Hey, some of you may know me from this site. In about 3 weeks I start my senior year of highschool, and am close to college-application time. My question: what are the best, cheap music schools out there?
Everywhere I look (Eastman, New England, Ann Harbour) tuition is like 45,000 without aid, and quick frankly I come from a poor family. So are there any good state universities, or conservatories with huge financial aid and endowment? Thanks for any and all help/suggestions.

Atm I'm planning on applying to:
-The Sibelius Academy
-Indiana University Bloomington
-St. Olaf
-The Paris Conservatory
-University of Minnesota

Though since I'm doing composition the U of M wouldn't be very good. Any help again is very appreciated.

There's ways to get aid, you just need to load up on scholarships if you need them. :P I'm pretty sure all the ivy league schools like Yale have a load of endowment, but I could be wrong.

Okay, just for your information, the price tag is one of the LAST things you look at. First, look at the school itself, then the faculty and the classes offered. Look at any audition materials (although you should have an idea about that by now) and then look for scholarships. Not many people nowadays pay out of their pocket for college. I'll be shooting for as close to a full-ride as I can, but that's because I am willing to work my ASS OFF for it and you can too. I'm planning to attend University of Michigan (it's in An Arbor..not "Harbour") and I'll be looking for early audition dates for merit scholarships.

I just want to warn you that CHEAP is what you're going to get.

Hey, some of you may know me from this site. In about 3 weeks I start my senior year of highschool, and am close to college-application time. My question: what are the best, cheap music schools out there?
Everywhere I look (Eastman, New England, Ann Harbour) tuition is like 45,000 without aid, and quick frankly I come from a poor family. So are there any good state universities, or conservatories with huge financial aid and endowment? Thanks for any and all help/suggestions.

Atm I'm planning on applying to:
-The Sibelius Academy
-Indiana University Bloomington
-St. Olaf
-The Paris Conservatory
-University of Minnesota

Though since I'm doing composition the U of M wouldn't be very good. Any help again is very appreciated.

Hmm...

What I'm going to do is apply to University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire (as my 1st choice; secondly the U of W in River Falls) and transfer to the University of Minnesota to finish the masters and doctorate programs. I live right on the easternmost part of MN, and around here it's basically a fact that UW-Eau Claire has the best music program, considering financial factors, around here for undergrads (I'm going for performance). However, I also know that U of M has a Ph.D. program in composition; if you prefer to stay in one campus for your career, I'll have you decide on that.

EDIT: I should also note that, unless you get a few scholarships/financial aid, one should not apply to St. Olaf to save money, in my opinion.

I'm not quite sure if you'd really want to go to Sibelius Academy. After all, it's in Finland. Living expenses are relatively high in Scandinavia, even though universities are free. I must say, however, it's one of my top choices after I'm done with my first degree, only because of my nationality.

In my opinion, for your first degree in music, it's better if you stay at a local university. You can always study master's or even doctorate outside of your country.

Hmm...

What I'm going to do is apply to University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire (as my 1st choice; secondly the U of W in River Falls) and transfer to the University of Minnesota to finish the masters and doctorate programs. I live right on the easternmost part of MN, and around here it's basically a fact that UW-Eau Claire has the best music program, considering financial factors, around here for undergrads (I'm going for performance). However, I also know that U of M has a Ph.D. program in composition; if you prefer to stay in one campus for your career, I'll have you decide on that.

EDIT: I should also note that, unless you get a few scholarships/financial aid, one should not apply to St. Olaf to save money, in my opinion.
Thanks for the U of W recommendation. I had no idea they were good. How competitive are they?

Thanks for the U of W recommendation. I had no idea they were good. How competitive are they?

It has one of the best jazz programs in the country, but other than that, I don't know about the competition.

I'm going to good old University of Utah for my degree, and tuition isn't bad. Look into the faculty and see if you like any of the things they have to offer (although I realize many people have somewhat of a stigma against Utah...).