Berklee College of Music Top Questions

Find what college best suits your needs and the area of study. College is very expensive so you want to make sure that you are able to get the most for your money in terms of the academic, social and professional environment. College should feel like home away from home. So I think that if the student feels comfortable when touring the campus then most likely he will be comfortable. And last, don't go to a college just for the sake of going to college. You are wasting your time if you are not there with a plan! But most importantly, have fun and enjoy this time in your life. The friends you meet at your school may become long lasting companions for life.

To ensure that you find the right college It's important to tour the campus AND talk to all the students there. Most colleges have students who help prospective students answer any and all questions. Also talk to the professors and sit in on the classes if you can. After all it is the education that is most important.

Choosing the right college or university can be a very difficult task. I believe that deciding the right school depends on the student?s career goals. Next, the student should do online research and more importantly ask advice as to which degree to pursue from someone working in that field. Then, create a list of the schools that have that degree program. Next, The student must decide on their preferences on location, facilities, population, living arrangements, faculty, demographics, and price. I believe that price should be one of the last factors when selecting a school, because of scholarships, grants etc. After my second year of school, I became a Resident Advisor, which covered all housing and meal costs. After selecting the right college it is very important to make the most out of the experience. I more than tripled the amount of people that I knew while attending college and I did this by joining organizations that aligned with my interests. Also, I learned more about myself mainly as it pertained to my likes, dislikes, hobbies, and learning style. Lastly, it helps to find an older mentor who is successful in the program and learning from their past experiences.

The key to finding the right college for you and making the most of your college experience is passion. Passion for what your interested in makes the process of searching for the right college that much easier. I always knew that I wanted to study music, since I had a passion for music at a young age. Also visiting the college prior to applying is a good idea. I attended the Berklee Summer Performance Program my Junior year of high school and that experience helped me realize that Berklee was the right school for me, so I applied for early admission. By visiting the college I was able to experience the classroom environment, peer/faculty interaction and the amount of knowledge that I would be receiving during the regular school year. Once you find the right college for you, making the most of your experience is easy. Force yourself to get involved and pick a major that your passionate about. If your passionate about what your learning that will encourage you to go that extra mile, thus allowing you to get the most out of our college experience. It is all about having passion!

There is a mysterious cloud surrounding the word ?College? to anyone who has never experienced it. That haze makes it extremely difficult to decide which college is the right match for the individual. When choosing a college, one of the most under-investigated features is the area of concentrated study. The applicant puts a lot of thought into the location, the campus, and the class size but not the college?s main function? the education! I suggest that the individual chooses a field he or she wants to study by asking ?What do I like doing?? Then, through a little research, the applicant should look for a college that offers the corresponding field of study. Some good questions to keep in mind are ?What skills will I have when I complete this major?? and ?What careers are open to me with these skills?? After finding a program that seems exciting ? go for it! It?s not an irrevocable commitment. Choosing the right academic program will exponentially increase the chances of a gratifying college experience.

I would advise students to search within themselves and to follow where they believe they ought to be. Live everyday as if you will never have a chance to live it again, because you simply won't. College goes by incredibly fast; it's important to appreciate and take advantage of it as much as you can.

Just wait and look for the place that really feels right to the student. They have to feel excited to go or it's not worth it at all.

For those lucky students and parents finding the right college, Talk, talk, talk to as many people as you can; most importantly, talk to students or alumni. Find them on Facebook or any internet source and ask them questions. College websites tend to do whatever they can to market to students. It's so important the student knows the realities of a college, roughly, before they give four years of their life away to it. Once you get to college, take advantage of every opportunity you get. This time of your life is for exploration and learning what it means to be you. Therefore, put yourself out there, but surround yourself with good people who will support you along the way. Most importantly, follow your heart. Don?t do something for anyone but yourself, because in the end, it?s you who will live with those actions. And, yes, know the possibilities are endless. Enjoy the ride.

Geography is much more important than you can imagine. Make sure you can picture yourself there for four years. If you are unhappy with the town/region in which your school is located, it can have a serious effect on your attitude, grades, etc.

I would say just be true to what you really want to do in life and everything will work itself out.

Make sure to visit the school and talk to atleast 5 different students just walking by about their feelings on the school.

Go visit the college. See what it has to offer and where does it compare to another college you are looking into. Also compare and see if the college will take you where you want to go in life.

You have to go to each individual school and check out whose around. Do you think you'll fit in here? Is it worth the time and money here? Where will you live? What will it all cost for a complete 4 year time span? Do they have what you'll need while you're there? Is it really the best you can do?

Study hard and have fun!

Do your research and ask students attending the college how they feel about their experience prior to even considering the school

When looking for the right college, take your time. Not every person is meant to go to college and not every person belongs in college immediately after school. Also, just because a school is well-known and they have a D. 1 football team doesn't mean that its the "best" college around and that is where all the fun is. The same should be thought about the Ivy-league colleges. Finally, the student should be the individual to make the final decision. Parents should help, but they should not be the biggest factor in deciding the outcome.

Make sure to keep your School information orginized!

Research. Find out what you are getting yourself into. You can ask former or current students, visit the campus, etc. Most colleges have friendly admission departments whose job it is to consult prospective students and parents. Take advantage of this! College will be such an important part of your child's life and every aspect of the university/college is important, not just the reputation of the school or the specific academic program it offers. You should consider the student body, campus size, class sizes, overall impression, drop-out rates, whatever information you can find. The best source of information is students that have attended the college and if possible those in the field you are interested in. Sometimes a college promotes itself as being one way but does not live up to this description. Also, with regards to money, it is my opinion that you should always follow your heart and/or passion no matter the costs or clear job path. As for making the most out of college, keep an open mind because college is a time to be exposed to new ways of thinking. I think you will find it is worth more if you do that.

don'y send your son or student to Berklee unless they're passionate, motivated, and work for their music.

When looking for the right college, it's imperative that parents and students are happy with options for majors at the school, and, amongst a variety of other factors, they need to feel that it is a place the student can expand their learning horizons to the maximum degree. It needs be in the right location; when a student walks onto their new campus they will know what that feels like. Parents and students alike need to be completely satisfied with the way the college presents itself. Making the most of the college experience will be easy if you know that the school has given you the proper tools to learn, study, and be active both on and off campus. The way I look at it is, my parents and I have worked countless hours so I can get the education I want and need to be successful-- so there's no way in the world I will just let my college experience happen; I'm going to make it happen.

It is most important to talk to students who ALREADY ATTEND the college of interest (students who both like AND dislike the college). Also, it's most important for incoming freshman to truly understand that they most likely have not been fully prepared for embarking on a career path just from high school, and that they will probably change their mind about how they'd like to build their future multiple times throughout their college experience. Lastly, it's cliche, but true: Make sure to pursue things you love, things you enjoy, and things that make you happy - all the way from classes to prospective jobs and careers.

The best advice that I could give to the new hunters of a worthy education, is to visit the campus and talk to everyone you see. Only the real students attending the school are the ones that have the most and truest voice on how the campus is. Speak to the students first, and everyone else later.

If you or your child has a clear idea of what they want to do when they graduate, he/she must choose a college in which he will get the most out of for their selected path. You must also do what is in your heart. And get to know people, because you will never know who might help you out in the same industry when you need it.

First of all, forget your GPA, your SAT scores, your AP scores. Forget what classes you're taking, what classes you already took, what classes you think you have to take. Forget how badly you did on your math test, and how well you did in history. In fact, do yourself a humongous favor, and completely wipe high school from your brain. Then take a deep breath, and say this out loud: "I'm doing this for me." Don't let yourself be consumed by the judgemental numbers and superfluous pre-requisites that high school has forced upon you. Yes, high school is important, and yes, you should take it seriously, but don't EVER let anybody tell you that grades or course choices will decide your future. Only YOU can make that decision. College isn't just about "getting an education"--it's about making you into the person that you will be for the rest of your life. Think about the kind of person you want to be. What do you want from life? What do you want to offer to the world? Forget all the numbers, think about you--this isn't a test. This is life.

Start looking early. If you have many interests and talents, find the best schools for each. Make a Pros/Cons list if you have trouble deciding and follow your heart. Once you get there, get involved with anything and everything you can. You never know how the skills you learn there or the people you meet will be of help in the future.

Students looking for the right college should definitely take tours of lots of prospective schools. They should make sure to meet students and teachers at each school that they visit as well. When making the final decision, I went with my strongest immediate feeling, and it was the right choice. After choosing a school, to get the most out of your college experience, be sure to stay focused on work and get your money's worth. Make sure to take advantage of extra curricular activities, such as clubs and sports, and make sure to get the most out of your classes.

In this time of economic crisis, no one wants to waste any money on something they're going to quit in a couple of months. Researching the right college will save money and time. Also, in these uncertain times, you want to look for a school that will adequately prepare you for challenges to come, no matter what the will be.

I don't think students should come here just for a music degree and then go to a "real college" to get a "real job". It's no good to the parents or the students (considering paying off debts. I know too many people who have done that, and many more who ARE doing that as I write this out. The "right college" doesn't mean the one that all of one's friends are at, or the one that is focused on only ONE subject that one prefers. That's just not how life works, so one shouldn't think that a college would be any better/different. What I've learned, is that if you don't feel comfortable somewhere...TRANSFER. It is poor for your lifestyle and who you are, to stick around where you do not feel that the education is suited to your needs. That's the lovely thing about life; one has choices and decisions that can ultimately come to benefit oneself. In fact, that's just what I love about being in college; I find myself having to apply an increased level of maturity and end up growing and learning from it.

It's not about doing what you love, it's about getting what you want while you're doing it.

Do not go to a school because you feel like to have to . Study something you love, no matter how much or little money it will make you. Work hard because you love doing what you do. Research the schools that have acclaimed programs for the feild you want to study, then pursue them

I would advice parents and students to visit college campuses and meet with students and staff members to get actual personal opinions regarding the school. I would also suggest students and parents to consider the cost of attendance in their decision.

Do whatever makes your child happy. You don't have to be "successful" to be happy.

I would say it is imperative to follow your insticts. Do as much research as you can about the school both before you get there and as soon as you enter. It is certainly a partnership between parents and students when doing research for schools, especially since finances are usually provided for by parents, but it is the parents job to make sure that the student also researches when they get to the school. This may entail talking to other students and teachers or offices provided by the school. Asking questions both before and after is the most important thing you can do. Ask as many people as many questions as possible, and you'll get at least a majority of the answers your looking for. Make comparison lists before, and goal lists during. Never settle! You are paying to get a great education, and that's what you deserve. If you want to get something out of a school and felt like you could upon entering, you absolutely should!

Finding the right college has little to do with the parents, or where they attended school. Which school to attend is a big decision, and one you will either cherish or regret for a long time. Doing proper research and finding reviews of different schools on a childs list is the best thing to do. I personally had it easy because I was well aware of what I wanted to do and where was the best place to do it. I only applied to one college and got accepted. But that is surely not going to be everybodys' story, so... Try your very best to figure out what you will want to do professionally as a career, and do the best research you can to find out which college specializes the most in that field. Also make sure that the college campus/environment suites you (as a secondary requirement).

Always look for Diversity. In the world today, so many countries are rising on the international scene. It is great to have friends from other countries that you establish long-term connections with because maybe 10 years from now you may be working with them. One of my closest friends here is from Italy. It also great to get in touch with other culltures and look at their perspectives because you learn alot more about yourself and you can also recognize how similar we all really are.

Let your children go to their first choice school.

I would tell prosepctive students to visit the schools they are interested in befor enrolling in it. Ask yourself if a city environment is where you want live and study. Make sure you can afford the school. I f not ask yourself if student loans are worth taking out in order to attend the school. Also know if you want to live at home or away.

Try to figure out what you want out of life.

More than anything, I would recommend that anyone looking to attend college figure out what they want to do in life, before investng the amount of time and money it takes to really do well in college. Taking time off between high school and college is a much better choice than trying to jump into college unsure of what you want to do. Remember, these four years are crucial in determining what you will do for the rest of your life.

Really take every chance you get to meet faculty and students and get involved in extra activities. Also work hard and get the education you are paying for.

It's best to go to school for something that you love so that every day you are excited to go to class and to put in the time to do your work to the best of your abilities. There are plenty of careers out there in any field so any college is the right choice if it is where you feel you need to go. Go to class, do your homework, talk to your teachers and go to activities on campus and college will be everything that it should be for you. Try to come away from every class feeling that you learned something and don't be afraid to do research outside of the class to gain a deeper understanding.

I think it really comes down to asking yourself one question: what do I want to do with my life? Whatever the answer is, look up the schools that are the best match and start sending emails and making phone calls. Colleges have a lot of resources but you have to be the one to put forth the effort and to keep bugging them if you have a question or problem. Also, make sure that you're actually ready to go to school. If you think you're going to just party all of the time, then just stay home, get a job and party at home. You're not paying $40,000 a year to party somewhere else when you can do that I home for free.

Students: if you aren't sure what you want to do, go to community college! That way, you're getting credits out of the way, but you have time to figure yourself out and what you want. If you know what you want, make sure you totally believe in your decision. Parents: Don't pressure your son or daughter to make a decision! They will end up making a decision that they will question later. You want them to have conviction in the path they choose in life. Encourage them to do what they love so they will be motivated to work hard.

Find a college that fits you. When you visit, make sure you're comfortable there, and that it offers you everything you want. If you're uncomfortable, or unsure, then off the bat know that something isn't right, and it may not be the right fit for you.

You really can't worry about the cost too much. It was my dream to attend Berklee since I was in the sixth grade. I try to concentrate on my experiences while I'm here and will worry about the loans later. It is important to realize that being happy with the college that you choose is very important.

Finding the right college should be, first and foremost, about doing everything possible to realize one's aspirations. Practicality, including money, job availability, and other factors, obviously influences anyone's decision. But in my opinion it is important to never lose sight of those things that we are passionate about. There is nothing worse than wishing you had pursued your passion while you ignore it for the sake of practicality. In terms of the college experience, there is nothing more important than getting out, meeting new people, and taking advantage of everything the college has to offer. It may be tempting to cling to familiar friends and spurn optional activities and opportunities, but getting involved in the community is icrucial to having a great college experience. Getting to know the city/area where your college is located is also important, as it is nice to have spots off campus to relax and have fun. A good experience usually means a good balance between work and relaxation.

If it scares you, it;s probably the right thing to do. I knew for quite some time that music was the path I wanted to study, but logically was not the right decision? The facts are, most working musicians struggle to find gigs, it's such a competitve feild, and you end up in the lower to middle class economically. But throwing the money aside, explaining to everyone "I want to go to music school", while my friends are going to business school, and my high school teachers suggested against it wasn't easy, but choosing Berklee was the wisest decision I have ever made. Follow your heart. It;s that simple. When I fisrt arrived at Berklee I couldn't decide which of the equally amazing majors I wanted to do. It took me two semesters and $40,000 in loans to realize why I wanted initially attend Berklee. Once I cleared my mind and listend to my heart I rememberd why since I was 12 I wanted to go to Berklee, and realized "what can I take from Berklee to help me change the World?" Since then, I have been the happiest I have ever been.

Visit for more than just a day and make a vacation out of it. Like spend a week in the city of the university. From that experience, see if the city fits the personality of your kid. If then they feel comfortable then you have picked the right place for them to go away to. If they do not feel comfortable there then you should look for another school in another city. A wrong city would cause your child to not want to stay there for all four years and then you would have wasted money just because they cant deal with being so far away.

Spend a day, interview some students, and realize that its rather likely that the program the student is looking to get into as a freshman will not be the program he/she graduates in 4+ years.

Find out what you really want to do and make every desicion around that choice. If you are sure of what you want, you will find the right college and be sucessfull.