Re: marching, it’s a little complicated. In Texas, the band more or less exists to support the football team, so marching is the critical component - there are concerts and other indoor activities in the spring (which D22 really liked), but it’s not an option to just skip marching and do the indoor stuff. If it were, not only would D22 have chosen that option (doesn’t care about football), but lots of kids would, because they practice marching on parking lots in brutal heat for hours on end.
If D22 had wanted to really press the issue, I think the band program would have made efforts to accommodate - there was actually a band member during that era who marched in a wheelchair due to a congenital disability. But D22’s disability was not severe enough to require a wheelchair in normal life; it was just that the long hours of stiff-legged strides were damaging her knees. Given that, staying in band likely would have involved switching to a non-walking instrument like vibraphone rather than her preferred clarinet, based on the experience of others. She was only barely tolerating the marching anyway in order to do concert and jazz band in the spring, so she chose to quit (the band director tried to talk her out of it). In the end, I think it was probably the right move. But didn’t want to leave the impression that the school was committing an ADA violation - I don’t think that it was.
Wanted to post St Olaf but been beat to it
Protestant (Lutheran) with a topnotch Religion faculty (sends students to Ivies and similar for Theology), academically challenging, open-minded (has several Christian denominations + Priest, Imam, Rabbi on roster, looking for Hindu specialist.)
About 3,200 students, so larger than a typical LAC (which is 1,800-2,500).
Look into the “Conversations” cohorts.
The bands are “sitting” bands, not marching. (As a joke-based-on-a-truth, the “big men on campus” are the singers, nobody knows who the football players are. Everyone would know the St Olaf Band, nobody would tell you a thing about a marching band - it’s all about the music ensemble, not the football.) https://wp.stolaf.edu/stolaf-band/
Offers merit, academic and music (deadlines in early December).
Depends on the band in OP D’s high school…our band has concert and jazz bands for winter and spring but fall marching band is as competitive and physically demanding as any sport in my D’s school (I.e. has won within the top placements in our five-state league for twenty years…there is intense choreography/body movements of band members moving seamlessly with the guard in complex patterns, not like the boring marching bands I remember from my high school days!). Many students opt to do concert band in winter only.
Unless she played keyboard or percussion in the pit at front (they don’t march) or the band director let her play a wind/brass instrument in the pit along with percussion, I don’t see how it would work in a competitive marching band. If her school’s band is more low-key and mostly just plays casually at football games, maybe. I sympathize, but no one expects a student with knee problems to be incorporated into a competitive sports team. Marching bands march…all day for weeks during summer band camp, and for multiple 3-hour practices after school and on weekends in the fall. It’s physically demanding.
I’m glad to see she is considering Rice. You seem to be describing Rice in your wish list. She certainly would be a competitive applicant. Rice does not have the Greek system but has the residential college system instead. It is a secular school but has strong religious studies and sociology departments. We have a friend that went to undergrad at Rice then on to seminary. He is now pastor of a church in Houston. There is good support for mental health on campus. The atmosphere is not cut throat. Rice also has good need based aid though the Rice Investment. Run the net price calculator and see what it shows you for the cost. With her stats she should apply to Plan II at UT to have a smaller cohort within her big safety. Plan II Honors Program | Liberal Arts | UT - Austin
Your description is about right - it’s a competitive marching band. I was blown away by the level of choreography, costuming, and props these days. It’s like musical theater on a football field.
Our school doesn’t yet have the track record of elite results that your school does, but the administration seems to be putting lots of resources into succeeding at marching comps.
Thanks, that’s been my impression of Rice as well - would be a fantastic result for D22. I would be in favor of ED there, to be honest, but right now D22 is still focused on ED to Brown (not clear to me that ED actually increases your chances there, given the number of hooked applicants in that pool). Admission to Rice is only getting tougher, but at least the school is committed to growing the undergrad population over the next few years. A few more seats is better than no more seats.
Loyola would probably be over budget unless she wins Ignatian Scholarship. S20 got it down to around $36k/year. Her stats would qualify but it’s competitive. Budget of $25-30 will be tough unless she wins big scholarships or gets FA.
It means you qualify for major need-based aid at generous full-need colleges, which opens a LOT of possibilities.
Typically and broadly, the Midwest/heartland will be more laid-back and down-to-earth than the coasts so looking in that broad area would be better for a high-anxiety child. Bates is also lower-stress than, say, Bowdoin (which has a competitive streak, in part because of athletes, although it’s not cut throat as far as I can tell - we’re not talking JHU or G’Town). Some areas in the South as well.
Lots of students apply to Brown and Rice. The schools seem to attract the same type of student. Next year ED at Brown with RD at Rice might be a good strategy as Rice is adding seats. I believe a student expressing an interest in religious studies/sociology at Rice will stand out from the herd of premed and engineering applicants. She might be interested in the Rice MOB band. It is a tight knit fun group. I’m sure it would accommodate her needs. You might consider adding Trinity in San Antonio to her list as a likely/match. I hear Trinity gives good merit aid. Trinity and Rice will be very familiar with her high school and admit many Texas students.
Agree, ED Brown/RD Rice might make sense for next year. As you say, D22’s best hope is that the unusual narrative of progressive-female-from-evangelical-background-pursuing-religious-studies will stand out and offset the relatively weak list of ECs for super-competitive schools. I can see a wide range of outcomes, depending on how schools weigh ECs vs. other elements - could squeeze into an Ivy, could end up at a safety.
Trinity - yes, worth a deep dive. It’s on my list but hadn’t really investigated. Looks like NPC is ~28k, so not prohibitive, and might have a chance at competitive full-tuition merit.
Love the MOB, but after 2 yrs away from competitive band and regular lessons with little spare time on the horizon, I doubt D22 will be at the level where you would need to be for a quality college band - band days may be behind her now. Honestly, her biggest strength musically is not clarinet (she was good but not the best at our school), but music theory. She has a remarkable ear for pitch and harmony and is fascinated by chord structures. She will say things in conversation like, “Oh I like this song - listen to how that sus4 resolves into the major 7th,” or “man, that Bminor-flat5-11 is awesome.” I know Rice has a strong music conservatory that may not be easy for non-majors to access, but it would be great if she could take a few music theory classes.
Not only do they have sociology and religious studies majors, but the university is also the new home of the Claremont School of Theology, formerly part of the Claremont Consortium. They’re still in the process of transitioning to Oregon, slowed by the pandemic as well as by legal wranglings around the sale of their California campus, but they have launched an entering class of MDiv students in Oregon. While your daughter doesn’t necessarily need an associated seminary while an undergrad, it might be a resource that could enhance her experience and help to confirm whether her current plan continues to resonate. It has the liberal protestant frame of reference that she favors.
There’s a composition track in Willamette’s music major program, so there are resources in that regard also. She’d likely get very good merit there, and it seems to have the vibe she wants (nice campus, liberal and socially engaged - Salem is the state capital and a lot of students get involved in state-level politics and policy… and it’s a collaborative and supportive community, not a pressure cooker, and not known as a party school, although Greek life is present).
Would be a safety relative to others she’s considering, but possibly a nice one.
Most schools have music theory. It certainly doesn’t need to be a school with a conservatory or school of music. Has she pursued any theory outside of school, at a conservatory prep for instance? She might love it: solfege, dictation etc.
Brown’s financial aid has improved a lot in recent years and they meet financial need. Worth trying!
Pepperdine has both the Social Justice and Great Books colloquia, which may be of interest to your daughter. My D21 liked American a lot as someone who also is interested in social justice and the arts, but chose Pepperdine.
She hasn’t had any burn out on or been involved in negative religous environments however. (And while friendly, she is a fierce defender of the social rights of others).
Pepperdine isn’t nearly as conservative as some online regulars would have you believe (though not claiming a liberal majority). Nice mix.
I went to grad school at Pepp and although a Christian, felt encouraged to research & present on other spiritual traditions. Love the blend of warm community with scholarship that allows for individuality. I find Pepp to be a place that encourages balanced, articulate communication, which our world so desperately needs.
Excellent study abroad at own campuses, if that is of interest.
Sizeable grant with or without or Regents scholarship would put it in range for you.
