BU, Northwestern, Oberlin, Carnegie-Melon

You like chicks?

Hot, sexy, hairy-legged, bushy armpitted, rotund, patchuli-wearing, Indigo-Girl-loving, handsome chicks?

Go to Oberlin.

 

I know you're a girl.

If you were a boy, I would have simply said...

You like chicks?

Don't go to Oberlin.

 

just how much of a city girl are you? might want to take that into consideration?

 

On straight overall academic reputation I would lean heavily to Northwestern unless science is your thing in which case Carnagie-Mellon wins.

 

Of the three large schools, it's easily Northwestern, unless like HeadHunter said, you're planning on a medical or scientific career. It's very good musically and academically, and you have access to Chicago. (disclosure: I went to NU).

From what I know of BU, it sounds like a mess, I've never talked to anyone who likes teaching there (I've talked to 4 or 5 people who were, to be honest, all interviewing for other jobs), and it has the price of a private school for the class sizes of a public school. Seems like a waste of money to me, but I think the same of NYU.

If you decide you do best in small classes and want a lot of interaction with professors beyond your music courses (which will be pretty individualized wherever you go), Oberlin is one of the best liberal arts schools in the country. It probably doesn't have IR or public policy programs, but you can get the same tools studying Poly Sci or sociology or economics.

One last piece of advice. Visit, visit, visit. Get away from your parents at each school and figure out which one provides what you want. Sit in on classes. Talk to students other than the relentlessly cheery tour guides, especially those studying your instrument.

 

From what I've heard:

BU has tons of red tape, and as someone said earlier, is like a public school with private school price. I had a friend who had a decision between BU and Amherst College, he went to Amherst.

Northwestern is a kind of preppy, Abercrombie kids type school. Also, it's right on the lake, meaning very cold winters.

I've actually considered Oberlin myself, and I'm sure it's different, based on what I've heard, from those first two.

Carnegie-Mellon is probably the best name out of the bunch, and always looks good on a resume. But it's also a science school, and I know you're really into music.

 

The school I teach at is starting a conservatory this year and one of the most common dual majors they expect are science/instrument degrees. It seems that a lot of the musicians who have applied and been accepted have also indicated a great deal of interest in and aptitude for the hard sciences. That could be a completely skewed sample, since the class is small, but I thought it was interesting.

If I had to describe Northwestern's student body when I was there 10+ years ago, I'd say 1/4 preppy Greeks, 1/4 Chicago hipster wannabes, and then a great in between. Those first two groups didn't exactly socialize, though.

Oh, and winter's not that cold at Northwestern (and plus, it's a challenge to see how seldom you can leave a dorm when it's -20 out), but then again, you're from San Antonio, so anything below 40 is cold.

 

If you want to do music, CM and BU offer very little, and Oberlin's in the middle of nowhere. Go to Northwestern.

...I feel so dirty after having said that (I went to the University of Chicago).

 

It's probably too late now, but the middle of summer is a really bad time to visit schools, especially a place like Oberlin which will be essentially deserted (or taken over by summer campers). You get no sense of what the school is really like and whether you would like to be there if you can't talk to current students and sit in on classes.

Visiting in the summer becomes little more than a sightseeing tour of what the dorms, library, and gym look like, which should be low priority in terms of where you decide to go to school. It plays into the worst kind of "education as a consumer activity" thinking.

 

You guess?

Y'know, they have this thing on computers called the internet.

I went to Google, typed in "Oberlin" and found this in less than half-a-dozen clicks -- and this was with taking a wrong turn.

I'd agree with needs. Postpone the trip for at least a couple of weeks.

 

So you're making two visits then?

If so, then new data demands a different conclusion. Good job, and enjoy the visit.

 

I agree with everything that's been said about BU. Granted I only did a half-day visit, but it seemed very much like a public school trying to parade as a private one. Big public schools like Berkeley, Michigan, and Wisconsin have more to offer at a cheaper price. As far as Northwestern goes, I have a friend in the journalism school there, and she absolutely loves it.

 

What a great set of options. I still have one more yr. at Pitt, but I've been writing for CMU's paper since my soph year. So I cant tell you that, CMU is a great campus, has amazing teachers (sat in for a class) and is a school you can't go wrong with. Not to mention you'll have some incrediablly birght classmates all around you. This alone might be worth its pricey tuition. As for International Relations or Public Policy, I really wouldn't know, but thieir artistic programs are supposedly quality stuff. I had friends who were in the theatre and they loved it.

I don't know what exactly you want to get out of the music part of your college years, but if its performances, teaching, concerts, CMU shouldn't be too shaby. Make sure to ask professors/students milling around, for recomendatinos. If they're busy, they'll blow you off. But if you go to them in a frank and sincere manner, they'll give you thier impressions. Especially the ones taking a cigarette-breaks. Good luck on your search.

 

This should be echoed. You're a long way from your choice (and even from applying) but with those options, you can't make a bad choice. One thing you should think about is how much close interaction you want with your professors in your non-music classes. If you're fine largely sitting in lectures your first couple years, then NU and CMU will work great for you, excellent professors, etc.

If you want more chance to discuss course material with the professors (in class and out), you should give Oberlin a very serious look. I know several people who teach there in history and they're all very good young professors. And you would be in classes of 15 to 20 versus 250 to 300. I personally think small liberal arts colleges are the best educational experience if you're going to spend the kind of money you're talking about with all of these schools. You just get much more attention paid to your education by your professors. Socially, it may be a different story, and that's one of the decisions you'll have to make.

 

Insightful comments, needs.

One consideration: I'm not sure how you arrived at your list, Metro, but you might look at some of the Honors programs offered by other Big Ten schools (University of Minnesota ). I know that the Honors program in the College of Liberal Arts here promises small classes, more access to faculty, invitations to special lectures, guests, events, etc., but you also get the experience of a large university. My observation as a grad student is that the undergrads in the program really seem to like it. Just a thought.

BTW, no reason to tank an audition. A bird in the hand is worth...well, you can never have too many options.