<p>My D is currently a junior in high school and we are just beginning our research into MT programs. It seems like most of the highly rated programs are private colleges and are really pricey. We will not qualify for any financial aid because we sit squarely in the middle! Does anyone know if it fairly easy to cover at least half of the expenses with merit/talent scholarships? I will take any and all advice about the whole process! Thanks!</p>
<p>MTRaleighmom, we also didn’t qualify via FAFSA. But I was SHOCKED at the scholarship money thrown at my daughter. I was very happily surprised because I wasn’t expecting it! She was 20th in her HS class (out of ~300) so though she had good grades it wasn’t like she was in the tippy top of her class, and though she made sure she had all the college prerequisites, she didn’t go above and beyond them and instead chose to do more music, acting, and dance. She ended up getting scholarships from all 6 of the schools that accepted her (though Marymount didn’t offer her money until after she turned them down) except BoCo. Some more than others, but as much as $25,000! And yes my daughter is talented but so are a million other girls (which you realize VERY quickly at these auditions). So bottom line, money IS out there. Some schools notoriously DON’T offer much scholarship money (BoCo and NYU for example) but even then, if it’s a dream school, you never know! Also, there are big price differences at these schools, and not because the more expensive ones are necessarily better, but because some have bigger endowments or have state support. Some are bargains even for out-of-staters, so check those out. Plus look into local scholarships. There are multiple threads about these. To answer your question: no, I wouldn’t say it is EASY, but it is possible.</p>
<p>Very much agree with Calliene and would add that the whole FA picture is increasingly unpredictable. Some schools are very transparent about aid and others are more mysterious. As long as you are open with your daughter about what you can afford, I would proceed energetically and cast a wide net in terms of both admissions and cost/aid. Lots of info on here and on the theater/drama forum!</p>
<p>One thing to bear in mind is that some schools require you to fill out the FAFSA to receive any scholarships from them, and others do not. In my son’s case, he was offered a small scholarship from Shenandoah and a large one from Ithaca, and neither school required the FAFSA. I have a friend who had to do the FAFSA even though she knew they didn’t qualify for the need-based scholarships, for her son to get his academic scholarship.</p>
<p>Tell your D to do well in school, and to do well on her SAT or ACT. There is more money given out based on academic record vs. talent. My D did very well in school and aced the ACT and when she did scholarship offers flowed in. Like you were we were in the middle and her academics, particluarly her ACT, brought schools into play that would have been counted out due to cost.</p>
<p>Thanks to all of you that have replied with advice! I can’t express how happy that I am that I found this forum and have started researching early! There are so many factors that come into play it is a bit overwhelming! We will have to diligently research scholarship money as I don’t want my D saddled with copious amounts of debt! Lord knows just trying to keep yourself sheltered and fed in the business of MT is enough without a huge loan to boot! Looks like research will reign in all of our decisions! Looking forward to hearing about everyone’s journey throughout this next year!</p>
<p>Be sure that you look at a broad range of schools, not just the “big names”. There are many small- to mid-sized private schools that can offer generous merit aid to attract strong students to their campuses. We were very much in your shoes and both my boys got merit aid based on their grades/test scores. A few schools also offered talent awards. You can find my various posts about our journey by searching for my past posts, but just know that this is a fluid process that changes from year-to-year, so as you are researching, check with each school as to what their current merit scholarship offerings are. The admissions offices are a good place to start. Definitely ask if you need to submit additional applications to be considered for merit aid, or if all freshmen applicants are automatically considered. Also ask if you are required to do the FAFSA (we were at many schools, even though we did not qualify for need-based) your first year. Best of luck.</p>
<p>Thanks so much MTTwinsinCA! I would love to hear what your sons think of the programs at Pace and Rider! Rider is in my daughter’s top 3 right now. My father went there in the early '60’s before it was a university. So, at least I know my daughter would qualify for an alumni grant.</p>