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[madamevoilanska]

Hello! I might be one of the biggest wannabe Oxonians ever. I'll be in my last year at Northwestern University in Chicago in the fall, studying vocal performance and musicology. I'm hoping to apply to do at least the MSt in musicology for the 2009-2010 year. I'm also applying for a Fulbright and a Rhodes, just to see if anything happens there

Comments

[smellingbottle]

Well, not a music person, but if you're doing the MSt (assuming it works the same way as other subjects), your teaching will be entirely through the faculty, so it's not a matter of having to choose a college because you'll only be taught by that college's fellows. You'll have a college advisor, but chances are you might be being taught by him/her anyway, no matter what college you were at. (That's not to say that, if you are passionate about a particular individual's work, that you shouldn't apply to his/her college, but the advisor/advisee relationship is sometimes only a matter of an initial meeting and a high table dinner - they're often quite hands-off and nominal

[lareinenoire]

One other thing to keep in mind is the availability of choral or organ scholarships, but I don't know whether these are offered to graduate students or non-nationals.

Some are. I know St. Johns, Wadham, and Merton offer choral scholarships even to people who aren't in those colleges, and regardless of whether you're an undergraduate or a graduate. No idea about organ scholarships, though I always had the impression that they were only for undergraduates.

[bopeepsheep]

The university site certainly implies that both Choral and Organ scholarships are undergraduate only, although it can't be absolutely relied upon. Certainly Lincoln only offers them to undergraduates (and not every year).

The Music Department's site suggests that Christ Church, Magdalen and New are the strongest: "A number of Colleges offer singing lessons as part of the award. The commitment at the choral foundations (Christ Church, Magdalen and New College) is the most substantial."

[lareinenoire]

This is true. I only know about the Merton scholarships because I'm in the chapel choir there at the moment and they just got a brand-new foundation for next year. And even though I didn't get offered one, they gave me no indication that it was because I was a postgraduate.

[miranda_jane]

New and St Catz are both excellent for music. So is Christ Church (best location right next to the faculty - Pembroke is also well located). St Hilda's is also good for music, with the Jacqueline du Pre music centre, if you're a performer. Otherwise, sounds like you're well-informed!

[avf_uk]

Hertford has graduate accommodation next to Folly Bridge, which is close to the music faculty.

[helen4morrissey]

Music is very important at Magdalen, and it's an absolutely beautiful college.

[tree_and_leaf]

College makes no difference in terms of who teaches you at a college level. It's more important to choose one (a) where the facilities are suitable for you (housing, music rooms, scholarships.. and (b) where you think you'll be happy in terms of the community - do you want an all graduate environment or a mixed one? Large or small? Very laid back or ultra traditional?