Hi everyone,
I’ve been accepted to 3 MM composition programs (all small conservatories), but unfortunately have not received the aid necessary to attend. I’ll be filing appeals and would like some input from those who might have successfully done so before.
First, a bit of background that may or may not be relevant. I’ve been out of school for 3 years working and saving money for grad school. I’ve saved a lot, but the price tag of these places is, well, high. Nonetheless I could afford it with something like a 20K per year award (and I know these awards exist). I have some parental support, but it’s relatively small.
I want to avoid loans for obvious reasons and because anyone I’ve ever talked to (professors, students, etc) about this has been emphatic about it. It would also accumulate interest during the PhD I plan on completing afterwards.
I have only one financial aid offer, at 10.5K per year. I will of course include this in my appeal, along with a brief bit on why I’d like to attend and letting my top choice know they’re my top choice, but I’m not sure what else to include (perhaps nothing). My desire to avoid loans would probably fall on deaf ears at schools where loans are so normal, won’t it?
Do I include the exact amount I got from the one school? And do I include a specific figure I would need?
Any advice is appreciated.
I agree that talking about not wanting to take out loans won’t do anything, with some of the appeals my S filed they specifically said they won’t take that into account. As far as the appeal process, usually it is a form that asks for how much you can contribute and the gap with tuition from my experience with my S (and that is grad school as well) and then they decide. Some schools actively limited how much more you can ask for, like choose 1-5k, others you simply submit it. If you have anyone on the faculty you were planning to work with (I realize composition is different than instrumental music) and knows you, you can try and enlist them in trying to get your more money. In the end it is going to come down to how much funds they have for scholarships and how much they want you. In some cases, they may want you a lot, and simply don’t have great funds for awards.
The other question is do they offer merit aid at all? I don’t know how composition works, but again if there is someone you know at the programs in question who can advocate for you, perhaps you could get merit aid.
Wish you luck, hope this helps.
Thanks for the reply.
The only aid offered is merit aid. Also, at the two places where I didn’t get anything, the appeals process was vaguely defined as “send us an email about it”. So I have to make some choices on what to include
I don’t know anyone at these places, other than obviously meeting the faculty at the interview. I didn’t think it made sense to ask the person I was assigned to study with since it was their rating which determined my (lack of) aid. But that’s another thing to consider.
Know that there are ways to fund your education while in grad school - usually through teaching, or jobs at the college. Have you spoken to anyone about that? Of course, that might not make much of a dent, depending on the cost. Perhaps you could apply again next year to a DMA or PhD program instead, which would provide stipends and free tuition?
Teaching is available, but very competitive. I didn’t get anything for year 1 (and was told expecting that is unrealistic) and couldn’t rely on that year 2. The work they offer hardly puts a dent in it unfortunately.
I’ve thought about going straight to PhD, but given that almost everyone in my field gets a masters and my undergrad degree is not in music, I probably won’t have access to the top schools. And in academia, that matters.