<p>I have to take issue with those who keep putting down conservatories in one way or another- this time it’s cost. If music and performing is what your youngster truly lives for, then following their dream is what they must do. To generalize by saying that " big name schools are for the rich and for those willing to mortgage their futures…" makes no more sense than to say that “state schools are for those who couldn’t get into anyplace else”. I would never think of saying the latter and I would appreciate it if those riding the anti-conservatory wave would think before posting something that is inaccurate and hurtful to someone else.Trumpet57, I don’t know if you have a youngster who is going to be auditioning this season, but what works for you may not be right to someone else. You say you are put off by looking at the cost of schools in a magazine. That seems to me like choosing a mate from a catalogue- what’s on the page is one dimensional. Put the publication down and go visit some schools- watch the kids going from the dorm to the music building, talking about the acting class they have that morning, walk around the halls of the practice rooms and hear all kinds of music pouring forth, and if you’re really lucky, you’ll be there right before a studio class and you’ll hear one girl begin to sing, then another takes a harmony line before the guys join in. Or listen to an opera rehearsal at night- kids who have been in class since 7:30 that morning, suddenly discovering new energy when they begin working with the orchestra. Those are the things you can’t quantify with a number. And stating that Oberlin is "a different story? Careful of hearsay, please. Oberlin too, is subject to the constraints of today’s economy- they are known to be willing to enable international students to attend their conservatory, but the kids I know who attend Oberlin haven’t received anything different than those at other schools. (One general exception is, for guys in VP, the FA awards may be larger to entice them into the program).
Jazz…well, maybe that’s different- I hope that someone else here will offer their experiences in that area. And of course the number of "people with success (who went to) more affordable schools, is larger- there are more of those institutions, while conservatories are smaller and can be much more particular in whom they accept.
violindad, you’re on the right track but there are other factors which come into play. Although merit money can be an indicator of “prospective talent”, I caution against getting hung up on that idea. Often budgets and numbers of admitted students can be different within departments and among instruments-a deserving student might be denied admission if there are 4 openings and she/he is number 5. There may not be a great applicant pool one year, so with a class of 30, all might receive great offers. The next year, a lot of really terrific applicants show up and an unexpected 70 accept the admission offers, so the monetary incentives are smaller. It’s a crap shoot every year and we parents aren’t privy to the “inside info”,however much we might wish to be. An offer of acceptance from a top school can be a better indicator of the perceived talent and the relative ability of a student as compared to others who are in the applicant pool.
We are heading into another audition season and it would be great if we could be supportive of all on here and not let personal preferences cause hurt feelings.</p>