Picking a Music School? Some Questions You Need to Ask. Part One.

I'm sitting in the instrument room on a rainy day at Interlochen Arts Camp listening to young musicians practicing. It's nirvana. It reminds me that many of them will soon be selecting a college. I'm convinced that there needs to be some 'Picking a Music School for Dummies' books. Really. There are so many questions that need to be asked and so often the prospective student has no idea that those questions are even questions. The same could be said for prospective graduate students. Often, the thought of getting accepted by a program becomes the driving force; without first thinking "This is a great, respected music school but it is the best one for ME?". There are questioned which should be asked and answered before a decision this big can be made. Otherwise, the student's experience will be less than optimal and, sometimes, things can become toxic in a hurry. When one is talking about the amount of time and money involved as well as the impact on studies or a career down the road, be deliberate and avoid hype.

• What is the success rate for students? What are the alumni doing? How many are in grad school or doctoral programs? What's the job placement rate for Education majors?
• What are the performance opportunities there? How much time does the student get with their instrument?
• Is the school proactive about bringing in guest artists for master classes? Will the student have the opportunity to participate?
• Talk to the students there. Are they given good direction? Is their development the most important thing in the mind of professors or do those teachers have 'pet projects' or agendas which interfere? ( yes, sadly, that question should be asked)
• If the student is a prospective grad student looking for an assistantship, is the assistantship guaranteed for the duration of graduate school? GET THAT IN WRITING.
• Is the major professor tenured? Is there a possibility of the professor leaving? On the other hand, is the professor riding tenure to retirement (Meaning, how aggressive is the professor in helping to develop the student, perform themselves, and growing the studio?)?
• What are scholarship requirements? Are there scholarships which simply aren't worth the time requirements? (Yes, this can be a thing)
• Will the student have the opportunity to get some teaching experience; either through teaching private lessons or working with local schools?
• Are there good repair techs within a reasonable distance?
• Are there enough practice rooms? This is a big one. One wouldn't think it would be a problem but if there are a dozen practice rooms and a few hundred music majors it can be an issue.
• What hours is the building open? Is there adequate access?
• Talk to the students again. How much drama is in the department (this can usually be determined over pizza)? Is there drama between studios or professors? You don't want to walk into a toxic situation.

I'll have more questions to ask in Part Two: The Search for more Scholarship Money