<p>Hello,
I am a senior in high school and would like to major in
music production/engineering. </p>
<p>What are some good contemporary music schools wish substantial amount of financial aid?</p>
<p>In the music departments generally, scholarships depend on your audition. There are a few (not many) that will give talent awards and academic awards. </p>
<p>One school that we looked at that had music production/technology and gave both talent and academic awards was College of St Rose in Albany. </p>
<p>At the top schools, such as Berklee, you have to be at the very top of the talent pool to get a lot of money. It’s probably worth while to look at a range of tuition price points rather than trying for a big scholarship. I believe that SUNY Oneanta may have music production, and I think William Patterson in New Jersey does as well. What area of the country are you looking in? </p>
<p>In addition to scholarships based on merit, you may get financial awards based on your family’s income level.</p>
<p>Yes, in any music program, I agree with electricbassmom … Talent comes first, they they will talk $.</p>
<p>In terms of financial aid, perhaps someone else can comment, but at Berklee, once you have auditioned and are at the top of the talent pool, then they will look at you for a possible Presidential scholarship if you also meet the income target for financial aid (i.e. very low income and very very high talent). I would not even imagine being competitive for this award if you are not already near professional in your musical talent.</p>
<p>If you tell us more about your talent, grades, preferred locations for college and instrument, then folks on this forum can give more guidance.</p>
<p>I think the OP wants to double major in music production AND mechanical engineering. At least that’s what he has stated in his previous posts. OP—you might want to reference your posts under other threads. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1400500-liberal-arts-schools-strong-engineering-music-programs.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1400500-liberal-arts-schools-strong-engineering-music-programs.html</a></p>
<p>If you mean “financial aid” to be need-based or only merit based, answers may be different. Just FYI.</p>
<p>For music production, Capital U in Columbus’ music conservatory has a program (BM track with performance or BA track without) with generous need-based aid as well as music and academic scholarships.</p>
<p>In reference to financial aid, there are calculators that can help you determine what kind of need-based aid you might be eligible for. I think finaid.org is a good place to start. your parents will have to give you information regarding their income. </p>
<p>You indicated on your other thread that you live in Alaska. While travel to contiguous US will be expensive, there are probably a number of school interested in attracting students from Alaska to round out their geographic diversity. </p>
<p>I understand that you are interested in mechanical engineering and music production. For that combination, all of the conservatories are going to be out. You are probably looking at bigger universities to get that kind of combination. </p>
<p>Also, you will need to consider the expense of travelling to live auditions. I think most schools now allow you to do a video audition if travelling is not an option.</p>
<p>Holmes, if you’re interested in engineering AND music production and have super high stats, high need, and/(or?) that unique geographical hook, you might want to check out the University of Michigan. Their conservatory style school of music has a great music engineering degree on its own, and in that one, I’m not sure you could viable pursue a second engineering degree because the sequence is so specific. BUT you could take the equivalent of music technology in the PAT program and still pursue an engineering degree. It takes 5 years (possibly a bit more, depending on the combo).</p>
<p>To gain access to the PAT program, depending on which stream, usually involves submission of a portfolio, samples of stereo recordings created to date, sometimes composition, sequencing and programming samples, in the music tech variant, an audition, and very high stats particularly in your math/science segments of ACT/SAT.</p>
<p>UMich is very expensive out of state, but now and then can be very generous for talent AND academic achievement. My son applied as dual degree and received a generous academic scholarship AND a music scholarship, so it IS possible.</p>
<p>Hope this helps.
Cheers.</p>
<p>I agree that for music, merit awards depend heavily on talent and competition. It is really difficult to say whether school A or B gives “good” aid. There are many factors.</p>
<p>BTW, it seems from the responses, that when you say “contemporary music”, you are referring to what is often branded at university music programs as “Songwriting” or “Popular Music”, etc. That is to avoid confusion with contemporary music being also used by some to refer to experimental, modernist, or avant-garde musics.</p>
<p>University of Miami’s Frost School of Music has a program in Media Writing and Production in its Composition & Theory department, as well as a Department of Music Media and Industry. I believe UM is competitive with aid, but if you’re from out-of-state, you will have a harder time.</p>
<p>Rider University just opened a program in Fall of 2012 offering a BA in Popular Music Culture. This might be worth looking into.</p>
<p>William Paterson University offers a BA in Music with Popular Music emphasis. WPU is a very popular place to apply to for especially jazz musicians and for those looking to get a foot into the NYC music scene, without going all out.</p>
<p>@EarlGr8, U. Of Miami is NOT a state school… it is private so I don’t think it matters much if you are in or out of state.</p>
<p>It must not matter then. I had a friend from South Florida who decided to go UM (this was about ~7 years ago), and told me that as a local school it was quite cheap for her, so I must’ve been put under that impression. Being a private, maybe it won’t matter much. I do now recall the OP being from Alaska. If so, perhaps s/he doesn’t want to go so far away anyways?</p>
<p>Assuming you mean Miami when you say UM, she must have gotten an outstanding package, because that school is right up there in terms of price with every other well equipped private. But they can be generous!</p>
<p>If by UM, however, you meant university if michigan, which locals call UM, your statement would be true – instate tuition is about 15k right now, but OOS is more like 40k these days. Instate is not cheap compared to other in state u’s, just cheap compared with OZoS and privates. ((these figures are senior rates…freshman may be lower…it kicks up in your last two years).</p>
<p>(I realize you meant Miami).</p>