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[quote=Anonymous]OP, you're talking about two entirely different beasts when it comes to colleges and conservatories. By and large, the good conservatories will only take the cream of the crop, regardless of their instrument (I know someone whose child applied to the top five for violin, got into all five, with merit, and will be going to Curtis).

For regular colleges, your child needs to be good at an instrument that they will need, for it to affect admissions at all. Obviously, not something that's easy to predict. Yes, there are a million violinists, but they are the single biggest section in any orchestra, so there are more seats as well. Again, not something that's easy to predict.

My DD plays the violin. Her instructor is someone that prepares his students for conservatory (this is extremely important if that's a route your child wants to pursue), although she currently has no such aspirations. By the time she's old enough to think about applying to college, she will be playing at a very high level, and will be an asset to any ensemble (orchestra, chamber, solo, etc.).

However, *she* chose her own instrument, when she was ready for it. She practices and plays as much or as little as she wants. The calculus with the instrument is lifetime enjoyment of music, not gaming college admissions.

As for instrument recommendations, if the intent is for your child to always have a seat in the orchestra or an ensemble, my recommendation is the viola. Good violists are extremely hard to find.[/quote]

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