What schools should we consider?

mom2winds
Tue, 15 Mar 2011 07:36:23 +0000

My S is a Junior and getting serious about his looking at schools. He would love to major in composition. He composes classical music. He plays the piano and clarinet. We are thinking that realistically he should think about a double major - or a grad degree, since a bachelors in composition might not be enough so that he is able to support himself after graduation.

Academically he is a good student - 3.5 GPA with accelerated and AP classes. Has not taken SATs yet, but based on PSATs I see him getting around a 600 Math and maybe a little lower in CR. So a good solid student with lots of ECs.

Some of his music options would be music ed, film scoring, music technology (he is good with computers and technology and it is a real interest - but not a lot of experience in the field) and getting the grad degree in order to teach on the college level.

I would like him go to a school where he can take composition (preferably as a major) and maybe get another degree in one of the other disciplines. I like the idea of Berklee, but it concerns me that classical music is not their thing, and although S is a strong pianist and clarinetist (on both instruments he is advanced for HS but not prodigy) I wonder if he is good enough to get in. (One of his friends did not get in to Berklee this year, which surprised us all, so now I have to wonder…) Penn State really interests us since they have composition, ed and music technology (as a minor).

I have been searching on the internet for other options, but it is a slow process.

Our preference would be a school in the northeast, but we would certainly consider other schools.

Does anyone have other suggestions for us? Thanks!