<p>Hi, I'm a piano major for BM class of 2014!
I'm having a hard time making decision all because of money
I live in FL so I get alot of residential scholarship!! So, I basically get a full ride + even left over if I go to FSU for both honors program and music!
However, I get nothing, okay... $5000 from MSM which means i have $45000 left for my own....... </p>
<p>what should I do? transfer after 2 years? just go to MSM? any suggestion??</p>
<p>P.S How good is FSU compared to those top conservatories? and IF i go to fsu for BM and try to audition to the top conservatories for my master, would I be at disadvantage because I did not go to a super duper top conservatory for BM?</p>
<p>Do not go into debt for an undergrad music pursuit.</p>
<p>Save the money for grad school.</p>
<p>This is the truncated version. It’s a conversation repeated countless times with both this and the other CC forums.</p>
<p>Congratulations, and the best of luck!</p>
<p>Added: Your MM app will be much like your undergrad, insofar that the audition is the primary criteria for an admissions decision (though academics may play a part in the process, and in the awarding of TA/GA stipends or fellowships). It is a function of how you fare in the audition pool, not a direct correlation between your undergrad school name. There are NO guarantees anywhere.</p>
<p>I have heard only good things about the music school and piano dept. at FSU. You should be proud of your admission there, I am sure FSU is quite competitive for piano performance. If you want to send me a private message, jp0701, I could suggest the name of one of the professors who I know to be very highly regarded as a teacher/performer.</p>
<p>Remember though, anything NOT used for tuition and books (music too), such as the amount given to you for room and board and that stuff “left over” is TAXABLE, so you must report it as such and pay taxes on it. Probably not that big a deal for a student, but could reduce the amount you think you have to spend.
You might want to look through some of the 'final decision" threads from the past couple of years to see if you can find other students who attend MSM. Talk to them, or ask the school if they can have other piano students get in contact with you so that you can see what they feel.
MSM is not known for their generosity in funding, but it doesn’t hurt to file an appeal and see if they can come up with more money for you. Unlike some others here, I don’t necessarily think that the least expensive undergrad education is the way to go. It depends upon the teacher and the program offered. While some less expensive schools may be wonderful and a good fit for one student, a major conservatory may be optimum for another. While “cheaper may be better, it could also be a case of you get what you pay for”!</p>
<p>jp - have you had a lesson with the person who would be your teacher at either school? Was there a good connection there? Did you feel as if you could work with the person for the next 4 years? Or 2 years? (If you can’t make it to NY, at least try to have some contact with the person at FSU.) </p>
<p>If you save money during the year at FSU, maybe you could study with the MSM teacher at a summer festival?</p>
<p>I do not disagree with Mezzo’sMama in theory, but within the OP’s question as presented, there is a huge gap between the institutions in terms of what was offered btween the two. It is extremely unlikely that any request for reconsideration will close that gap substantially.</p>
<p>It is worth asking the question.</p>
<p>If I understand the OP’s number correctly, there is a difference of $180k over four years, plus interest for the life of the notes for whatever portion is so funded. One can buy a top line piano and go to grad school on the interest alone.</p>
<p>The difference is so huge that while the premise “of paying for the best” may seem sound, it more likely will result in crippling debt, with little chance for return on investment. We are not discussing a few thousand dollars in deciding between NEC and Juilliard, or Oberlin and IU.</p>
<p>The two the OP mentioned are the only two that we know of on the table. Under those parameters, I stand by what I posted earlier.</p>
<p>I am in this situation…full ride++ or a school that I feel ahas a better prorgram and teacher for my instrument. </p>
<p>I don’t think it’s as clear cut of a decision as viola puts it, however there is too large a disparity between your scholarships. I would go FSU if money matters.</p>
<p>I am going with the better music school for me, but my money situation isn’t bad there either.</p>
<p>It’s different for everyone, just do what feels right to you.</p>
<p>Musicmanjdb, I’m quite capable of putting my own foot in my mouth. ;)</p>
<p>My response to the OP was based on what was presented. I also explained it as the shortened version, and while they were unlinked I offered that there are numerous threads in this and other CC forums where far more numerous criteria and considerations are detailed. </p>
<p>I made the salient points in summary fashion, quick, down and dirty. If the OP had said money was not an issue, my response would have been quite different, and in far more detail.</p>
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<p>I agree completely, but with the understanding that you research the potential pros and cons of your situation, and be ready to accept both the rewards as well as the consequences.</p>
<p>Haha viola i was just giving you a hard time. I saw you clarify later on in the thread, and you OBVIOUSLY have 5746485.5 times more knowledge than I. :)</p>
<p>Just read some of viola’s last thread link. The discussion they had is very relatable to your situation. I suggest it, it’s a good read.</p>
<p>With my outside scholarship, I get about 10k a year for msm and for fsu, i get everything. it covers like the estimated cost of the year, which includes room, board, food, insurance, etc and i MIGHT get like some hundreds left. </p>
<p>YES money is the ISSUE here. I mean if MSM gave me half of the cost of attendence, I WOULD GO. but 40k a year… oh geeez. The problem is that I know both schools are good and that msm has a better reputation. what im concerned is that if i go to msm, is it worth 40k a year? and if i go to fsu, are they GOOD??? compared to the top conservatories, where does FSU stand?</p>
<p>and yes, there is always an option of saving money and go to somewhere better for master but when auditioning, im sure that master is pretty competitive as well. So I mean, there will be people from Juilliard, NEC MSM etc who have gotten better education for 4 years.
I understand that if I try hard at FSU, i might be up to them but obviously, better school has better teachers. So, I’m worried that after 4 years, if I will be able to go to MSM or any good school.</p>
<p>jp, if you are looking for a comparative ranking, “fuggitaboutit”.</p>
<p>What is important is the relationship between you and your private instructor, the quality of your peers, and the opportunities each institution can offer you.</p>
<p>As a small fish in a big pond, you may not have the opportunities at MSM that might be available at FSU, the choice ensembles, maybe a bit more faculty attention, or opportunities for exposure. You may not get these at FSU either.</p>
<p>Candidates for the “top” grad programs come from virtually every BM (and many BA) music degree granting institution in the country. Those who gotten their BM at Juilliard, or MSM or NEC will not necessarily have an in at Yale SOM, or CIM, or USC/Thorton, or Northwestern, or McGill.</p>
<p>It’s not the name on the stone edifice of the institution. It is what you make of what is available, and your own talents, perseverance and limitations.</p>
<p>It’s not about prestige.</p>
<p>Is the 40k a year difference worth it? Not in my mind. If it is in yours, then I seriously suggest you consider a gap year, work your tail off, and reapply again next year.</p>
<p>I don’t know how it is for most musicians, but for my D the aim of UG study was to position herself well for grad school. Ergo, if you are able to attend a solid UG program for less money (and in particular, less debt) and do not expect it will disadvantage your application for grad school, then that would be advisable. Use the savings during your UG years for summer programs. </p>
<p>Please realize I’m not advising that you attend Podunk U (for free) and expect to be ready for Juilliard in 4 years, but if you can attend a school like FSU (highly regarded if not a Tier 1 school) for $0/yr as opposed to a Tier 1 for $45k/yr or $180,000 over 4 years, that is awfully persuasive! Heck, provided you would be successful at your grad school audition, you could end up with an MM from MSM for almost 1/2 of what you would have gone into debt for during UG at MSM – even if they gave you no merit for grad school (and ignoring inflation!).</p>
<p>If you can get into a Tier 1 for UG and have it funded by either the school or family, that’s wonderful! Otherwise, position yourself as best you can during your UG career, make sure your teachers know the type of program you aspire to for Grad school and work towards that goal over the next four years.</p>
<p>Best of luck no matter what your choice; isn’t it nice to have one?!</p>
<p>violadad: I understand that school name is not the most important in the world. then how do you explain to me why people wants to go to harvard or juilliard? and why do such school have a high reputation?? </p>
<p>My professional experience (non-music) as well as from those I know at high levels within the music profession have diverse academic and training backgrounds. I can see no established pattern. I’ve worked with clunkers from Harvard or Wharton, and have seen brilliance just about from anywhere. </p>
<p>I neglected to define TA’s and GA’s. Theses are teaching assistants or graduate assistants within a Masters or above level program that are performing teaching (or research) duties in exchange as part of a scholarship or fellowship that has been given them.</p>
<p>It sounds to me like you really want to go to MSM, but are frustrated because they did not give you very much in financial aid. If you are looking for convincing reasons that the education you would get there is worth $45,000 per year more than the one you would get at FSU, well, I don’t think there is anyone here who could make that argument conclusively.</p>
<p>Conversely, we may not be able to prove to your satisfaction that you should attend FSU. The best that you will get here is opinions from some people who may or may not have more knowledge of these schools than you do, and from people who know rather well how crippling loan repayments of more than a thousand dollars a month can be for a newly graduated music major looking for employment in today’s economy. If money is no object (and from the title of this thread, I somehow doubt that is the case), then feel free to follow your heart. If you simply do not have the funds to attend MSM, then you can certainly ask them for more, but my gut feeling is that it is time to start learning to love FSU. If paying for MSM is a possibility, then you need to have this discussion with your parents or whoever else it is that will provide the money. Good luck.</p>
<p>If money is truly “the ISSUE here,” then I do not think there is a question: go to FSU. </p>
<p>However, the way I understand your posts, there are two issues: money and quality of education.</p>
<p>Without knowing the financial status of your parents, it is not possible to tell you where to go. However, assuming that they are not amongst the top 5% or 10% in terms of wealth, then FSU is almost certainly the better choice. $160 000 over four years is a lot of money for most people. If your parents can handle this without making huge sacrifices, then both schools could be considered. </p>
<p>As violadad has pointed out, the top conservatories regularly accept graduates of places like FSU. </p>
<p>You can use a small fraction of the $160 000 you save by going to top-notch summer programs to make connections and build your resume. A couple of summers at excellent programs will probably do as much or more for connections and resume as would four years at MSM.</p>
<p>OP writes: “obviously, better school has better teachers.” I would disagree. There are excellent teachers at second tier schools; there are some second-rate teachers at top tier schools (many of whom are world-class performers, but not incredible teachers). </p>
<p>Whether or not a teacher is better than another is ultimately about their fit with you: do they have the skills to take you to the next level? Do they connect with you? Will they be able to motivate you in positive ways? The teacher-student relationship is highly individual. A teacher may be excellent for one student and do amazing things with them and that same teacher may be a disaster for the next equally talented student.</p>