Vodoo them all!
Just a random question.
Are there some music majors (vocalists, for instance) that generally get more/better/higher scholarships? Or does it totally depend on the school and its needs? Or are some music majors a better ROI so schools reward them more often?
For those of you in waitlist purgatory-prepare yourselves to be patient! In '16 S was accepted to Eastman off the waitlist with a 50% tuition scholarship on May 1, a few hours after committing to and paying deposits at Purchase. He did let Purchase know he was still active on the waitlist at Eastman and they just asked him to let them know ASAP if he would not be attending, but there was no pressure from them about it.
If your kiddo’s waitlist is from their top choice school, definitely call or email to let them know this is the case. Ask what place you are on the waitlist and how many spots are being filled. (In S’s case, he was 4th, and they were only taking 1 bass that year.) You can look up the yield of the school if you want, to see if there is a good chance or not of being called off of it. I don’t know if it did any good, but S’s bass teacher and HS band teacher, (an alumni), contacted the head of jazz studies and bass faculty to reaffirm their recommendations.
Beyond that, all you can do is wait. Most waitlists are ranked, they make the initial offer, then wait for the decisions. It is possible the #1 on the list may take until May 1 to decline, then they have to give #2 24 hours etc. etc. Depending on the school and their yield, it can be well into May before the final decision is made! Calling, showing interest etc. beyond the initial notification probably won’t hurt, but probably won’t help you either. It is a process that has to play out.
Eastman did send sporadic emails over the weeks, asking if S still wanted to be kept on the list. Since they were sporadic, I believe they probably sent them when they got a decline from the previously accepted student. The final 2 weeks he heard nothing. Before committing to Purchase, he called Eastman to confirm he was still active on the waitlist then made is conditional acceptance. Within a few hours, he was called and offered the spot, then a couple hours later, called back to decline. He was already emotionally committed to his choice, and had started thinking in terms of $$, location and ROI, so nice scholarship aside, more is more. He was glad he let the process play out though.
Good luck to all of you waiting-hang in there!
Hoping today is a big day with lots of acceptances!
@indeestudios I love your description of “waitlist purgatory.” Sounds about right! I’m glad we don’t personally have a waitlist dilemma at this point but I feel like it’s doubly difficult because your first task is to get off the waitlist and the second is to be sure it’s affordable. They don’t always go hand in hand. I can’t imagine the joy of getting off a waitlist being met by a school unwilling to meet your financial needs. So many unknowns! And so much patience required! Good luck to those in that situation.
We will probably end up with 7-8 acceptances by April 1st. And she still “likes them all.” We will have our work cut out for us! My questions are:
-do most schools reach out in some way during the month of April to check on status or try to recruit? Or is it more impersonal and most schools just wait for your yes or no? Perhaps it depends on the school, how much they want you and how secure they are in their enrollment, with or without you.
-what is the best way to reach out as far as appeals or questions about financial aid? Email? Phone calls? Will there be a point person or do we just contact a general office? Experienced parents-was it easy to reach someone? Were you on hold forever? Did they respond to emails quickly? Does it help to meet in person? I just feel time will be of the essence and good, speedy communication will be key.
What is going on with New School this Year??? I can’t even believe nobody has been notified!!! @ddummerdad18 blames me and my faulty crystal ball ? lol. I’ll own it. Crystal ball has been tossed in the dumpster. I’m switching to tarot cards and the Magic 8 ball now for the answer… ?
Congratulations to all kids on their acceptances and well earned scholarships! To parents who are looking at price tags, don’t feel like the merit awards are some sort of signal of how successful your child will be in college and beyond. While merit money certainly affects affordability, the acceptance signals the faculty want him/her and think she/he will do well.
@sbjdorlo D (VP,soprano) had both large and zero awards from schools to which she applied - She did better in places that were conservatory based/state schools than in places where academics were highly competitive (good student, but not 1600 on SAT kind of student!). She chose to attend a place where she received no merit money and was academically high powered (school “meets need”). IDK if others in her class received merit $, but she is not at a disadvantage in ensemble placement, casting, or in writing/receiving departmental grants to pay for summer programs. She is thriving musically and academically.
I love it that the old-timers are coming back to cheer us on while most of us crowd in “Wait and Waitlist Purgatory”. Thanks to @Amyizzy for giving us a preview of April Angst.
I don’t expect much today - but you never know. As I recall one of the school’s promised something on March 28 so hopefully some news will be announced later today here.
Supposedly NYU will let people know today…nothing yet.
We are waiting to hear from Berklee…was hoping they wouldn’t make us wait through the weekend.
@SnackysMom - I talked to Berklee yesterday (darned Dependent Verification that I’ve filled out at least 10x!) - and they said that the results will go out on Sunday, March 31 (and maybe into April 1). Lovely!!!
NYU is releasing results between 4 and 6 today (Eastern time) @akapiratequeen
Another piece of unsolicited advice — Take whatever anxiety you are currently experiencing and multiply it by at least a factor of 10 to understand the stress your musician feels at the moment . They may not show it or want to discuss it openly, but it is a very overwhelming time for (most of) them. Go see a movie this weekend, take a walk, ANYTHING other than hover over the keyboard waiting for those final decisions.
With regard to the question from @AmyIzzy about “schools reaching out” --It was up to us to reach out about financials, however several (not all) schools did contact my D after acceptance to encourage questions on the program, particular studios, etc… If schools don’t contact you, contact them! Ask for a name of a student mentor. They will likely be happy to oblige!
@tripletmama Ok thank you. My son was accepted last year but no scholarship, so he auditioned again this year under a deferral…really want to see some $$ in the offer. We really feel Berklee is the place for him.
I guess we’re counting down till Sunday!
SnackysMom——— I have read posts somewhere in previous threads that Berklee did send out results as soon as it turned 3/31 (EST). Good to know your son’s case. Deferral is a good option that Berklee allows accepted students.
NYU Just updated! Accepted, trying to figure out where I can find Financial aid 
Just found Financial aid…cost is 25k a year, which is definately better than NEC, but still…compared to UCLA’s 4k…could be better!
S accepted to NYU as well! 7 for 7! We can’t find financial aid either. @Lyoder2051 where did you find it?
You have to log into their Albert page: just look up NYU Albert, login, and navigate to the financial aid tab. And congrats to your son!!!
@akapiratequeen You have to log into their Albert page: just look up NYU Albert, login, and navigate to the financial aid tab. And congrats to your son!!!
Thanks! He got nothing though…not a big deal because it’s No. 4 on his list and he got better deals from the other 3. But are they kidding? Zero? Anyway, he has declined. And…it is on to April!!