What does she think? Some kids actually thrive in a challenging college environment, and in challenging courses.
We were full pay parents. Our younger kid was an engineering and biology double major who LOVED her courses and especially the upper level application and more challenging courses. Kid was also a musician who played in the college orchestra first chair all four years and continued lessons as well.
Our kid specifically looked for strong STEM colleges where she was able to continue playing her instrument. The instrument part was THE part hardest criteria for her to find.
At most schools (not all, of course) math and music are not terribly cutthroat. Since she’s not looking at conservatory type places (where indeed- making it as a performer is quite competitive) or seemingly destined for a Wall Street/quant career, I think there are lots of colleges that you might think of as cutthroat which in fact- are not.
Mathy types tend to run their own race. As is the type of music she hopes to study. So I’d keep an open mind here.
On the political atmosphere at Oberlin- that reputation is largely outdated. While lots of kids have opinions and leanings, they are mostly homogenized currently (for better or worse), so there isn’t a politically charged culture.
What you described in your original post could potentially be a Musical Studies major and a Math minor (or the reverse). Musical Studies at Oberlin is primarily non-performance, however there is participation required in one of the many ensembles. It is a BA degree from the College (as opposed to a BM degree in the Conservatory).
Here’s a link to info on that major:
Feel very free to DM me if you’ve got any questions about Oberlin in general!
I have referred to applied math as “it’s fun, and they pay you”. A degree in applied math, or probably math overall, can be used in a variety of different ways. Some computer skills are useful for many if not most of those ways. Just as some examples of things that I have heard of or that someone I knew has done with a math degree: Acoustics; Finance; Law; Software Engineering in general; Software Engineering at a nuclear physics research facility or radio telescope (physicists apparently have some tough math problems that they need solved); Internet internal operations; Optimizing package delivery systems; Optimizing corporate logistics; Machine Learning. I am sure that there are other options. Math is used in a lot of places, many of which most of us would never think of. Some of these ways also need some course work in other areas (which might be done either as additional course work while an undergraduate student or as a master’s or other graduate degree).
Having worked in high tech for multiple decades, I have met multiple people who were also quite good at music. I have been surprised on several occasions to see someone I knew from high tech get up on stage and play music, and in most cases play very well. In one case the former software engineer who I knew well came over between sets and gave us copies of his most recent CD. Then he got back up on stage for a second set. Math and Music seem to go together relatively often.
Actuary, agricultural risk management (what happens to the soybean market when a massive tornado hits during prime growing season), sustainable design, validating results from clinical trials of new drugs; disease transmission modeling… tons of cool careers with math.
Our math, physics and musical student loved Holy Cross. Fabulous new performing arts center and a long history of excellence in theatrical and choral performance. Smart and collaborative student body that is politically moderate. (Our student is apolitical)
Agree with St. Olaf. The music opportunities are outstanding. The math department is also very strong and has a decades-long history of welcoming and supporting women students in the major, long before this was on the radar at other schools.
As for the location, I realize it is outside her preferred distance, but remember that MSP is an airport hub, so there are dozens of direct flights to LGA/EWR/JFK daily (our home airport is MSP, and our S22 attends school in NYC, and it has been quite easy.)
It got a bit complex for me nearer the end, for sure. I haven’t picked it up in years tbh, and maybe would be interesting now in retrospect for all that has happened since it was written. But I absolutely loved how he drew the connnecting themes between music and math and …I’m not really sure Escher is high “art” but definitely fun to examine
