<p>As the thread states! I don't want the usual suspects - Oberlin, Mannes/MSM/Juilliard, Rice, SUNY Stonebrook, etc. I wanna know any other schools that aren't as renowned, but still excellent!</p>
<p>Across-the-board departmental excellence is rare at schools outside of the top tier. However, fine teachers are scattered everywhere. Viola teachers of note outside the top schools may be found at UC Santa Barbara, Vanderbilt, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Violin teachers to consider may be found at Temple (Schmieder), Boston University, University of Oregon, University of North Texas, Vanderbilt, and Columbus State University.</p>
<p>Hartt, Ithaca, Lawrence.</p>
<p>SUNY Stony Brook is not so well known for music as SUNY Potsdam, Fredonia or Purchase.</p>
<p>If you're interested in a more liberal arts atmosphere with a music BA in NY, maybe Skidmore.</p>
<p>It's not just the school's name/reputation; you've got to find the right teacher for YOU.</p>
<p>There are some fine string teachers in both instruments at UW-Madison. You also might want to look at Lawrence University and Baldwin-Wallace.</p>
<p>Both viola teachers at SUNY Potsdam and Fredonia have good reps amongst their students. Also, Potsdam is trying to build up its String program (again) and has extra $ for String Scholarships.</p>
<p>There is an excellent viola teacher at the University of Maryland. Definitely look at Baldwin-Wallace; they have brand-new conservatory facilities opening this fall and some of the faculty at CIM also teach there as do quite a few members of the Cleveland Orchestra.</p>
<p>Farther down on the scale, College of St Rose in Albany, NY has received a large endowment for their music center and are attracting younger and more talented faculty. 2 of the violin and viola teachers are part of the Hyperion Quartet who were previously in residence at the Hartt school. The new music facilities are gorgeous. CSR orchestra director, Dr. David Bebe, is young, talented and great with the students. They have very generous scholarships available both for academics and talent. It is quite possible that your student could get free tuition with a good audition. The drawback would be that the peer group for your student wouldn't be of the same caliber as at a higher ranked school. (Though they did get an All Eastern student to attend this coming Fall.)</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies, everyone!</p>
<p>It's funny that SUNY Fredonia has been mentioned a couple times. My middle school orchestra teacher went there - I've heard mixed remarks about it on this board.</p>
<p>One of my counselors (well, CITs) at PCP is going to St. Rose this year. :)</p>
<p>The Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia (about an hour south of Atlanta) is not very well-known but has excellent instruction. </p>
<p>It will be a tougher admit than many of the schools that have been mentioned in this thread. They deliberately keep enrolment low (under 25 students altogether, I think). I believe that everyone admitted still gets tuition covered (~$30 000 per year) for all four years. </p>
<p>They hold a Labour Day program for high school students that allows students to check the place and the teachers out.</p>