I hear you ! Not ready too. So what is your girl deciding between ? I find this part actually harder. Are they making the right choice? It’s hard to be the wings with this one!
@toowonderful You kindly invited me to PM you with NYU questions, but this newbie can’t figure out how to do it! And don’t think I’ve posted enough for you to PM me. Advice about this–and NYU–much appreciated. Thanks!
@yorkside - you need 15 to PM. But no worries, I have MORE than enough to contact you 
For a long time now I have maintained “You only need ONE for a match” and today my D declined two of her offers. I was really grateful to learn from some others here, on this board, how much movement there is when folks release their spots, and so I hope that doesn’t sound weird, we really wanted schools to know to reach out to the next happy students. I also just wanted to say that the support and camaraderie has been amazing on this board, but it is normal and even preferable that at decision time, folks will value different priorities in choosing a school. Thank goodness we all want slightly different things! I say this about everything - Variety is the spice of life! And finally, I have expressed this privately to a few of you, but I see it on the boards now, so I had to repeat my strong belief that these kids who are talented and driven can succeed from anywhere. Bloom where you are planted.
@TwinGMom - my drama S is in the middle. Two brothers are juniors in college and two sisters are juniors in high school. In fact- tomorrow I’m off to look at schools with my Ds. We are in a doughnut hole like @Naevia, so lucky to have some talent/merit money on some of these options (though not all).
@Naevia - congratulations on USC. Are you going out for the SDA open house? I just booked the cross country flight.
@HopeinMT - I truly wish I could trade you my S’s USC admission for your S’s BU admission. My S REALLY fell in love with that school and I would much rather keep him on the east coast.
Very interesting new post here…thought I’d share for those who haven’t yet seen it. A timely reminder that there are many paths.
thanks for sharing @katew529. The list tells the story that it doesnt matter where you go as long as you work hard. I saw several NYU Tisch on the list but, there are only several from a class of 300-400. My assumption is that all of these actors aren’t coming from the same school at the same time so your chances are just as slim as the least known school
Go where you will be happy and it seems like the chips will fall as they may (just as long as you’re working hard wherever you are)
Help!! I’m at a serious crossroads. S got his Rutgers financial aid letter a few days ago and although he wasn’t really getting much aid (we’re hoping a merit/ talent scholarship is on the way in the mail) he was still adamant about going and the possibility of debt—until he realized what that entailed. Emailed financial aid office and they told him they couldn’t offer more because they could only offer what they thought was economically “undoable” for us, and the figure is still VERY “undoable”. I have a broken S right now who even with help from his parents would still end up with a considerable amount of debt from Rutgers. He is now considering Purchase very seriously if Rutgers doesn’t pull through. We were so sure. We were so sure on Rutgers but the cards are stacked pretty high against us right now. If anyone has any insight on Purchase/ how to play the money game?! Purchase is by no means a lesser program, just hasn’t really considered it because of his focus on Rutgers.
*Purchase’s tuition is considerably lower.
@rutgersmom321 we haven’t received a FA package from Purchase but we didn’t receive much from Rutgers either. They don’t give out as much and neither does Purchase as it is a state school. I do like the price of purchase compared to others (state schools) its nice to be accepted to these programs but the reality of financials will wake us up quickly. I hope that you can make it work wherever he chooses. Purchase also seems to have a great program. There is an acceptance class of 2022 that my S has joined and they all seem to be excited
@actingdreams So TRUE! It’s so nice to get in but reality always finds its way to the forefront. If there was a way for my S to ensure his debt would be paid off, he’d be all for it, but as we know, the business is very hit or miss.
I’ve heard its best to have the student himself CALL (not email) and tell the school they’re his first choice, and then ask for a specific amount of money that he would need in order to make it happen.
If that doesn’t work, my thought would be to count your family super lucky to have the option of an affordable and top ranked program like Purchase. Or depending on his acceptances and FA offers elsewhere, perhaps some third school would be an even better fit for him… perhaps (just as an example) something within a larger university if that’s one of the things that appeals to him re Rutgers.
I know the more popular opinion might be to Support the Dream at all costs, but my personal belief is that, especially for young artists, we do these kids an enormous favor (with enormous, potentially lifelong, impact) if we try our best to encourage them in keeping their debt to a minimum.
Some wise person told me that there’s no point in getting the degree but being so burdened by deny that they can’t afford to spend time getting their careers off the ground afterward because they have big loan payments to contend with. I think that’s probably right. The debt is guaranteed, while the chances of success and well paid work remain statistically pretty low.
Thanks @katew529 ! How did you find that? Very interesting…many paths for the talented and determined.
@rutgersmom321 - The BFA acting program at Purchase has an excellent reputation. The price for out of state is better than in-state tuition at our best in-state programs (IL). Definitely worth consideration!
IMHO - a large pile of college debt will force a creative, talented actor into jobs that will leave little time and energy for auditions and roles that will get the career rolling. (The disciplined finance major or computer science major can zap a big debt in just a few years. Actors…?) Hoping your S lands where he will be happy!
@MomofJ5 We visited USC last summer and he has several friends there, so we’ll skip the SDA open house.
If money were no object he’d have a tough decision between USC and Northwestern, but he received a substantial merit offer from Emerson. So we will head to the Emerson admitted students event and cross fingers he likes it there.
Hi @rutgersmom321 - what a difficult (and yet fortunate) situation. I am just going to reiterate what @katew529 said. Have your S call and give them a specific number and say this is the debt I can afford to take on. If you have other colleges that have offered scholarship money, state it and ask that Rutgers meet you closer than they have so far. I would also restate his strong desire to attend Rutgers. Also, the 3.5 year aspect of that program is nice when you calculate the totals. The ball is in your court right now. They want HIM, no longer are we tip toeing around an admissions office hoping to get in. If they say no, move on. Because… this list!
@kate529 - that list! First, the resourcefulness of others is astounding. It really is fodder for all of us as we consider taking on tremendous debt because we believe in our kid and want them to have the best. This list is a glaring example that actors come from every corner of the globe. If CMU is “top tier” and worth the investment of $70K per year why aren’t they more represented on this list? I am completely on board with following the money and not the name as long as the school has the type of training my D is searching for. CC veterans may have more insight.
@ginaf1102 - great advice!
@Naevia that’s awesome about the FA offer from Emerson! I asked my daughter to check her portal for her offer and it turned out that they wanted more info for it, so she just submitted it last night.
@rutgersmom321 My other daughter, biology major, has been sure all month about which one is her top choice, a private university across the country… then right before we were going to book a flight on Friday she panicked about distance and that she was sure it would cost too much and she didn’t want to burden us. Saturday her offer came, she opened it and saw the top line with COA for a year and the aid/scholarships only broken down by semester and felt awful that it would cost us too much. I had to take it away from her and jot a note down with the numbers for the year and the remaining cost… It was actually an amazing offer and doable. Then she logged into her portals and searched, she had her offers from her other top 3 and the state school with the lowest COA of all had the most cost to us (it was her top choice earlier in the process). The other three have about equal contributions from her (well the crosscountry one is less but if there are visits back and forth it could even out) and us to one another, so at least she can remove cost as a factor when picking between them. Wishing doable and equal-enough for all of you!
Waiting, waiting, on the last acceptances and the rest of the Financial aid offers. I think I’ve worked out a way for both girls to visit all their top choices for a solid accepted student event whether they get into the last ones or not… Making calls in a few hours to see if we can get off an event waitlist or craft an alternate visit for the one across country, admissions was pretty sure we can when I called Saturday but the person coordinating it wasn’t in to give full approval.
@Naevia when/where did you hear FA from Emerson? Still nothing on D’s portal yet.
@ginaf1102 - this is the key (I love your quote): “I am completely on board with following the money and not the name as long as the school has the type of training my D is searching for.”
It can be a tricky combination to achieve but that is the end goal! Really best quote about this I have read/heard.
@bfahopeful I also love the quote from @ginaf1102 but I also think it is important to keep in mind the network and connections that our students are able to make at the program they choose to attend. Of course, in the end it is their talent, persistence and luck that will win out over the program that they attend but the connections they can make can make the process a little easier.