@KelviVan Thank you! This info is very helpful. Would have been nice for them to have told the people they have waiting in the wings.
My daughter’s largest scholarship of all her accepted BFA in MT programs was at NYU.
My oldest S’s largest scholarship was also NYU Tisch, although this was 10 years ago. But at the time, Tisch was by far the cheapest BFA program he’d gotten into, and that included SUNY Purchase.
As I’ve said, you cannot predict how much each college will cost you. Yes, you can get an idea of their need based financial aid by running the NPC, although even there many folks don’t put in the correct numbers (it is complex), and CSS Profile - which the vast majority of privates with high awards use - includes a ton of extra information not on FAFSA. You can also get an idea of how much will be loans versus grants by looking at their endowment and their percentage of students granted loans/grants (it’s on each college’s website and is also searchable).
After that though, there is need-merit/talent, and outright merit/talent. In both cases - unless it’s a pure, non-holistic, stats-based merit based on SAT/GPA - it is impossible to predict how much they will give, because they are extremely individual, based on how much the program happens to want you (impossible to know) and other unknowables like how much autonomy the BFA department has within the larger university to give you a grant if they want you.
In my own kids’ cases, without commenting on a specific program, 4 out of 5 of them have gotten offers from colleges that were outside the ‘predictable’ pure need based (my 5th was awarded a predictable generous need based grant).
Literally every college I’ve heard of, including the ones people say ‘never’ give talent/merit/need grants, have given such grants. However, and it’s a big however, it is unknowable how likely this is in your individual case, providing you get in, which is a big enough hurdle to begin with.
It is however knowable to tell how statistically likely it is overall. Again this is why it is imperative to not only be realistic as far as what your own talent/experience level is (as @Soozievt wisely points out) but it is also imperative to be realistic as far as finances.
I would never exclude applying to a dream school purely based on finances, but I would exclude applying only to such schools, or spending a lot of time invested in that school. I would apply to a wide financial range, just as I’d apply to a wide talent/merit range. Again, I’d apply to at least 2 schools that are financial safeties regardless of their theatre program. By financial safety I mean in-state universities, or else, if my student had strong stats, BA programs that award transparent, large talent/merit based on their stats.
@Momwithagirl and @KelviVan I was just going to ask if anyone heard from UWSP. We are waiting to see if they are interested in our D. We have visited there twice and she loved it, she’s hoping she’ll have a difficult decision to make!
Here is an interesting side note on BA vs. BFA…and this is not to say this can’t happen in a BFA program, but currently my daughter is in auditions for the musical at her school. She is in their as the SM and she will help cast the show. This is not the first time she has been in the room casting a show. She has done so last year when she was a director. What these experiences have done for her as an actor are priceless. She sees what goes on on the other side of the table and this has greatly impacted what she will do and has done in the room when she herself goes into an audition. Just a little nugget of info 
@aquarose26 My daughter has friends at the U of A in their program. The bad rap they have is that years ago someone complained about the fact that they make all their students reaudition for the program. However, even when programs don’t require reaudition, they do have a way of getting the message to students who aren’t cutting it that they aren’t cutting it - and then the student “self-selects out” of the program. The reaudition was never a concern for us. My daughter’s friends love their program. There seems to be good faculty there and the new guy running it I hear is good. The only downside is that the students don’t take private voice lessons (it’s extra). My daughter sat in on a vocal class for freshman MT students - and there were more than just MT students in the class (some with majors unrelated to theater/performance/music). It was a big class - so not sure how much training you can get in that environment. The Professor said it was because U of A requires a certain amount of students in all classes and if they don’t allow other students to take the courses, they wouldn’t have enough to fill them. (This was in 2015). Good news is that if a students goes into their BA Theater program - they have a chance to audition again AND they can take the classes that the MT students take. Another downside is that while U of A has one of the premiere dance programs in the country, I hear the same faculty does not teach the MT students.
wow! Thank you @stagedoormama I did not realize that and glad to know. Good feedback - I LOVE CC for this!!!
She has reached out to Amy again for feedback on her audition. She was really confused - out of 24 auditions, that one “felt” like her best! They seem to connect and like her. Good luck to your D as well - I really believe if our kids can survive thru all of this that is a huge indicator on if they can handle the pressure and rejection out there!!
hey everyone! just wanted to give a quick PSA, if you have an audition scheduled for millikin on april 8th and will not be attending, make sure you email the audition coordinator and let her know! my friend is currently waitlisted for an audition spot and would really love the oppurtunity!
@mtmajorpls - My daughter is scheduled but we won’t be attending so I will be sure she sends an email tomorrow to let them know. Best of luck to your friend!
@mtmajorpls My daughter is also scheduled to audition and won’t be attending on the 8th. Your friend should definately get a spot. BAL!
I see 10 kids accepted at LIU Post, but no discus about this program. I understand it’s not one of the top tier schools that everyone hears about. But would really appreciate others’ experience, thoughts and opinions about it, please. (There is a discussion thread on it, but little activity there. ) Thanks!
I would also like to remind people to please cancel if you know you are not attending an audition. My S missed out on auditioning for BW because it was an open sign up system and we were informed by many friends that there were multiple no shows. It’s truly not fair to occupy a spot if you won’t use it. This process is hard enough and spots are so limited. Best of luck to everyone this week.
@milmom2 I’m not sure what open sign up system is - I know once BW received my D’s application she was sent an email notifying her she could sign up for an audition date. There were plenty to choose from. Also, when we were at several auditions there was always a few no shows - I chatted with the folks at Hartt and they said every year they have people not show - during heavy audition season she said a lot of kids get knocked down with the flu.
We missed out on BW also. We were WL for a spot and it never opened. That was a heartbreaker for sure.
It was clear from listening to the guardians of the door (while waiting for S’s audition) that Hartt and BoCo completely filled up their audition spots. So lesson for future classes: If auditioning for BW, Hartt or BoCo, sign up for auditions in December or you risk not getting an audition slot.
I will also add my D passed prescreen for Shenandoah and was not able to schedule an audition slot. We were on a waitlist but nothing opened up.
What I meant by open sign up is that there was no prescreen so anyone could sign up. My S sat on a waitlist for over 2 1/2 months and nothing opened up and people didn’t show. I get the flu etc happens but please be respectful for all of those others kids wanting your spot and just email or call so they can put them in. And as far as BW goes he sat on the WL since Thanksgiving- the spots went that fast.
@MomofMTBoy agreed. We had all applications in by mid September just for that reason. It also made it easier for scheduling - we were able to hit multiple locations on a single weekend and helped a lot with travel.
@MomofMTBoy For BW all the slots were filled by mid- November. And CCM too - my kid wasn’t even able to apply, b/c all audition slots were filled. So apply early if you can!
The earlier you start getting the applications in the better. We started in September. It allows you to move things around to fit more in at the Unifieds as well.
I will also say to future applicants that they should schedule at least one audition in the Fall - preferably at a school that is not a top choice. They learn a lot at that audition - and since it’s not a top choice - they won’t freak out when things don’t go perfectly. My daughter auditioned at Indiana early and from that she knew she needed to get in better shape for the dance calls - she came home and trained hard and was ready in Jan/Feb for her other auditions. Also she knew what to expect at the auditions so she could be more mentally prepared.