Colleges with an artistic/musical presence?

College Search & Lists
1

I’m not sure this post goes in this area, but I’ll just give it a go!

Could anyone suggest some colleges with some significant artistic and/or musical communities that ARE NOT art, music, or performing arts schools? I typically lean toward the artsy side of life and would love to be in that kind of community, but I want to avoid all the pressures that may come with schools with such a specific focus.

For additional info, I would like to double major in English and Psychology, so it would be great if the colleges also have strong programs in these areas. I’m also considering minoring in Vocal Performance if I decide not to double major.

Comments on the college towns themselves are also helpful :slight_smile: Thank you so much!

2

So so many colleges and universities offer excellent departments in these areas but are not strictly art, music, or performance conservatories. I’m struggling to come up with a school that does NOT offer at least one of those departments. I suppose it hinges on what you mean by “significant” then? That is fairly subjective; it really depends on the value each community member puts on the arts.

3

You might receive better responses if you suggest what you are looking for in a college town. There’d be little point in posters suggesting schools near small villages or in big cities if you already have a particular setting in mind. Beyond that, some information on your current level achievement (i.e., “stats”) would help your thread progress.

4

Maybe Skidmore, St. Olaf’s, Oberlin, Muhlenberg and Connecticut College

5

Can you provide information about your academic stats, if money is an issue, what type of school you are looking for (size, location, anything else you like or don’t like such as Greek Life, religious presence, etc.), any geographic constraints etc. Without that information my first suggestion would be to get your hands on some good college guide books (ex. Fiske, Princeton Review to name two) and start reading. You can also try the supermatch function to the left (under find a college).

6

Oh wow, thanks for all the college suggestions and book recommendations! I guess being more specific on my end would probably be a bit more helpful, wouldn’t it :)) ?

@Oregon2016 By “significant,” I mean that there’s a pretty noteworthy presence of the arts on campus, maybe going so far as to say that they’re a part of the campus identity. Things like student art exhibits, concerts and performances, clubs/student groups that are art oriented, high involvement of students of other disciplines in the arts, etc.–all beyond the scope of the classroom.

Although, now that I look at it, you’re right that these qualifications fit many schools and are very subjective. Maybe I’m being a bit unrealistic thinking this would narrow down my choices?

@merc81 I’d like a college town with a suburban or urban feel. I want some off campus entertainment, like a thriving music scene and nice culture, so a tiny, rural town would probably throw me for a loop.

@merc81 @happy1 :

As far as stats, I’m a rising senior with a 3.9 UW, 4.2-4.4 W (my HS has an odd weighting system that I’ve yet to figure out, but I’m fairly certain it’s somewhere in this range), and I’m in the top 10% of my high school (placed somewhere between 1 and 12, but we don’t rank). I’m also a black female from the south, but I don’t want to place too much emphasis on being a URM.

My current highest ACT is a 29 :frowning: , but I believe I raised it up into the 30s this past Saturday. Similarly, my highest score for the new SAT is only a 1310, but I believe I raised it with the last exam.

I’d rather not talk much about money, but it is a bit of a concern; my family is middle class, and I’m definitely not an only child. Currently reality is that merit aid is my best bet for paying for college.

Greek life and religious presence don’t matter to me, but I’d like a medium to large school with decent athletics. I’d prefer it to be located somewhere in the South or Midwest, but I’m really open to looking anywhere!

If such a school even exists outside my imagination, let me know :))

7

If it helps any, a couple schools I’m looking at are Vanderbilt and UMich, but I’m concerned about financial aid and price.

8

For now, you can try two Newsweek articles in relation to your location preferences: “The 25 Most Desirable Suburban Schools” and “The 25 Most Desirable Urban Schools” (online).

9

Wesleyan, Vassar, Evergreen, Bennington, Oberlin all sound like excellent fits for you, although they aren’t all equally generous with aid.

10

@merc81 @marvin100 Thank you for the suggestions :slight_smile:

11

LACs will usually have such an abundance of things to do – concerts, speakers, movies, parties, etc. etc. – that even though you think you need a city nearby for culture, the reality is that you probably will find all you need to do right on a campus. I would say that at most schools artists will have abundant opportunities to create, perform, publish and watch.

Here’s an example of the concert scene at Grinnell College. This is just one student-sponsored organization. The college itself brings in musicians of all types (classical, jazz, etc.) for performances and learning opportunities:

http://grinnellconcerts.com/

Grinnell also offers merit aid. Everything on campus is free to students. That’s another advantage of going to a school not near a city: you don’t have to pay for your entertainment!

12

Another LAC that offers great merit aid is Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. Moorhead shares a border w/ Fargo, ND which has appeared in multiple top college town rankings (such as http://www.bestcollegereviews.org/50-best-college-towns-america/) Big music presence on campus and student gallery and plenty of opportunities for students to participate in arts in the metro area. There are four concert venues of varying size in FM and a growing number of coffee shops/bars that offer live music.

13

@SDonCC Thank you for suggesting Grinnell! I’ve heard the name and done some research, but never really considered it. And yes, you’re right, it’s great to not have to pay for off campus entertainment :)) I hadn’t even considered that factor!

@Bekp2018 Thank you for suggesting Concordia! I’ve never even heard of it before.

14

Check out Muhlenberg, I believe it might be a great fit for you. . . or at least worth a look. Best of luck to you!

15

Your stats aren’t helpful for Vandy. Wake Forest is a better match for admissions, the Deacons play some big games, and Winston-Salem has a vibrant arts scene.

16

Be careful to id colleges that give merit aid- Vassar only does need-based aid.

17

@beenthereanddone I think you’re the second person to recommend Muhlenberg, so I’ll definitely look into it!

@Oregon2016 Aw, that’s what I was afraid of with Vandy :frowning: But thanks for reminding me about Wake! I was a little interested in it a while back. About The Winston-Salem art scene, is any of that connected to the school, or is it more concentrated in the city?

@collegemom3717 Seconding this post!!

18

On my business visits to Austin, the student band-art scene levels were very high and I really enjoyed them.

My trips to Nashville have informed me the best (pop) musicians in the world are all there, so Vandy seems like a no-brainer (but I know nothing about the school specifically).

Rochester of course has Eastman in it, so there should be tangential opportunities. Brown has RISD coop. Not expert in either tho.

And any college in New York City. :wink: We have the greatest concentration of artists and musicians anywhere.

19

@Postmodern I love Nashville, and Austin seems like a good time! I’m just a bit worried about the selectivity of the top schools in those areas, as well as the price. (OOS for UT Austin, price in general for Vandy)

And, of course, NYC is always the dream :))

20

Macalester might be a good fit. The campus is in a pretty and quiet area of St. Paul but the cultural life of the Twin Cities is easily accessible. Definitely try to get the test scores up to give yourself as many options as possible.