cello performance thoughts...BU, Ithaca, SUNY Purchase

compmom
Tue, 01 Apr 2014 12:35:16 +0000

I am assuming she is going to the music school/conservatory for a BM program at one of these, not the liberal arts BA, right? Just wondering because you wrote that she is “still happy” she is going to a “liberal arts school.” I guess you mean that on campus, there are students with diverse majors, as opposed to a freestanding conservatory.

I think that, if she is concerned with that aspect of her decision, meaning social diversity beyond “music kids,” that she should look into that more deeply. I would think Ithaca might be best in that regard, though I don’t know the physical location of the conservatory in relation to the college. Ithaca is a great college town.

There are other social characteristics to look into. Some say Purchase is a suitcase school, with many students heading home or into the city on weekends. Not sure if that is true, but how would your daughter feel about that? BU’s Performing Arts department is in a separate building but I’m sure at both Purchase and BU, dorms are mixed. Ithaca is smaller with a real residential campus. Etc.

Ithaca is supposed to be a great college town, with Cornell nearby. Not a major city so not sure if performance opportunities would be different, mainly college/conservatory based or not. It’s got a great reputation. Great residential experience.

I have heard BU is pretty intense. That can be a pro or a con. The school itself is very large but the music school is more intimate. There are some nice new facilities at BU such as dorms, gym etc.

If she has other academic interests, it is worth looking into those at each school, too.

These are all great choices musically. Along with looking at teachers and performance opportunities, I would go with money as a big factor and look at other factors like social environment and vibe.

This is kind of rambling! I would have preferred sending a private message but it seems that they aren’t private anymore: if I click on a name of a poster, I can read all their PM’s since CC changed its format.