The Westminster Choir College of Rider University

I never graduated from WCC. I will be quite candid in this review, because I did not know any of this until I actually attended for more than a semester.

I went to piano camps for a few summers before deciding to attend college here. I knew it was going to be a tough place, but I did not know that I was going to be in such a competitive atmosphere. If you plan on being a M.Ed major, be prepared. You are doing your geneds alongside your music courses, alongside your choirs, alongside your lessons, alongside performances. All at once. It's very time consuming, and there are definitely going to be days or weeks where you're at Carnegie Hall, Kimmel Center, or on TV.

When I was there, I was in the usual mandatory classes: choir, piano lessons, class voice (and subsequently individual voice), theory, music ed lab (no-credit mandatory class for all ed majors), studio/perf class, and some geneds. Choir is amazing. You will NEVER feel more familial with your classmates than in choir. I performed at Carnegie and Kimmel with choir. I took with Jim Goldsworthy, the most amazing piano teacher I have ever had, and I wish I could live in Princeton just for lessons with him. Music Ed lab is a joke, or was when I was there. Rumor has it that the new Chair of Music Ed is amazing and made it actually worthwhile. Studio/perf class is a weekly master class with your studio mates and your teacher. Perf class is the weeks when you're not in studio to go and perform for the entirety of the piano, voice, or organ majors/primaries/minors.

But I put a lot onto my plate while I was there.
I was in the handbell choir, and I will suggest that you go audition for this group, or even join "baby bells" to get INTO the concert choir. This choir travels the nation, performs runouts (of which everyone will be subject to for performances at Carnegie/Kimmel/TV/community concerts for ALL CHOIRS.) I had the amazing privilege to perform on NBC live with Josh Groban in 2010. I traveled as far west as Lincoln, NB. I miss this group so much it hurts. But because of everything on my plate, plus a horrible romantic relationship with someone on the evil, mothership campus in Lawrenceville, I had to transfer. I had two mental breakdowns, and just couldn't deal with the stress of 12 classes a semester for only 18 credits. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about that.

Now, I say "evil, mothership campus" because Rider doesn't give a rat's ass about the Princeton Campus. No money goes to us from Rider, and they just never think of us. The only reason why you'd go to the main campus is to use your Bronc bucks at Starbucks in the SRC, get a fresh meal at daly's (because they send us their leftovers), and to go to the diner/C store. But you don't wanna take the shuttle. James Jordan's face is plastered all across it, and it only runs for a few hours a day. (I love jimmy j, but let's be honest-I don't wanna be on a shorty bus with his face.)

BUT there's good there, too!
The setting is quite beautiful. The pianos that you have access to are hit or miss, but if you can swing practice in Bristol, Williamson, or even a teacher's studio. When you find those REAL friends, they will stick with you through thick and thin, and I can attest to this personally. I have transferred schools, flunked out of the next school, become a CNA, and am working towards my RN. AND I STILL TALK TO JIM. AND KATHY. SHE DIRECTS THE HANDBELLS.

ALSO good luck if you wanna keep a relationship secret...everyone will hear you having sex, especially if it's in a practice room (pssssst. stay away from Ithaca 11...not me, but someone I knew...ew.)

The dorms need to be updated and fixed up. The cottages need to go, and the relocatables need to be relocatable. (Dr. Carey once fell through the floor. Oops..)

You will hear rumors about everyone, including faculty and staff. Such rumors include but are not limited to: Louisa murdered her husband, there was a girl who died and is now haunted Erdman, Dr. Jordan gave a GA an Iphone after he was subject to being put into a diaper while Jimmy J masterbated (no, dr. jordan! i don't want an iphone!), Kathy married the bus driver who drives the bells cross-country (true fact), the zeeb (smoking gazebo) is where all the drug activity occurs (false. FALSE I SAY!), all men are straight, and all women are straight. The last two are especially false. 90% men are gay here. Even more when you count the closeted gays.Overall, I'd return to finish my degree, and I'd stay away, too, if I knew what was good for my personal health.

3rd Year Female -- Class 2013

Education Quality: A+, Collaboration/Competitive: F

Westminster Choir College is like the disney world of singing schools. Everyone here is so nice. You rarely see any different. That being said people do talk behind each others backs so you do need to be careful. This place will challenge you in music like no other. theory is HARD. You will really really need to work in those classes to get good grades and pass. General Education courses over here suck. Partly because the understand how intense this place is in the music courses and choirs so they go easy on us. I would like to be challenged a little bit more though. You will make friends. Don't even worry about it, even though it is a small school there are people for everyone. No one here is really snobby. We are very deticated to what we do and teachers expect you to be on your game so if you're not willing to give 110% into this career then do not go. This education program is one of the most intense ones. personally this schools is perfect for me. But it is most certainly not your normal college experience. You will not find everyone drinking or partying. We will be practicing or watching a movie with a good group of friends. Or sitting in the lounge playing video games or watching TV. It is a very small school, so if you are not into that do not come here. Everyone is so supportive and I would not change my experiences here for anything. I've made the best friends I could have made here.

1st Year Female -- Class 2016

Individual Value: A+, Social Life: B-

Having been a part of music my whole life, it was only fitting that my goals were to include music and education. As a pianist, I do believe that WCC is a place where you can grow. Dr G, Mrs. C, and other wonderful names of amazing piano faculty make this a great place to be. Yes, there is the added bonus (?) of being made to sing every day here, but I have grown musically because of that. I have found a singers voice in my body, and that is something I can never thank my teachers enough for helping me find. As much as I don't like the amount of stress associated with being an ED major here, it is one thousand percent worth it in the end. If you don't push yourself to see what exactly you're made of, you're never going to be the best you can be. You'll only just glide along, and I personally want to outshine what I have been in the past.

2nd Year Female -- Class 2013

Education Quality: A+, Campus Maintenance: B-