Posted by Steve Dedman on November 16, 2000 at 19:16:03:
In Reply to: College Auditions posted by Tim Murphy on November 16, 2000 at 16:10:42:
I think it is essential that you go there in person.
Aside from the previous points about meeting and talking with the audition committee and potential professors, you need to see the place you're going to live for the next four years.
If a professor or school stands head and shoulders above the rest, of course that's where you want to go. I suspect that that won't necessarily be the case. There will probably be two or three at the top that you really like, and then a clear break before you get down to your "tier 2" schools. You need to absorb as much of the atmosphere of a given campus as possible in a short visit. Check out the dorms, the cafeterias, the librarys (both general and music), the general attitude towards education among the other students, and the general quality of student life. In a close decision between two schools, these types of things can often make the decision easier and more comfortable. If you get down to two schools, and have the ability, go visit each one again.
For example, Eastman is a great music school, but if you loathe cold snowy weather, it may not be for you. Just be sure you keep your eyes open for the bad as well as the good at each of these schools, and don't let ANYONE pressure your decision. After all, it's YOUR future, not anyone else's.
Steve