I'm finishing up High School this year and need to start researching music schools. Does anyone here know of a good place online that lists them all?

Have you tried www.bridgetomusic.com. They have an online listing of music schools, music festivals and workshops. Looks like they list all the programs in the states. Could be exactly what you're looking for. Good luck with your search!

I don't know any online sites that have a list of schools but if you want it, here is a little advice on selecting one.

First off, and this may seem obvious: Most colleges require you to be accepted to both the college and The Music School. That means two seperate applications. I ony mention this because I've met people that thought they could just decide to major in music once they got into school...you must be accepted to the School of Music.

Getting into music schools is competitive. Apply early, audition early, and practice hard. Also apply to several schools, you may not be accepted to all of them.

I'd ask professional musicians (i.e. your private teacher) what schools would be a good fit for you.

Consider what you want to do (teach, play, music recording, management, industry, music theory, ethno-musicology). This will make a huge difference in schools you would choose.

If you want to play and have the chops, go for a conservatory type setting (Eastman, Julliard,etc.). When getting a performance degree, choose the school for the Horn teacher first, then everything else (ensembles, facilities, really cool mascot). Having a teacher you can't stand makes getting through college tough and, as a player, this will be your biggest influence. Meet this person, take a lesson from them if possible.

If you want to teach music in public schools you might be better off at Indiana or some other state schools. This is not because teachers don't have to be great performers! This is because they need to learn to teach and many of these schools focus more on pedagogy.

If research is your thing, try for a school known for it's research faculty.

Google faculty members in the field you want to study. You can learn alot by seeing what groups they play with, what the have published, their bios/resumes and what others think about them (take the last two with a grain of salt). Also, if a teacher is playing in orchestras around the world, they may not be there to help you. Some schools will hire big names to look good and then have you study with a graduate student (bait and switch).

Also think about whether you want a downtown or rural campus. Near home or away. Whether you learn/improve most as the best player, least skilled, or in the middle(though it is good to spend time in all positions).

Remember, you will spend a lot of money on school. Get the most out of it and choose wisely.