@akapiratequeen I haven’t been very active the last couple of weeks, just stressed waiting to hear about different schools and financials. My s applied to some of the top schools for jazz that many have posted about: SFCM, MSM, New School, and Berklee, and then some local places - U. of MO KC - Conservatory and U. of Kasas - Lawrence, as well as UNT. A year ago UNT was his top affordable choice, but the more he learned about the jazz saxophone program there the farther it has gone down his list. He just got his music merit for KU today (he already had his academic merit), and while good, it is not as good as we had expected. Feeling very discouraged and down right now. Even if he gets into one of his top choices, he needs significant merit scholarship (our FAFSA and CSS do not match our reality) to attend.
@Lendlees, fantastic news!!! That’s so exciting!! I hope the financial aid comes through! It’s so hard waiting, isn’t it??
My son got his first disappointing news. His number one school has been Chapman and he only got $8000 of music scholarship there. To be honest, it surprises me since they have courted him. He got 14K for transfer merit and looks like he’ll get around 15K for need-based aid (maybe 6K more for Cal Grant). Even so, it’s well out of reach.
We knew that as a transfer student, he would get less need-based aid at privates and less scholarship overall. Money is there for freshmen and less there for transfer students, so unless something changes with Chapman, it’s not affordable. He’s already moved on and is looking at other options. He still has to hear back from one school and still needs full financial aid packages from all schools, so this is far from over.
It’s interesting to see the varying amounts/percentages of COA scholarships he’s gotten- definitely a big variety: 4K on the low end and 32K on the high end so far.
@CaraCoMO that is disappointing! But as they say, it’s not over til it’s over. Once all the offers are in, maybe there will be room for negotiation. Or maybe another school will move to the front of the pack. Keeping my fingers crossed!
For all the other triumphs and disappointments, a big hug! I don’t know which is worse, the waiting or the roller coaster. We’re almost there…
@sbjdorlo Sorry to hear about Chapman not coming through with the $$$ you were hoping for. Hope the news gets better with other schools on your son’s list.
@Lendlees Ahh the Whiplash question! As the father of a daughter who is an actual jazz drummer currently attending a NYC based conservatory pre-college program, you can only imagine how often I get that one.
Of course we did watch the movie together a few years ago and she just laughed at how over the top it is. She’s not laughing quite as much these days, as she gets the overall competitive vibe that can be present in some of these programs. But fortunately she’s never had a cymbal thrown at her head.
If you haven’t seen it, the terrific music school/theory YouTuber Adam Neely did a great review of Whiplash recently, way after the fact. He really unpacks what parts feel real and what is ridiculous about it.
Like the rest of you we’re patiently waiting for Frost and USC info this weekend and then New Shool after that. We have a short list and that’s made it a long wait since we heard from Berklee back in December.
Congrats to those of you getting great news!
@DrummerDad18 You beat me to the Adam Neely Whiplash review. Very smart and well-framed comments. I also liked the full Peter Erskine interview regarding the movie that came out after it was gaining buzz (Adam refers to it in his video).
As with you, our jazz drumming family is keeping our collective fingers crossed re: USC, Frost, and New School (plus Peabody and NYU for us).
@dsinha, @lkbux64 : USC waits till the Friday before April 1, So I believe you will see something around the 29th & 30th of March (Friday and Saturday). Last year, my S didn’t get anything in the mail in March (postal delays there I think), and the status was updated on the portal on the 30th at midnight, before anything appeared in the mail. I think the white box (acceptance package) only came in on the Tuesday of the following week.
I believe that USC decisions are being mailed this Thursday, with portal updates on Sunday, 3/24.
@CaraCoMO - sorry that KU merit wasn’t what you had hoped for - but as others have already shown this season - merit awards are all over the place - so try not to be too discouraged. Glad to see you back on the board, along with the newbies! Feels like we are all in the “waiting room” together trying to read magazines. I’m sure just as we really get into reading an article, we will be called! (Murphy’s Law).
@khill87 - thanks for your perspective as a professor. I think the same way but my kids - well, to get them to value and put effort into a valuable connection, well, let’s say it’s easier than pulling their wisdom teeth on my own with pliers and no anesthesia. I hope they figure it out someday (before it’s too late).
Regarding Whiplash - I have yet to see it - likely because we more or less lived it. For those that have been here for the last year, you may recall our daughter’s Jazz Director that was fired by the school district. It was not fun. He seemed to be worse with females - although he was abusive in general. When the last girl left the jazz program with my daughter left standing, I thought it was strange - but things really hit the fan when our daughter was denied Big Band this year (although she did get top ensemble). It was blatantly wrong - and the Music Director tried to fix it before anyone noticed (although my daughter did go into an empty classroom to cry her eyes out). The mistake was fixed (not fair to the other musician) but that was just the tip of the iceberg. He called people names, said that he’s never played with a good female jazz musician to the entire group, and it goes on from there. The school district got in the middle of it and were horrified and got rid of the Jazz Director (despite the Music Director trying to save face by holding onto him with a “warning”).
This is one of the top high school jazz programs in the U.S. - so it does happen and even in progressive areas like LA. In fact, our daughter never came across this level of abuse and sexism in SC. Go figure!
,
There are abusive, sexist and racist people in schools and colleges. It was great to see Berklee and other jazz programs, including my daughter’s, addressing it.
Off my soapbox (which did take my mind off the wait - for about 10 minutes 
Heard through the grapevine Oberlin decisions are coming up this Friday.
@WestOfPCH @DrummerDad18 @Lendlees Whiplash was loosely based on a legendary high school jazz band leader who the filmmaker (and yours truly, a million years ago) played for. The guy was super intense but the film is a wild exaggeration. He never hit ME anyway.
from #2819
@AmyIzzy - In my experience from elder D in a LAC, what this means is that they expect/assume your D to do at least $4500 worth of on campus work across the year and bring this amount into her budget. Unless it is different in this school there would be no guarantees that she would be given the work to earn this much or that the hours required to earn this amount would be doable with her music study demands.
You can call the school FinAid office to get further clarification on this but I would suggest extreme caution around this amount unless you are willing to consider this input to be null and supplement from your family budget.
Hope this helps
I am so happy to hear that Adam Neely is known here. He is a great watch, and S and I would watch his videos for good ideas.
@tripletmama - Whiplash is just so crazy it is awesome.
And what did happen to that folder … ?
Don’t you just love the emails that are titled “College of Music Scholarship Notification” and then proceed with congratulations on receiving the scholarship and how competitive it was this year, yadda, yadda…then buried in the email is the note that the actual offer packet with the award won’t be sent until April 1st.
Ugh…the wait continues…
@AmyIzzy I do not have 1st hand knowledge of work study, buy have friends whose kids have received it (and I’m assuming we’re talking about Federal Work Study). From what I understand it is not guaranteed and the amount awarded is a limit. I think rates vary, but are at least minimum wage. Jobs are not necessarily on campus. Your kid has to apply like anyone else, but may have an advantage over applicants not eligible for WS if WS is preferred. So, then if the pay is $X/hr, they will work out how many hours / week your kid can work to earn UP TO but not OVER the work study amount. The big bonus is that the $ is not subject to FICA and will not count against you on next years FAFSA.
IMO whether it is a good deal or not depends on what your plans for her employment (or lack of) were going to be. It could be a way to hold a job with reasonable hours since Chicago minimum wage will be maybe $13/hr or so next year (meaning $4500 would be very few hours per week). On the flip side, she could possibly make a lot more on her own working more hours or finding a better paying job…but then she may have less control and be working 20 hrs/ week and that can be overwhelming for some.
Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong anyone!
Well, the letter from the office of the president of UT Austin finally arrived. It was not about the recent college admission scandal nor the scholarship information. It was just another letter of congratulations and how amazing my son and the school are, blah, blah…
I see the same thing, makes many of the music major posts irrelevant to my classical bassoon child.
Still waiting on Jacobs. Sure would be nice to know, Yay, Nay, or waitlist. Nothing in email or mailbox. And so we continue to wait on three schools and scholarship offers to schools she’s already accepted to.
Um, did any of the big universities ask for mid-year grades? I’m wondering if they didn’t ask, does that mean the applicant didn’t pass the audition so the university didn’t have to review the application and that’s why they didn’t request them?
@Music2023 I see on Naviance that the high school sent several schools S’s mid year grades. Don’t know if they do that automatically or by request, though.