Hey, y’all! hope you’re doing well and staying safe. I am at the very last leg of my college selection process and I, as well as my parents, am very stumped onto which college to pick. Both Indiana University and SMU have pros and cons and are great schools overall and I have put a lot of thought and research into each school. I plan on pursuing majors in both French Horn music performance and computer science (mainly as a backup). I would be extremely grateful for any recommendations, thoughts, and advice that might help me finally make a decision within the next few days.
I am from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, making SMU quite a nearby drive if that is of any importance. Also, I have received scholarships for both schools, making both costs within $1,000 of each other, so the price isn’t a concern. I will do my best in summarizing my thoughts on both schools.
Smu:
- smaller school, better relationships with teachers
- smaller French Horn studio
- ranked around 10th best school for horn performance, due to the teacher Greg Hustis, which I have met and had lessons with. I really like him as a teacher, making this selection hard.
- close to home (which I don’t mind at all). The possibility for living at home might make this a cheaper option in the long run.
- Has a better computer science program than Indiana
- next to Dallas, which is a big, involved city
- right near the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, allowing for easy, frequent visits
Indiana:
- bigger school, more orchestras, more music teachers, more music students
- ranked 8th best school for horn performance because of all 3 of its teachers, which I have not have lessons with and have only met due to my audition. However, I have talked to them and the students and I think I would enjoy them as teachers.
- far from home, flights might make this slightly more expensive in the long run.
- Better music program in general, probably by a lot
- In Bloomington, which is a college town and not very busy and involved.
- An hour away from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, which is quite a ways for a busy college student.
If there are any questions, please ask!! My private lesson teacher loves both schools and would be happy with either choice. Thank you for reading, I’d love to hear your thoughts and preferences.