Wooster vs. UMass Amherst vs. OWU - Music Ed

College Majors Music Majors
1

<p>So I finally got all my acceptances, rejections, and financial aid information and I’m still deciding between 3 schools. Just so you know, I’m planning on majoring in music education with a concentration in voice, if that makes a difference in your opinion. Also, the loans I would be paying off after I graduate are Stafford loans, and my parents said they would pay off the interest while I’m in school. </p>

<p>College of Wooster - $22,000 worth of loans after I graduate ($5500 per year)
Pros: Has been my first choice from the start - has a really good music program, I like all the professors, the choir is amazing, and the Independent Study there is known to get people into good grad schools. Even if I change my mind, they have strong programs in everything I’m interested in, and I know I would get a good education there. When I visited, I got that cliche feeling where I knew I belonged there, and the students I met there are exactly the type of people I would want to be friends with for the next 4 years.
Cons: Wooster is the most expensive school I’m considering and is also in the middle of nowhere. I think I’d be able to deal with the location for 4 years, but I’m worried about not being able to find a job outside of the Midwest since the college is so unknown everywhere else. </p>

<p>UMass Amherst - $16,000 worth of loans after I graduate ($4000 per year)
Pros: Music department is strong, I like all the professors there, everyone seems nice but not too competitive, like a lot of big state schools with good music programs. If I change my mind about music, I have a lot of options, and it seems like the departments I’m interested in are pretty strong. The 5 college consortium seems interesting, and I absolutely love the town of Amherst in general. I really want to live in Massachusetts or somewhere in New England after I graduate, so going to a college in the area seems to make sense.
Cons: UMass had a lot of budget cuts a few years ago and it’s obvious the college is still recovering from all the money they lost. Also, when I visited, the department seemed like it was understaffed, which probably means all my music classes would be a lot bigger. In addition, the university seems really big in general, and taking classes in a lecture hall with 500 other students is kind of intimidating.</p>

<p>Ohio Wesleyan University - No loans after I graduate
Pros: The cheapest school I’m considering, the professors seem nice, it was obvious I would get a lot of attention from them when I visited. I also got into the honors program there, so I probably would end up getting a good education.
Cons: I wasn’t that impressed with the choir and a cappella groups I heard - even the person I stayed overnight with admitted that one of the a cappella groups wasn’t especially strong and some of the ensembles weren’t particularly good, and she was supposed to be promoting the school. I definitely do not want a conservatory atmosphere for college, but I still want to be able to be inspired by the people around me instead of wishing I was somewhere better. Also, if I changed my mind about music, I probably wouldn’t be in the right place since OWU is especially known for their sciences, which is something I’m planning on staying far, far away from in college. In addition, the retention rate is really low there, and a lot of people end up dropping out after freshman year either because they absolutely hate it there or because they can’t do the work, since OWU accepts a lot more people than it should. Honestly, I just hated the atmosphere in general, and even though I’m sure it isn’t bad as I’m making it out to be, I really don’t think I would be happy there. </p>

<p>Anyway, if you were in my situation, which college would you choose? Would it be worth it to spend more money on a college I like or to not have to worry about paying off loans but be miserable for the next four years? Are there any factors I should consider in addition to the cost, quality of program, and location?</p>

<p>Thank you so much for reading this, and I would really appreciate it if you could give me any advice you have on choosing the right place.</p>

2

<p>If you are at all hesitant of the peer level, be wary. There are some small benefits to being at the top of food chain, but more often than not these are outweighed by the disappointment and frustrations of dealing with less than stellar talent, or unmotivated students.</p>

<p>UMass has had mixed reviews of the program, (look for some past threads under music ed or music education), but that can be said of virtually any program. A major concern may be the economy and how many state schools are forced into reduced budgets. On the plus side, I do know that UMass seems to have upgraded the string faculty in recent years, not that makes a difference in your situation.</p>

<p>$22k over four years is not that bad, about the aggregate that many consider a reasonable amount of undergrad debt. </p>

<p>Like many music ed programs, the recognition tends to be regional. Be it Wooster or UMass, it will depend more on WHERE you’d prefer to teach.</p>

<p>One thing to consider is which program gets you in the classroom faster, through observation and fieldwork classes? And the student teaching semester… how far afield, living arrangements (some may require off campus housing), logistics and distance of typical assignments can be a deciding factor.</p>

<p>Try and talk to some alumni from 3, 5 & 10 years out of the programs. This can tell you a lot.</p>

<p>And don’t discount your gut feeling. The differential in cost is marginal between UMass and Wooster.</p>

3

<p>I can share my impressions of UMass (I know nothing about OWU or Wooster).</p>

<p>I have spent three days on campus (for different reasons) and have been continually impressed by the upbeat atmosphere and positive vibe. It is pervasive throughout the campus…students, faculty, staff. It is obvious that this positive atmosphere is very important to the school, and it has to be contagious, because you honestly cannot make this stuff up.</p>

<p>I have heard nothing but good things about the faculty of the music department also from many different people - students, parents of students, HS band teacher, friends. The music department has 35 full time faculty and 250 students (200 undergrad and 50 grad). I have to think that is a good ratio. (Although the ratio for the whole campus is 34:1 which is kinda scary!)</p>

<p>My daughter and I were just there this past Saturday for an accepted student open house. It was a very positive and informative day. We feel lucky to have had a lengthy conversation with the music department chair. It is all good! I liked what he had to say and how he said it. </p>

<p>I also noticed about 5 different construction projects on campus (building of new buildings) including a new marching band building which is just about complete. It is stimulus money that funds some of this construction. I see this only as a positive sign. If budget cuts were an issue (and where hasn’t it been?) then it seems pretty obvious that they are on the upswing.</p>

<p>Oh, and did I say my daughter loves the oboe professor?</p>

4

<p>Do you know that U Mass is offering a 3 year graduation track to music majors? I’m not sure if that is only for performance majors, though. If it’s applicable to you, that would reduce your loan cost by $4,000. </p>

<p>I went to U Mass, albeit a long time ago. I never had a class with 500 kids in it. Those situations crop up mostly in the entry level required classes. If you took AP English, for example, you could probably get out of the freshman english requirement, and not have to deal with that.</p>

5

<p>My son attends Wooster as a history major and we all really love the school. He played in the orchestra his freshman year. I don’t know too much about the voice department but we have found the faculty at Wooster to be very engaging overall. The IS is a great program. At a smaller school, you’ll have lots of opportunities to perform.</p>