<p>@drae- from that fancy list, I pick RISD if its going to cost the same. I have a feeling that any cash from RISD means they must really want him. Its a design school and it has tremendous name recognition. I also think you have to want to be kind of a grind. I also thought they were about need based aid, so I dont see any harm in asking for a little more?</p>
<p>The last results came – as we expected, denials from Cooper Union and RISD. But still, daughter and I are both feeling pretty positive about the results: 7 acceptances (PrattMWP, Pratt, Parsons, SMFA, SAIC, PNCA, Otis) and 3 denials (MICA, RISD, Cooper Union). Daughter says, “That gives you an idea of where I am as an artist and a student, and I feel pretty good about what my acceptances say about me.” </p>
<p>I am still pretty stressed about financial aid, because none of the accepted schools have provided a package she can accept. However, we’re still waiting on three: PrattMWP, SAIC, and SMFA. I expect that SMFA will have little aid to give her. I talked to PrattMWP today because we hadn’t met their additional documentation deadline; they wanted things we didn’t have access to on short notice. They were really nice and said to send anyway, don’t worry about the deadline, and they would figure out her aid. We’ll see what happens. </p>
<p>SAIC is a source of worry and hope. They love her, she loves them, but the financial aid office acted like we hadn’t met the financial aid deadlines – told me that a FAFSA correction “reset the clock” on financial aid. Whatever the package is, we’ll be contacting the Dean of Student Affairs to see if she can help us sort out the package. She met daughter at the accepted student reception two weeks ago and was very encouraging. (Of course, that’s her job, but we’ll see.)</p>
<p>Glutenmom - I just reread your post regarding Purchase. If your daughter wants to get going next year I don’t see what could be wrong with starting out at Purchase. They do the same foundation year program as the stand alone art schools. The kids are enthusiastic and there is talent there. Both in the students and faculty. Would she be able to commute? If so, it is a great resource at an amazing price to have so close to home.</p>
<p>switters - I feel like a wimp. I don’t know if I could ask. Wouldn’t it be great if we could do this for one another? Anyone want to be my rep? I’ll be yours?</p>
<p>drae- honestly I dont really know if I could ask either. this financial aid part of it makes me realize that there is a lot of smoke and mirrors and overly encouraging rhetoric at the beginning. </p>
<p>Trin- I am sorry about your financial worries. Very excellent list of acceptances, and Im sure you are probably sick of me saying this, but I cant believe MICA denied, given the SAIC/Parsons/Pratt acceptances.</p>
<p>trin - would you send me a link to your daughter’s portfolio. I’ll send you a link to my husbands work. He is an artist and graphic designer. I’ll tell you a secret: He never finished his degree (well almost but I won’t go into it) and he teaches at a well known art school’s grad program. He switched his major three times and taught himself photoshop and in-design after he got out of school. We have a very good friend whose art career is taking off and he barely finished high school. You can’t stop these people. Your daughter sounds like she’s one of THEM :)</p>
<p>Purchase was recommended as a good alternative by a couple of working artists. Apparently they have a strong art department, sounds like it might be a good option.</p>
<p>I’m feeling reassured hearing good things about Purchase. I think she would commute for at least the first semester and then perhaps go on to the dorm. We’ll have to see. Her reluctance to complete (and send) the outside scholarship apps and fill out job applications are her undoing. She was told all along that she had to do her part to find the money for college.<br>
sigh.
I guess it’s up to her. It is difficult when you know the kid has issues like ADD and have so much talent and brains… but seem to lack ambition, motivation, and drive – and those are qualities she needs to have in any studio art program.</p>
<p>Drae.
I don’t think you should feel at all bad about asking for more aid. I think that your attitude is admirable if the money you were getting were “taking away” from someone else, but that isn’t the case.<br>
You say:
“So when I say I am happy with the aid it doesn’t mean this is going to be easy. It just means they made it possible for us to be willing to take on the burden. Sometimes I think I should go back and ask to be considered for a bit more but my work ethic tells me to shoulder it and be grateful for the help we did get. It doesn’t hurt that my son got into some amazing programs and it feels worth the stretch.”</p>
<p>Two things to remember: when you get federal grants and loans and use it to pay Carnegie Mellon tuition and housing, you benefit Carnegie Mellon. When they provide you with institutional aid, yes it reduces their intake of tuition money but you are not “taking”, necessarily from someone else. If there is someone else as or more talented than your kid with a lower EFC, don’t worry, CMU will make sure they offer that person more. It isn’t for you to decide who does and doesn’t get aid; try to lower the financial burden on you and on your kid and get as much aid as possible. send competing offers to CMU–they openly seek that information and try to respond. We do not qualify for any financial aid, yet I still expect my son to try to get merit aid and outside scholarships. I don’t feel guilty at all when he gets merit aid because the school feels it is better off having my son attend and pay less tuition than to go somewhere else. On the other hand, ould I lie or manipulate my finances to qualify for FA? Now that would be very wrong. If our EFC is very large I am just thankful to be in that position that we can pay full freight if we deem the education is worth it. But the key phrase for us or for someone with EFC=0 is still the same…</p>
<p>Glutenmom - that sounds like a good plan. You never know what being immersed in that atmosphere will do for her focus. She could be carried along by her peers and begin to find her way in it.</p>
<p>Fammom - thank you for the words of encouragement. I have asked my husband to make the calls. I have done all of the leg work so far. He can come in and be the pinch hitter. When I look at our finances and the debt we’ve taken on to start our new business, it would be the smart thing to do to see if we can reign these costs in a bit more.</p>
<p>Well, we were pinning our last hopes on SAIC, but they’ve come back with an all loans package – almost 40K in loans per year, including 27K in PLUS loans. I blame myself, for going back to school after I lost my job in 2008.</p>
<p>Trin, please don’t blame yourself. If you had not gone back to school would you really have an extra 160K in cash around? No school should offer 40K in loans a year, it is just irresponsible and even cruel. On another thread someone referred to an all-loans package as “throwing a rope to a drowning man, only the rope is a rattlesnake”.</p>
<p>greenwitch: Yeah, that’s what I’m trying to convey to the schools I have responded to. If I were working full time, I would still be making less than 35K a year, probably, and still would have a very low EFC and still wouldn’t be eligible for PLUS loans. I’m not in school instead of being rich – I’m in school because at least I get <em>some</em> income to cover living expenses that way.</p>
<p>three night four days
accommodation - opened couch in the mystery dorm apartment double</p>
<p>No, didn’t go to lecture, woke up too late.
Nice printing stuff, etchings, litho… what? No I forgot to check.
Bumped into so and so (his HS alum) No, majoring animation. No, I didn’t think to ask.
The dog was cute, No, big, kind of, like so and so (someone’s dog we know)
Walker was NICE ! like, better than MoMA. No, we drove… don’t know how far.
MIA was closed Monday. No, wasn’t enough time, spend all time at Africa stuff and Chinese painting.
Nobody cooks or do dishes. No, didn’t either why shoulda?
Ate like, sandwiches, BLT, no, it was an egg, BET and Thai food, good Thai, like 6 bucks. or 8.
No bank, no ATMs but lots of chiropractors.
Didn’t see above average children, maybe little kids get put away in somewhere else.</p>
<p>^all these means he loved MCAD.</p>
<p>^^hahaha Bears, you made my morning (hidden children?)!</p>
<p>Trin : I don’t think you can pin that on yourself. Hell…I may be 26, but even at 18 my mother just looked at me funny when I asked her why she wasn’t going to help me financially with college. So remember…some parents still live by the “after 18, its up to you” mentality. Glad your not one of them</p>
<p>I got my SAIC financial paperwork yesterday. Between free fed cash, merit portfolio, and SAIC aid, it was a total of 21k. Figuring tuition is 34k, thats a nice chunk</p>
<p>Of course I do need money for an apt, and food, ect ect…so my loans will end up surpassing the 13k left I need to pay in tuition, but oh well…I really cant shrug off 21k a year. Thats 84k over four years, plus all the interest that WONT accrue since I won’t be taking loans out on another 84 thousand dollars.</p>
<p>So I am happy with it. 9k of that was Merit. Would have liked more, but I need to remind myself my work, while technically is pristine, thematically (sports films) is not exactly what they were probably expecting to see. Since my work doesn’t carry any substance as far as any strong theme or viewpoint, I will take my merit award and smile</p>
<p>I think you should call the schools Trin. Hell…I am a perfect example. If you don’t call, things cant be taken care of if possible</p>
<p>Best of luck to you and your daughter. Perhaps I will see unknowingly cross paths with her at SAIC (I will be the very out of place 26 year old freshman…it will be obvious haha)</p>
<p>AWBacon:
Did you check with the state re: aid, grants? You are currently a resident and if your FSFA qualifies you you may be eligible for some help there…</p>
<p>Thanks for the MCAD report. D will get a big kick out of reading that, as did I! Sounds like a typical teenage conversation.</p>
<p>AW Bacon:
I’m just mentioning this because we live in the same state now and I wouldn’t have even thought of it except that the state sent me a letter. A subsequent conversation with the department of ed led me to believe that there are a lot of people who are unaware, perhaps you’re know about this but just in case…I don’t know if it will be an help to us and won’t for a while but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.</p>
<p>Trin: My best to you. I’ve found your posts very touching and want to add encouragement. I admire you for going back to school and you’ve set a very good example doing that. Will keep my fingers crossed for you and your child.</p>