Schools consider you for merit-based awards when you apply, based on the strength of your audition/portfolio. Your ACT score may set you up for consideration for academic merit awards as well, which schools also consider you for when you apply. They may also take into consideration your extracurricular activities and leadership experience when they consider you for these awards.

Make sure you look at the classes you’d be taking at each school you’re interested in learning more about. As for which schools to apply to, we suggest you use the “Find Schools That Fit Your Interests” section of the homepage of �ƹ�app to learn more about the schools we work with that offer production programs. You can also use the form on each of these schools’ pages if you have questions not answered on their websites. There are, of course, many other schools out there that offer this major.

Every school we know of offers merit awards (those based on your proficiency and audition) when you apply. Be sure to follow their directions especially in terms of deadlines. Typically there is no separate application for these types of awards.

Also check out the appropriate scholarships on our website. And be sure to fill out the FAFSA! When you’re a senior, apply for FAFSA early (applications open in October). Need-based scholarships, both government and school-based, are offered based on FAFSA. FAFSA applications need to be filled out before each year you’re in college.

Outside of FAFSA and other need-based scholarships, the schools themselves typically offer their own merit scholarships. Most of the time students don’t have to apply for these merit awards separately – the students are considered based on academic and/or audition proficiency. But check each school carefully. Berklee and Temple are both participating schools on �ƹ�app so you can use the forms on their pages to send inquiries to these schools if you don’t see the information you need right on their websites.

Check the scholarships section of the American Music Therapy Association – while most are for current music therapy students, this is worth knowing about: Also check the Scholarships section of �ƹ�app for other non-music therapy scholarships.

Your decision as to what to major in has a lot to do with what you’re interested in doing after you graduate. If you are unsure, a BA in music provides you with more elective credits and the time in your schedule to explore options beside performance. A liberal arts college will also provide that opportunity. Starting at a community college is another option but be sure to read our article, “Community College for Music Students: Guidelines for Making It Work.” Also read our article “What Can You Do with a Music Degree?” and the articles linked from that one. You’ll get lots of new ideas.

Double majoring is a great option for students who are ready for the amount of work it requires. If your daughter has any interest in possibly majoring in music, it would be wise for her to prepare to audition and go ahead and audition at schools she’s interested in attending.

We suggest your daughter and you read these articles:

/double-majoring-with-music/
/dual-degrees-double-majors-and-music-minors/
/music-or-medicine/

As for which schools to apply to, there are so many factors that go into making that decision that it would be inappropriate for us to make recommendations based on the minimal information provided below. We do offer fee-based consulting for these kinds of questions and decisions and can follow up with information if you’re interested.

Note that many schools offer merit assistance based on the audition; some offer merit assistance based on GPA; some offer assistance to those who became merit scholars based on their PSATs. Every school is different. All students are encouraged to fill out the FAFSA forms. You can learn more about all of this on the page you wrote in from – /scholarships-for-music-majors/.

As a rule of thumb, remembering that every school is different: Auditions determine most merit- related music scholarships; a high GPA can lead to a merit scholarship from a university within which a music school resides; and GPA will be especially important for getting in to many liberal arts colleges.

<— this may help. I'm also looking into Berklee.

When you apply to music schools, they will consider you for scholarships. Your audition will have a lot to do with what they offer, so spend as much time as you can in preparing well for your audition. Summer music programs will help boost your proficiency – check out those on our 2016 Summer Music Camps & Programs page.

There are good tips for seeking scholarships in the links on the right side right up top on the Scholarships page you wrote in from. Be sure to read the FAFSA information carefully. Also look at each of the scholarships listed to see whether you qualify for any of these. And look at the comments as well on this page – you may glean some useful information by doing so.

If you’re a strong enough applicant based on your audition, you’ll be considered for some merit scholarship assistance at schools in the U.S. where you apply. It sounds like you may need to boost your proficiency, based on what you wrote, in order for this to happen. Note that schools outside the U.S. tend to be far less expensive – you can see a few of them on our website under “International” schools. You’ll need to be strong on your instrument/voice in order to be considered for admission. There are several good articles on this page that will provide more information, whether or not you’re a U.S. citizen.

We suggest that he visit and explore the website of the American Musicological Society. He may also want to consider attending their annual conference to network and learn more about the musicology profession.