Thank you for the advice. I will research more into Harvard and Stanford’s majors. Yes, I agree. Right now, Northeastern appeals to me the most. That’s a good idea to look into schools with a smaller music program if I am majoring in business.
I’ve looked into this program and I really like it. The one thing that concerns me is its location. It is far from New York City and I don’t know if Syracuse has a good music scene. Besides that, this program is right up my alley.
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Thanks! Yes, I like the idea of urban colleges as long as there is some sort of campus feel. I have definitely gotten more comfortable in cities in the past few years. I love Boston and I feel very comfortable in that city. Thank you for the advice.
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The three programs I linked above are in cities where there is a vibrant music scene.
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Thank you! I’ll look into the ones you posted.
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By the way, I would think some top college towns would have music scenes to compete with bigger cities and of course they can have colleges with both business and music minors.
Like Ann Arbor reputedly has a great music scene, the University of Michigan has a top undergrad business program, and it has a Music Minor specifically designed for people in other schools:
Back to cities, the Twin Cities are great and you have the University of Minnesota in a nice river-side campus with a choice of three music minors:
Pittsburgh is actually quite the cool city with a diverse music scene these days, and CMU and Pitt would both be options (I note CMU has more of a separated campus, Pitt is more integrated into the local urban fabric):
Same with St Louis, an interesting city/music scene. WUSTL would be an option, it has a fantastic campus:
https://artsci.wustl.edu/explore-academics/music-minor
I’m basically just picking out places I know have good undergrad business programs in college towns or cities with good music scenes and checking they have suitable-sounding music minors, but it seems like a pretty deep field to me.
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Thinking bit out of the box but considering you have colleges with economics rather than business on your list, what about combining a minor or practice
https://wp.stolaf.edu/music/
https://www.stolaf.edu/profile/brandw1
With one of these 2 majors
https://wp.stolaf.edu/economics/
https://wp.stolaf.edu/economics/planning-the-major/
Or
https://wp.stolaf.edu/economics/planning-the-qemajor/
Plus a Management concentration (+ sophomore spring in Chicago, which can include an internship in the music industry)
https://wp.stolaf.edu/management-studies/
You would need to show interest (ie., join the mailing list and click on links in the messages they send, send questions, audition for the music scholarships
Harp Audition Requirements – Music Scholarships ) for it to be a safety.
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Juliaroses
Thank you for the advice. I will research more into Harvard and Stanford’s majors. Yes, I agree. Right now, Northeastern appeals to me the most. That’s a good idea to look into schools with a smaller music program if I am majoring in business.
@juliaroses is isn’t so much about the size of the music program as the degrees offered. Virtually any school will have a BA music department. We can suggest others that have only a BM program or both BA and BM, double majors, major/minor, and double degree. Again, it might help you to read the Double Degree Dilemma pinned at the top of the music major forum.
Your other challenge is that you want to do undergrad business. Maybe look at UPenn too- Wharton.
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I forgot to mention that I am LDS so I would like there to be some other members in the area/school. I know the Bay Area and Boston have a good amount for me to not be the only one.
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You can email each college’s chaplain office and ask whether there are LDS students enrolled, how many, and where the nearest temple is located (is it within walking distance?)
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That’s an amazing idea! I never thought of that. Thank you so much!
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Even though it does not have an undergrad business program, you should seriously consider Harvard. The reason that I say this is that the value of the name on the degree will open doors for you down the road in life (in ways that Northeastern, for example, won’t), and because Harvard has the best undergrad symphony in the nation that is not at a conservatory or a school of music. If they need a harpist, and if you are really good, they might take you in the same way that they would take a football talent. Your musical achievements could be the reason that they take you, rather than the many other applicants with high stats (as long as you can get that ACT up to 34 or higher). BTW, you should take a look at the threads regarding ACT prep on here and on Reddit, for advice about targeted self-prep for the ACT. My kid’s diagnostic was about 30 or so, but with targeted self-prep, they were able to get it up to a 36 on their only shot at the real test (pandemic issues).
Plan on submitting a music supplement. If you like, you can try to get in touch with the conductor (Fed Cortese), who is an amazing conductor, so that you can meet him if you come for a campus visit. He will be the person evaluating your no more than 3 minute music supplement recording, and he will be the one telling the admissions committee that he wants you, so it’s a good idea to meet him. You can major in whatever you like, play harp for the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra, and get involved in the many musical opportunities that Boston affords. You can even take classes at Berklee, if you like, and you can study harp privately with one of the many professionals playing in the many ensembles in the city. If you’re really good, you could even play with the Boston Philharmonic Youth, under Benjamin Zander (comprised of many conservatory students in the Boston area).
Plenty of LDS life in the Greater Boston area. BYU it is not, nor the U. But it’s a lot more than you would think. And there is a temple in Belmont, a close-in suburb.
You can get an MBA after college. I’m assuming that you want to go into something like orchestral management, or management of the Tabernacle orchestra. A Harvard undergrad degree will really make any employer sit up and take notice of your resume.
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I think it is important to note that in order for this to actually work at Harvard or similar, you typically need conservatory-level talent.
I’d also note this effect, such as it is, tends to fade very hard once you are much past college. Where you have worked recently, what you did, how well you did it, graduate and professional degrees as relevant, and so on all tend to pretty quickly dominate over where you went to college on a professional resume.
Indeed, the sorts of people still pointing to their college as one of their top professional qualifications years later are not normally seen as particularly impressive in my professional circles.
That being said, for sure it is not actually a bad idea to go to a Harvard or the like if you are interested in a business career, despite the lack of an undergrad business program. I’d just understand that the next steps after that are going to be critical, and indeed the next steps after that, and really all along until you hit career peak. Because in most professions, career advancement is largely a matter of “what have you done lately?”
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many colleges have an LDS institute site right next to the school. That would be a good way to plug in to the local LDS college student community wherever you attend.
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FYI - I checked and although Belmont University is a Christian school and chapel services on campus are available, attendance at the chapel services is optional…NOT required.
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Yes, Harvard is my top choice right now. I am planning on applying to the Harvard-Berklee dual degree program as well. I am not worried about getting my ACT up to a 34 at least. I have been hunkering down and studying for the two weeks and I still have one week to go. Thank you so much for the advice. They are all booked up for tours when I am going to be in Boston this fall. I was planning on doing a self-guided tour. I will continue to really work on my music, specifically harp. Thanks!
Should I apply to Harvard EA?
Run the NPC with your parents to make sure it’s affordable.
If it is, it would make sense to apply REA since it’s your top choice.
You can still apply to public universities and non binding other programs (any nonbinding, non EA priority or scholarship programs… both at public&private colleges and for other private universities RD, ED2…) You couldn’t apply ED1 or EA to any private college.
So, for instance, you could apply to BYU, UUtah+ Eccles, UMN, Pitt no problem; you could submit Part1 and the merit&audition scholarship apps at st Olaf; you could apply RD at Penn, ED2 at WUSTL; but you couldn’t apply EA to Northeastern.
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Yes, if you can afford it. You will have a geographical diversity boost, too. Not too many qualified applicants from Utah. Talk with your harp teacher about how you can make the absolutely best 3 min audition tape possible for the supplement.
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I am also a singer. Should I submit me playing the harp or singing or both? Singing is my passion but I love harp as well. I also know that not as many people play it so that might help. Where can I find music supplement information so I can prepare? I’ve tried to look for it online but I haven’t seen anything