it's the end of my sophmore year and all i hear is college, college, college! i've been playing bassoon for 5 years, i study at the new england conservatory prep school, and i'd like to be a bassoon performance major. i plan on visiting lots of schools and testing out their teachers to find the best one for me, but which music schools do you recommend?

*heh heh* you spelled colledge wrong! OH NO, NOW I CAN'T SPELL IT!!!! =)
The obvious choice would be Juliard, but the likely hood of that is slim.
Honestly though, I should be looking into it like you, but I've been to lazy to get around to it.

It's not so much the school as the professor. If you have a private instructor/tutor/teacher ask them! Most likely they will know what's going on with the bassoon professor situation.

Have you looked at Berklee College of Music?

Well, I agree with Berkley, it is a good school. But, Southern Miss is also another good music school. Along with the University of Memphis, and I'm not as sure about this one, but I have heard that either Florida state or university of Florida (I'm not sure) has a pretty good bassoon ensemble!
BUT
Juilliard, Juilliard, Juilliard! It might be a slim chance, but hey, someone has to get in!

thanks everyone.

on the berkeley note, i live in boston and i'm thinking a change of scenery might be good come college time.

as to the florida teacher, i've heard good things and i'll be studying with him this summer at interlochen, so we'll see.

thanks

Berkley is not a great school for classical study. The obvious choices would be Julliard, Curtis, MSM, NEC, BoCo, etc. Another school to look at is The Boyer College of Music and Dance in Philadelphia. I would urge you to do some studying on where your favorite bassoonists teach, and see if you could possibly get lessons at some choice schools. Don't be fooled by the name of the school. After all, with a performance career, what really matters is your playing. A lesser known school might be a better fit if you like the professor more than at a top notch school.

Remember, PROFESSOR > NAME.

<Added>

Berklee***

oberlin conservatory has a good bassoon quartet
stetson university in DeLand, FL has an awesome music school (i may be going there for flute and bassoon if i get in =])
florida state is a good public college, but it is humongous. 300 undergrad students in music alone.
no offense to anyone who goes there (my mom and her mother went there...i love florida state!) i feel like its either you are the best there is at the school or you get lost in the crowds.
university of florida is alright, their music program isnt that big but their bassoon professor is amazing.