Non-music private schools that like musicians? [3.99 GPA in IB DP, 1500 SAT, wind instrument]

Chance Me / Match Me
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S26 (current junior) needs help with his list of non-music schools in the event that a few crazy competitive performance programs don’t work out (Northwestern, Curtis, Vanderbilt, NEC).

Instead of doing a lower-level music program, he wants a separate list of schools where he’d major in something else entirely (TBD, possibly chemistry or engineering or something else altogether). Ideally, these would be places where he might have an edge getting in because they like musicians. (Note that he is NOT interested in Oberlin/Lawrence/St Olaf/Bard.)

He plays a wind instrument and loves orchestral music, so it’s a bonus if a school has a great orchestra (or a city community orchestra nearby). He will maximize an arts supplement in his applications.

He would love to get out of the upper Midwest and would like a school with students from all over. We are leaning private, any budget (merit scholarships a plus, but not necessary).

Likelies, reaches, safeties all welcome. Any schools come to mind?

CONTEXT
-US, upper Midwest
-public in-city underfunded mid-sized HS with IB program
-IB Diploma candidate
-high-level musician
-two sport athlete

GRADES & SCORES
-3.99/4 UW, 4.66/5 W GPA
-no class rank
-1500 SAT (one sitting)
-possible National Merit Semifinalist (depending on where they set the index)

COURSES
-IB calc through calc BC equivalent (it’s called something weird in IB)
-IB History HL
-IB English HL
-Theory of Knowledge
-IB Spanish 4 SL (currently, 5 next year)
-Accelerated Physics (IB Physics SL next year)
-Honors Band
-Astronomy
-Intro to Programming
-Engineering Design (college credit)
-there are no APs at his HS, but his is the most rigorous course load

AWARDS
-alternate for National Youth Orchestra
-finalist for several concerto competitions (wind player IYKYK)
-3x state university honor band (1st chair)
-1x all state orchestra (1st chair)
-4x all district honor band

ACTIVITIES
-mentor in younger youth orchestras
-founding member of chamber music group
-Summer at Eastman music institute
-high level youth orchestra international tour
-possible NYO2 this summer (waiting to hear)
-private instrument lessons
-NHS
-club soccer all 4 years
-JV/Varsity soccer all 4 years
-JV Nordic ski all 4 years

ESSAYS/LORs
A big unknown at this stage. His writing is fine, but he doesn’t love to write, unless it’s about music. We will see!

Letters: likely physics teacher (will have taught him 3 courses) and Spanish teacher (will teach him 2 years). High profile music recommendations possible from outside school.

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Looks like a great match for Columbia- they like music, have music theory as part of the core curriculum, and offer cross registration opportunities with Manhattan School of Music and Julliard. Someone I know with a similar profile to your son was admitted ED this year. Harvard and Tufts I believe have cross registration opportunities and Boston has an excellent music scene. I would also look at Vanderbilt, which has merit scholarships. Easier options with merit scholarships, such as, Holy Cross and Lafayette, would be worth a look.

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I think there has been another thread recently where we discussed this. There are so many choices. If he is interested in a LAC, Williams and Amherst both have thriving music programs and being a high level musician is definitely a spike (my wind player is at Williams and having an incredible experience). Other reach schools that are often brought up are Tufts, Vassar, Brown, Yale, Harvard and Princeton. The head of music at Emory is very interested in high level students and they are eligible for their full COA scholarships. Skidmore and Davidson also have music specific scholarships.

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Thank you for this! He really liked Williams when we toured, but I’ve been put off reading lists of who is getting in there (meaning, not sure if he had a shot). His scores/courses will be average there, but would music give him an edge?

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Thank you! We have not thoroughly investigated Columbia, but they email him a lot for whatever reason.

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Please pm me

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There are so many schools! Have you posted on the music major forum? That forum is open to non-majors who still want to pursue music :slight_smile:

Is financial aid a possibility?

“Little Ivies” like Tufts, Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan, Ivies like Brown, Harvard, Princeton, and Vassar, Davidson, MIT all come to mind. If the music supplement is good, it will boost his admissions chances (in our experience) and his stats look excellent so he should meet the benchmark. I like the music program at Clark University (check out Colleges that Change Lives).

For a non-major it is often wise to avoid schools with BM programs or even double degrees (Tufts ended theirs, Harvard and Yale have one). Princeton has a performance certificate.

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Thank you! Yes, I’m creeping on the music forum as well, but because he kind of has a “cutoff” in his mind talent-wise (he is choosy, musically), I thought I’d ask here too.

We are looking at a number of the schools you have listed, and we won’t qualify for need-based aid. We are going to pony up for the best school we can afford and sacrifice accordingly.

I think the catch is that any of his “non-music” alternatives would have to be regular decision, because he may use his ED for one of his music picks. So while I know he might have an Ivy or little Ivy shot if he went ED or SCEA, I’m not sure if he’d catch their eye if he’s RD. (This is my first and only rodeo!)

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I was also going to suggest Skidmore, which offers the Filene Music Scholarship. It’s competitive (4-6 awarded annually), but may be worth a look.

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Davidson. They also have a competitive music scholarship.

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To clarify your comment about avoiding schools with a BM, my understanding is Yale doesn’t have one—is that correct? I’m aware of their BA/MM 5-year program that it sounds like the heavens really have to align to get into. But I didn’t think they otherwise have a performance degree?

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Wesleyan University has a slight gender gap (as does Vassar, as a matter of fact.) A male with your son’s flexibility would definitely be noticed.

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Thank you; this is great to keep in mind.

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No undergrad music performance degree at Yale.

My understanding is that your son could apply early admission to Harvard, Princeton or Yale without committing and still apply early to publics and then regular to any other university/college, even if he got in early to one of HPY.

You also might want to consider UNC Chapel Hill, where fine musicians are at an advantage in admissions, assuming strong academics.

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Yale does not have a BM, and a few years ago started the BA/MM program. Most undergrads, I have been told, would study with a grad student in the SOM. So in that case, the presence of SOM grad students is both a pro and a con, since the best teachers would go to the grad students (and double degree students).

I think you are underestimating the value of a worthwhile music supplement in terms of a boost to admission chances. Of course “worthwhile” is key and it may also be somewhat instrument-dependent. Does he do conservatory prep or any summer programs? The music resume included in the supplement can help too. In our experience, Ivies just wanted a 3 minute cued excerpt of one piece- not like a conservatory at all.

It is important to check on orchestral opportunities, particularly in smaller schools.

Has he or have you read the “Double Degree Dilemma” essay in the music major forum? It is fine to apply to both performance schools and non-performance schools , but personally I don’t think the latter should be chosen simply because he did not get in to a top tier music school. Does he want 3/4 classes in music or 1/4 classes in music?

At some point, and yes it can be late in senior year, he will have to decide between a BM and BA (BA in music or something else). Things can change in a year. If he truly wants performance I do not understand substituting BA programs for “lower level” music programs. There are many options for BM’s that aren’t top tier but can lead to top tier grad school and careers.

To be clear I am a fan of BA’s for music students with continued (often funded) lessons and performance (both for credit, often). I personally know and/or have talked with career musicians who took that route, sometimes majoring in something else. (They are not orchestral musicians generally.) But if a student wants immersion in music, a BM is the preferred path and I would think a student who is committed to music would consider more schools for that degree.

I’ll send you a PM.

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This!^^

All kids are different and he has some time for his plans to evolve. There is no right path or thought process. But having NEC, Curtis, Blair et al, as one plan and then pivoting to a completely different degree with a good orchestra available seems like it might be tough. It almost sounds like he is going for broke at the tender age of 17 or so.

Just a suggestion to consider some slightly less selective music programs to allow for choices. It is hard to know where his thoughts lie a year from now. Young musicians grow so much over the course of the application and audition season.

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This is a helpful perspective. He will absolutely apply to a couple of less selective BM programs, as it seems (now) that he really wants most of his classes to be music classes. A BM does seem like the best fit for him at this moment, and we are excited for him to do it.

But he is going really hard right now, and part of this as a parent is also helping him hedge against music burnout before his senior year is over. Maybe he gets tired of the grind before then, and decides he wants to play music on the side but not as his main thing. It seems unlikely now, but weirder things have happened, and kids are always changing.

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We were in the same situation and choose Emory, Rochester (not Eastman), skidmore, vassar because it seemed D could easily double major or minor in music at those places. D ended up getting into the conservatory D wanted but I think could have been happy at the other places too.
Note I highly recommend your D reach out to the orchestra director at those schools. It was fascinating how responsive they were!

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