Choosing a College

Thoughts on choosing a college:

At the end of high school, choosing an institution to further one’s education is perhaps the most important decision to be made. I see dozens of students and their families go through this process every year and am frequently puzzled by some of the decisions made and the rationale used for those decisions.

Each family believes they have a unique situation, when in fact, from my perspective, most are quite similar.

There are several factors I see that greatly influence the choice of a school:

1. Cost

To properly address this topic, I offer this most pertinent piece of advice up-front:

Start planning for the education of your children on the day of their birth! 

By advanced planning, the financial burden of a college education will be much easier. By doing this, parents need not limit their choice of an institution to the least expensive. Of all the things to be frugal with, I believe that the least appropriate is one’s education. Starting to save for college during high school is too late.

Scholarship money is available to the very best students. I spent several years on the Admission and Recruitment Committee at Indiana University, and I will relate that several factors influence our decision to admit:

Audition score- This is the rating given by the faculty that witnessed the audition. This is, of course, the most important factor in one’s admittance and eventual scholarship consideration. It is difficult to justify awarding a high scholarship to a student who was not able to demonstrate high achievement during the audition. Most times we only know a prospective through the audition. It must be taken seriously.

SAT/ACT score- High “board” scores can help qualify a student for additional grants and/or scholarships.

GPA/Class rank- Helps to round out the picture of the applicant.

The most successful students, financially speaking, have the highest audition scores, highest board scores and by no random coincidence have a high GPA and class rank. I have seen terrific players get no scholarship money due to poor grades. We can admit students on academic probation if they have a low GPA, but they are not eligible for any financial assistance from the School of Music.

2. Teacher

This may be the most important decision, as your teacher will prepare you for your career in music. 

Ask yourself these questions: 

“Has the teacher done what I eventually want to do?”

“Has the teacher been successful in placing students in the field I wish to pursue?”

“Will I be proud to tell others with whom I study?”

“Does the teacher exhibit the qualities I would like to exhibit?”

“Have I had lessons with this teacher and did we have a good rapport?”

“Will this teacher be able to connect me to the greater music world?”

3. Reputation of institution

Although not quite as important as the choice of teacher, this is also very important. You (hopefully) want to choose a school that is a recognizable name in the music world. Will the institution offe the ensemble opportunities necessary to gain experience for the “outside world?”

This is my story:

I grew up in southern Oregon. I had quite a bit of success in the State Solo Contests and All-State and All-Northwest selections, etc. I did not have any regular trombone lessons until I went to college. I decided that I needed to study with an orchestral trombonist, so I sought the instruction of Warren Baker, the principal trombone in the Oregon Symphony. I had been around this man the previous summers during brass workshops he presented at Linfield College, where he taught. I chose to go to Linfield, which was and is an outstanding liberal arts college. It is a private school and as such was quite a bit more expensive than the state universities. The most important point here is that I chose to go to the school that had best teacher, not the least expensive price tag. When it came time to apply for graduate study, I never considered the costs of the institution. I looked at people who were winning orchestral auditions and where they studied. In those years Northwestern was placing more people in orchestras than other schools. I chose to go to Northwestern. Was it the cheapest? Not by a long shot. Was it the best choice for me? Yes.

I had student loans, which I repaid for years and years. Student loans have among the lowest interest rates available. It was a great feeling when I wrote the last check to repay my loans. I have never regretted taking out loans for my education. After all, what is more important to invest in than one’s future? My parents believed the same.

My motto: One should never skimp on the most important aspects of life: shoes, mattress, and education.

Warning! Do not spend your student loan money frivolously. I know of many students who have squandered their student loan money. They get loans for more than the actual cost of school and buy all sorts of extra stuff. This is a grave mistake and one that has lasting consequences. Understand from the beginning that you WILL have to repay the money, and the interest.

I understand that choosing a school is a difficult process but one that millions do each year. Just as there is no one “right” house or one “right” car, there is not necessarily one “right” college or university. Accepting this can relieve the pressure of making the choice.

Do your research and happy practicing.