Help with college decision

[Pgrimss]

Hello everyone. I am currently a high school senior and I am trying to make my college decision. I have narrowed it down to my top three schools that I have been accepted to.

DePaul
Indiana University
Baylor

If anyone wants to give input I would greatly appreciate it as I am trying to make this decision.

Thank you.

[BGuttman]

Is this for music? Music Ed? Something else?

If it's for music, have you talked to or gotten a lesson with the prof? How do you like the studio? What's very important is the fit between you and the school; something we can't evaluate from a simple question like this.

If you plan to major in something else and have music as a minor, how good is the Department you will be studying at? Any of them can be good for a music minor.

Also, what's the big picture. Which one will put you deeper in debt? Which one is uncomfortably far or close to home? Lots of issues to consider.

[momentum]

Indiana has a great reputation as a music school in general. Hard to go wrong there.

DePaul could be cool if you really want to study with Vernon. Or if you like Chicago as a city and want to give freelancing a go in that area, getting into that while studying could be smart.

I know nothing about Baylor.

Don't know where you are from but Chicago winters can be brutal.

[jthomas105]

Indiana has a great reputation as a music school in general. Hard to go wrong there.

DePaul could be cool if you really want to study with Vernon. Or if you like Chicago as a city and want to give freelancing a go in that area, getting into that while studying could be smart.

I know nothing about Baylor.

Don't know where you are from but Chicago winters can be brutal.

Waco, TX was for 6 days. I have lived in DFW area since 1982 and last week was the worst ever.

Brent Phillips is the trombone teacher at Baylor and has a really good studio.

[Pgrimss]

Is this for music? Music Ed? Something else?

If it's for music, have you talked to or gotten a lesson with the prof? How do you like the studio? What's very important is the fit between you and the school; something we can't evaluate from a simple question like this.

If you plan to major in something else and have music as a minor, how good is the Department you will be studying at? Any of them can be good for a music minor.

Also, what's the big picture. Which one will put you deeper in debt? Which one is uncomfortably far or close to home? Lots of issues to consider.

I am looking at trombone performance. I have taken lessons with all of the professors and and really enjoy all of them. I have not gotten all of my financial aid information yet but when I do I am sure that it will give me a clearer picture of where to go.

[Pgrimss]

Indiana has a great reputation as a music school in general. Hard to go wrong there.

DePaul could be cool if you really want to study with Vernon. Or if you like Chicago as a city and want to give freelancing a go in that area, getting into that while studying could be smart.

I know nothing about Baylor.

Don't know where you are from but Chicago winters can be brutal.

I am from Texas so the winters would definitely be a big change. I like the idea of being in the city but also kind of want the traditional college experience with a football team and all of that.

[Vegastokc]

I am from Texas so the winters would definitely be a big change. I like the idea of being in the city but also kind of want the traditional college experience with a football team and all of that.

There is a lot to be said for in state tuition costs and scholarship opportunities.
Football experience would be better at Baylor vs IU.
Opposite for basketball I think.
I went to a "basketball" school. Even though the band took marching seriously, the football games were not exciting.
It was all about the pep band and "The Show".
But as already eluded to, it ultimately comes down to where believe you can grow your art and skill on the brass the best.

[BGuttman]

Of the three I would guess Baylor will give the best football experience. After all, the Baylor team often goes to a Bowl game after the season.

Don't forget to look into playing in the Marching Band for a tuition reduction.

[Kdanielsen]

You have the opportunity to study with some really fantastic faculty at those schools. World class teachers and players!

If you are majoring in performance, faculty connection has got to be way way up your list of priorities. Don't tell us these answers, but think about who you had the best lesson with, who you got along with personally the best, and who awarded you the best scholarship money, etc. If they gave you a lot of scholarship they are already invested in your future, which is big. I majored in performance three times (BM, MM, and DMA) and having a good relationship with your teacher is the most important thing.

Also, I hope you don't take this the wrong way (and I'm sure this is going to rub some other folks on this forum the wrong way...) but if you are going to study performance with any of these super high caliber faculty members and want to actually have a chance of getting a full time orchestra job, the football/marching band experience doesn't matter.* Four years with Charlie Vernon, Denson Paul Pollard, or Pete Ellefson?? Come on... It's a waste of a rare and valuable resource to not give that 100% if you are trying to be a professional player.

That's just my two cents... I didn't do grad school with Jay Friedman because I didn't want to leave New England so I'm a big hypocrite. There are many paths, but few opportunities as potentially awesome as undergrad with those teachers.

*I am in no way saying it isn't wonderful and valuable and difficult to do well. If that's your thing, great.

[Vegastokc]

Don't forget to look into playing in the Marching Band for a tuition reduction.

How right you are!
I was not going to play in college (non music major) but the band director offered me a grant to march and my parents were like: "you're marching!"

[harrisonreed]

I don't have a music degree, but made significant money playing in the marching band at college. It helped me pay for school and I had a blast playing in the marching band.

I was careful to not be too enthusiastic outside of the front pit -- we had about 30 trombone players so there was no sense in blowing my chops out on the field.

[Vegastokc]

I don't have a music degree, but made significant money playing in the marching band at college.

Ditto!
It paid for 40% of my tution the whole time I was there.

I would rush to sign up for the women's basketball games as much as possible because the Lady Pep Band paid double stipend per game.

Seriously, I do not regret any of it. Had amazing experiences even as a non-music major including going to two Final Fours.
(And was one decision away from a 6 month tour in Japan with a small marching contingent.
But alas, that is a story for another time...)

[JLivi]

I'm the pep band director at DePaul, and an alum with a bachelors and grad degree from there.

If you're looking for a true college experience with football and a campus you're not going to get that at DePaul. If you move to Chicago, you're moving there for the big city experience. The campus, as you probably know, is nestled in the north side of the city in Lincoln Park. It's really easy to get around the city from campus.

If you have any specific questions about DePaul please don't hesitate to email or PM me. I graduated in 2011, so it's been some time, but I'd be happy to help.

Also, there are few current grad students and alum of Depaul on the forum too. They'd be great resources for student life with the new building and everything. When i went they didn't have the fancy big building.

With all that said, it's important you go to a school that doesn't put you in tremendous debt.

[momentum]

After reading all of these replies I feel like Indiana might suit you well. Great conservatory-level trombone teachers and overall high-level music school, world-class music library. If you want to focus on it in a more conservatory-like way, you can. Also has the qualities of a major public research university, incl. sports & frat life, and if you get there and find studying music really seriously is not what you'd hoped, there are plenty of other majors you could switch to that would have decent programs.

Cold winters but not as bad as Chicago. Small-medium size town environment.

Do wait for the financial aid offers to roll in, though.

[Pgrimss]

I am from Texas so the winters would definitely be a big change. I like the idea of being in the city but also kind of want the traditional college experience with a football team and all of that.

There is a lot to be said for in state tuition costs and scholarship opportunities.
Football experience would be better at Baylor vs IU.
Opposite for basketball I think.
I went to a "basketball" school. Even though the band took marching seriously, the football games were not exciting.
It was all about the pep band and "The Show".
But as already eluded to, it ultimately comes down to where believe you can grow your art and skill on the brass the best.

The sports aren’t the most important thing to me, I just thought I’d throw out that the tradition college experience interests me. I think first thing is if it is an environment that can help me grow as a musician.

[Pgrimss]

You have the opportunity to study with some really fantastic faculty at those schools. World class teachers and players!

If you are majoring in performance, faculty connection has got to be way way up your list of priorities. Don't tell us these answers, but think about who you had the best lesson with, who you got along with personally the best, and who awarded you the best scholarship money, etc. If they gave you a lot of scholarship they are already invested in your future, which is big. I majored in performance three times (BM, MM, and DMA) and having a good relationship with your teacher is the most important thing.

Also, I hope you don't take this the wrong way (and I'm sure this is going to rub some other folks on this forum the wrong way...) but if you are going to study performance with any of these super high caliber faculty members and want to actually have a chance of getting a full time orchestra job, the football/marching band experience doesn't matter.* Four years with Charlie Vernon, Denson Paul Pollard, or Pete Ellefson?? Come on... It's a waste of a rare and valuable resource to not give that 100% if you are trying to be a professional player.

That's just my two cents... I didn't do grad school with Jay Friedman because I didn't want to leave New England so I'm a big hypocrite. There are many paths, but few opportunities as potentially awesome as undergrad with those teachers.

*I am in no way saying it isn't wonderful and valuable and difficult to do well. If that's your thing, great.

I completely agree with what you’re saying. I think it really will come down to aid and the teacher. I really love all of the teachers so it will be challenging. They have all been wonderful to work with in lessons.

[LeTromboniste]

From what I heard from several friends and colleagues over the years who have studied there, IU is a really good school with strong faculty and studios at all instruments, and tons of ensembles. Plenty of opportunities to learn valuable and diverse skills if you so choose. Jazz department seems strong, early music department is probably the best in the US (with a very good, specialist sackbut teacher, which is a rarity).

I'm generally in favor of studying in a big city (especially for grad school), because networking and playing opportunities off-campus are really important and it's never too early to think about establishing a foothold for your future freelance activities, but if you're going to do your undergrad in a college town, it doesn't really get better than IU.

[jthomas105]

You have the opportunity to study with some really fantastic faculty at those schools. World class teachers and players!

If you are majoring in performance, faculty connection has got to be way way up your list of priorities. Don't tell us these answers, but think about who you had the best lesson with, who you got along with personally the best, and who awarded you the best scholarship money, etc. If they gave you a lot of scholarship they are already invested in your future, which is big. I majored in performance three times (BM, MM, and DMA) and having a good relationship with your teacher is the most important thing.

Also, I hope you don't take this the wrong way (and I'm sure this is going to rub some other folks on this forum the wrong way...) but if you are going to study performance with any of these super high caliber faculty members and want to actually have a chance of getting a full time orchestra job, the football/marching band experience doesn't matter.* Four years with Charlie Vernon, Denson Paul Pollard, or Pete Ellefson?? Come on... It's a waste of a rare and valuable resource to not give that 100% if you are trying to be a professional player.

That's just my two cents... I didn't do grad school with Jay Friedman because I didn't want to leave New England so I'm a big hypocrite. There are many paths, but few opportunities as potentially awesome as undergrad with those teachers.

*I am in no way saying it isn't wonderful and valuable and difficult to do well. If that's your thing, great.

I completely agree with what you’re saying. I think it really will come down to aid and the teacher. I really love all of the teachers so it will be challenging. They have all been wonderful to work with in lessons.

If financial aid is an issue consider a junior college first. Whatever and where ever you get your Bachelor's degree from only list the 4 year school. You are looking at two out of state schools from Texas and Baylor (all expensive choices).
Check out Tyler Jr. College in Tyler. Heather Mensch is the trombone teacher there and has a very good trombone studio and trombone choir. The trombone choir performed at the 2020 TMEA convention and was better than many 4 year colleges with only freshman/sophomore players. Most members of the marching band get a full or partial tuition waiver which could only leave you with having to pay for housing and meals. Heather is a wonderful teacher and would prepare you to audition again for Baylor closer to home or anywhere you would like to go for your 3rd and 4th year. My daughter is there and loves it. The school has 12,000 students, larger than many 4 years schools. Dorms are very nice also.
In addition to the trombone choir and marching band (175-200 members during pre-covid years) there is a wind ensemble, concert band and jazz band.