either or both for thei impressions or comments.

Singersmom07

DD was accepted there with a nice schoarship. There is a voice teacher there her HS voice teacher wanted her to study with. In the end she chose Rice because she wanted the conservatory environment in a more complete University setting. Both had good voice teachers.

Since she never went, I do not know about negative issues. There were things that she was not as fond of in comparison, small campus, isolated from main univeristy, dorms with practice rooms in basement, practice rooms not well sound proofed. However, the program seemed superb, with a lot of various opportunities to explore different types of vocal music. The students were friendly when we visited. They seem to have a pretty good record.

I did a quick look on Facebook, may not have used the same search you did but found more positive groups than negative. Even the one person who started a negative group had this statement on the positive group:

Chris Sterner (West Chester) wrote
at 1:13pm on July 23rd, 2007
I think I need to clarify something. I actually created the "I went to Westminster Choir College and got out while I could" group, but I never intended any malice by it. I loved the time I spent at Westminster, both musically and through the friendships I made, but I personally needed a school with more programs, as I was at a point in my life where I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I realize looking back that the group name does seem a little bitter, but that was not my intent. Anyway, I just wanted to set the record straight. Thanks!

In the end you have to decide what kind of program you are looking for. Visit for yourself and make those judgments, weighing the positive and the negative. .

neumes

I keep getting hearsay as well from singers I know who did not attend but know people who did, mostly moderately negative--and I looked at Facebook and Classical Singer sites as well, but S's voice teacher wants him to apply. S is more interested in music schools within more competitive academic universities or LACs or universities with BA, strong music. (Rider is not selective, although WCC is because of audition.) We back him up 100%. Theoretically, a WCC VP student can take one class per semester at Princeton, but is this done for real? And do you feel like the odd person out in class?)

As someone on CC pointed out, Westminster has reorganized with MT on the Lawrenceville campus and WCC remaining at Princeton--not sure what this does--is it an improvement? Was it always like that? I've heard there's an increasing focus on MT but is this true? No idea. Would love to hear, but I'm hoping S sticks to his BM-in-selective-U or BA in selective U/LAC plan, as academics are high on our list. Not much time to apply, in any case!

Would love to hear any voices of experience. I'm just adding more hearsay, sorry!

wohin

Bump! Someone please answer neumes questions!

By the way, I recent;y found that I know two students who are there for grad school. Both sopranos. One took from a teacher I want to study with for my undergrad at another college and another was a great vocalist at a local University-it has a high caliber of vocal students.

neumes

It turns out that two male singers I have met recently (and admire) went to Westminster and made some connections that have served them well (started a small group with its first CD this fall and both sing with at least two other NYC groups). I will ask them and answer my own question!

don9992

My D is a junior and pretty actively shopping schools. WCC is currently in the lead in her heart and mind, partly because she went to summer programs there for the last 4 years, but also from visits there and singing under Joe Miller in her District Honors Chorus last year. Here in the Philly area, nearly everyone involved in vocal music has, if not a degree, some professional training from there, so it's hard to avoid that school's influence in these parts.

Their training, especially in the choral music field is first rate (even if their facilities are not) and I've yet to see any school offering the performance opportunities they can.

Rider seems to be leveraging the Westminster name by bundling WCC and their dance, theater, and graphic arts programs under the name Westminster College of the Arts. WCC remains intact within that college so I'm not too sure what the net effect of this arrangement will actually have on it.