Why College? Part 2 — Ticket to Freedom

Posted by on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 · 3 Comments 

I applied to college so that I would have a good enough reason to move away from home.

For the record, I was raised in a financially stable environment, never feared for my safety, and always found a meal when I needed one. Regardless, high school senioritis paled in comparison with my urge to jettison into the first moments of adulthood: no curfew, new city, signing my own papers and forms.

A lack of academic rigor in my high school classes and a four-year stint as a jazz pianist in my high school’s traveling big band convinced me to apply for the farthest, most prestigious jazz music programs I could find from Los Angeles: New York University; University of Colorado, Boulder; and East Texas University. I didn’t really want to funnel my entire life into a career based solely on music, yet it seemed like a credible enough excuse to launch me out of California and into a new, foreign land. I created a college music student archetype for myself and ran with it. Fortunately, my parents saw through this sham and forced me to apply to at least two in-state schools, which ended up being San Diego State University and San Francisco State University. I didn’t think twice about the easy, no-essay, online applications. Both schools are part of the CSU system, so only one application was required for both.

College applications were sent out, and I waited. And waited. My classmates began to chew their fingernails, worrying that they wouldn’t get in to their top-choice schools, would be put on a wait list, or worse, wouldn’t pass those last few critical high school classes. I was beginning to feel a panic in my chest as well, but not for fear that I wouldn’t make it to one of the music schools to which I applied.

I feared that I would get in.

My jazz band had just returned from a trip to New York City for a Duke Ellington-inspired competition at Lincoln Center. It was an exhilarating experience, but also… a culminating one. I had studied piano intensely since kindergarten and had a wonderful skill under my belt. I had transitioned to jazz theory studies after middle school and worked my butt off to to make the most out of the high school jazz band experience. It ended with a bang, having the opportunity to play before the likes of Wynton Marsalis. But did I want to pursue it academically for the next few years? Didn’t I have other interests too, like writing, philosophy, and other areas of study I didn’t even know about, yet?

My classmates chewed their fingernails, but I was just about biting the whole things off.

Admissions letters rolled in during the spring of my senior year, and I dreaded checking the mail. Not only was I afraid of getting into one of these schools and pushing forward on the music major I’d proclaimed to everyone and their mother, but I was also afraid of the embarrassment of not getting in.

Turns out, acceptance to these music programs is contingent upon an performance interview, where you have to show off your chops to the music school admissions committee before they actually let you in. I was both surprised, and relieved. When my CSU acceptance letters arrived, I secretly thanked my parents for forcing me to apply to “backup schools,” as they became my true escape to the freedom of adulthood.

I decided on San Francisco State University to pursue a liberal arts degree. And even though I made this decision as sort of an only-option for moving away from home, I ended up diving headfirst into SF State, including the speech & debate team, poetry readings, working at the campus newspaper and, in my free time, playing some good old jazz on the practice pianos in the music building.

And even though I indecisively switched my major from philosophy to psychology to sociology to English to finally landing on a double major with creative writing and communications, I never looked back at the decision-making process that got me there.

“Why College?” is a series of op-ed articles written by BetterGrads staff and guest contributors about why we chose to continue education after high school, how we got there, and glimpses into what we learned. To begin at Part 1 in the series, click here.

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  • jordanmattox

    I've met quite a few students who considered applying to music programs, but, like yourself, hesitated because of this notion of being trapped. Music seems to be, in particular, the one career path that, if you are serious, you must know for sure in order to pursue it competitively. I went through a similar situation in applying to schools to pursue music. The finality of admission process to the program caused doubts to emerge in mind, so much that I, like yourself, dismissed the possibility of a musical career. What I am curious is as to whether this weeds out the uncertain ones, who, presumably, are not as serious as others or that it simply privileges a select type of person who lacks the propensity to take risks? For me, it seems to be the latter. Consequently, that makes me curious as to whether the output of music students might improve if the admission process to music was treated as a normal degree program, in that it would attract these skeptical types; or, quite the reverse, that it would simply allow for less serious students to infiltrate and reduce the caliber of the program. Or instead, perhaps, the type of individual that music requires is narrow and focused in their interest. I may have digressed from the original intention of your post, but I think it is a subject that interests many students considering music as a major. I would love to hear your thoughts on my, to be fair disorganized, thoughts on the subject.

  • http://RauMachine.com LisaRau

    You bring up an interesting suggestion, that some music students continue music education out of fear of trying new things. While the music industry is not an easy track by any means, there WAS a buzz of comfort and familiarity among my jazz band cohorts who sought to continue what they already knew: music study, band practice and jazz culture. I don't necessarily think this is different than other specialized interests (athletics, art, etc.), or a bad thing. It just wasn't the right choice for me.

    I also think there's a difference between large universities who house music schools (like the ones to which I applied) versus entirely music-focused schools, like Berklee School of Music, where a large number of my bandmates went. They really dove in headfirst, focusing their entire college education on a career in music, music business or something related.

    Either way, perhaps weeding out the uncertain students is also a good thing, because if they hadn't weeded ME out, I would have attended. And I would probably not be writing weekly articles for BetterGrads, now. I admire the students who were cut out for music school for their focus, especially those currently working non-music jobs to support themselves until they find their niche for making a living in the music industry.

  • http://bettergrads.org/blog/2010/04/05/if-some-is-good-more-is-better-why-the-trend-of-one-and-done-college-athletes-may-be-fading/ If Some is Good, More is Better: Why the Trend of One-And-Done College Athletes may be Fading | BetterGrads

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