@redsoxmama what program did your S audition for at Frost? I can probably help with some thoughts depending on the program. Also it would be great info for kids in the future to PM @lkbux64 on the scholarship your son was offered and for what discipline. There is a thread being compiled with very useful info on that. If he auditioned for MADE and got a “crazy scholarship” then he is one of the few if only kid’s I’ve ever heard of being offered money in that discipline!!
Scholarship thread is here! http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/2130409-merit-scholarships-for-music-majors-reported-by-school.html#latest
After consulting with our carrier, who compared instruments to jewelry where some are valuable enough that it needs its own insurance, we were advised to insure our student bassoon. All the other instruments in the house, including a pro trumpet and semi-pro French horn, are covered under the standard home insurance policy. Sadly, we have no jewelry worth insuring on its own either. We do have greater peace of mind insuring the bassoon, although poor S has to carry it all day at school since instrument storage isn’t locked.
I agree–depends on the value of the instruments.
My eldest son’s violin was appraised at 15K, but my son’s cello is appraised at only $3500 and bows make it maybe $4500. Do you think we need separate insurance? I think the total amount covered before was around 21K for both instruments and bows so it made sense to get separate coverage.
Congrats @AmyIzzy on your big decision! So exciting!
And to all the FROST acceptances, it would have been fun to have my D accept there just so we could all watch our CC kids together. I doubt @Lyoder2051 will accept UCLA with all his offerings but that’s the only CC kid I know on here.
I’m still holding my breath for you @diglass and all the rest of you still waiting for your decisions!
Hi there @SpartanDrew ! DS is not a MADE kid. He would be a MUE (Music Engineering) at Frost. He had to go to New York to audition as a singer, though. He has a strong interest in electronic music and production as well as music and computer science overall. The MUE requirements are very intense, so there is a chance he would change majors later. But the scholarship is for Frost and not U Miami overall.
It is exciting to see how many amazing musicians there are on CC!
OK @redsoxmama thanks for clarifying that. SO our overall theory of MADE students NOT getting offered any scholarship seems to be accurate. I know @ Bay Area Mom 2016’s D auditioned for music therapy not MADE. Congrats to your son! Frost is a fantastic school!
@tripletmama , buzz not completely over. We’re still waiting for teacher assignment, more lessons and appeal results. We may or may not be another Mannes family. Still very stressful here.
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@akapiratequeen , re: “OMG tell these kids to decide already” … my poor kid knows where she wants to go but we’re still waiting on financial info and teacher selection/assignment before committing to paying for our most expensive option. Since preferred teacher studios are not available, still trying to have trial lessons … as May 1 quickly approaches!!.. aka torture for all of us!
Quick note on insuring instruments-check dorm and homeowners policies carefully. Often, if instrument is used for gigging, and is stolen/damaged while gigging or transporting to/from a gig, it will not be covered under those policies.
We are thisssss close to committing! I think my son got his last question answered this morning.
I will be so glad to pay a deposit and just celebrate some lasts and some upcoming firsts!
I’ve been a pretty silent participant on this great thread and I want to offer everyone congratulations on their children’s well deserved placements at wonderful schools. I can’t begin to count the many times I poured a glass of wine, opened this thread and found great comfort in the fact that I wasn’t the only anxious, worried, exhausted parent going through this crazy process.
I could use all of your collective wisdom right now.
My son got off the wait list yesterday at Vanderbilt, which should be a great thing, but it’s causing a lot of angst.
He’s a bassoon performance major. He was accepted to all of the schools where he applied and all but one gave him a ton of money. After getting wait listed at Vandy, he decided UT was the best fit of professor and it was easy - we live in Austin, he’s spent time on campus, he’s worked with the prof before, many kids from his school are attending, it’s a great school, etc.
UT was the school that gave him no money and was at the top end of affordability for us (his older brother is a sophomore in college and we’re full pay) without taking out any loans - which aren’t happening in any form for a music undergrad degree. Paying for festival expenses was going to be tough, he was going to have to work summers to fund his personal expenses during the year - there would be no extras. Which is fine, not great, but he felt it was the best choice and he was happy.
Vanderbilt came in with a huge financial aid package - $52,000 a year!
Our cost would be $18K a year versus UT at $25K.
He loved the campus and professor on his two day visit, but he moved on emotionally after getting wait listed - he said Vandy was his worst audition - and thought he’d never make it off. He wanted to go back for a visit with the professor and another look this weekend, which was doable, but the professor is out of town until Monday. He can’t go early next week due to school demands, which can’t be shrugged off.
We have to make a decision by May 1st.
The professors are both equally good and will get him where he needs to go for grad school, the school’s are both good although drastically different, the cost difference is significant for us. We realize the cost could go up when his brother graduates in two years, but we expect he’ll go to grad school (biochem major) and will be funding a bit of that as well. Vandy takes into consideration parental contributions for grad students provided it covers 51% of the child’s costs. Even if he doesn’t, the increase will only be 40% of the current price, which is still a bargain.
It’s such a great school.
On travel - it’s a two hour direct flight on Southwest for pretty cheap when booked in advance. So minimal cost and time.
Please weigh in with opinions. All are welcome!
And thank you so much for being such a great community. You’ve kept me sane over the last six months.
Wow!!! Great options!!! I say take another look. Call them and tell them you need a couple of extra days. $52k…they want him. This is what my dad used to call a high class problem!
@jadedhaven Congrats on such a great offer. If your son loved everything at Vandy during his first visit I say it’s worth another look. He could still observe academic and music classes, get a feel for campus and the vibe. Are there any performances this weekend that you could attend?
I would compare curriculums at each school As well. I believe @NYsaxmom has a student at Vandy this year. Maybe send them a PM.
Excellent suggestion! I will email the director and bassoon prof tonight. He really wants to sit in on a class to get a feel for the studio before making a decision. He’s done that at UT.
We’ve also asked UT for money again after receiving Vanderbilt’s offer. Pretty sure there’s none to give, they tend to spend all of their scholarship money on grad students.
Sending an appeal to UT is also an excellent idea!
How does your son feel about academic rigor? Would one school be more challenging than the other?
Lack of an academic challenge is something my D has struggled with this year.
Decision has been made and communicated. S will be attending the Boyer College of Music @ Temple next fall! (I’d say drumroll, but that’s what percussionists already do!)
It came down to McGill and Temple - both similar feel, great department heads and urban environment. Temple won out on a couple different measures: very distinguished alumni, nicer facilities and easier to take non-music classes. On faculty they have one of the ‘godfathers’ of percussion so hopefully just being in the same building will rub off on S as he doesn’t give lessons to undergrads - but evidently does teach the orchestra repertoire class.
Deposits are in, dorm room selected and just waiting on orientation date so spouse can see the school.
I’m thrilled as I’ve had great vibes from the faculty both times I’ve been there and, quite selfishly - it’s a direct plane flight with a train from the airport right to campus. We’ll just get used to being a bi-coastal family with 3 time zones separating us.
I can’t thank you all enough for the moral support and wealth of information I’ve gotten from this group. And I’m still astounded at the level of talent all of your children are demonstrating. Watch out music world - the CC class of 2023 is coming… 
He’s a high performing student and intellectually curious. He’s taken 11 AP courses, four years of German (which he’d like to minor in), 3.9 unweighted GPA, 5.2 weighted, high SAT. He likes physics. He’d like to participate in intramural sports and have some schedule flexibility in his junior and senior years if possible.
His best friends will be attending BU, William and Mary, Marymount college NYC (theater major), Dartmouth, Baylor, Brown and UT. He likes smart kids.
Welcome @jadedhaven! And huge congrats to your son and his amazing offer at Vandy! That is also very helpful info for future families to know. Many wonder if coming off of a waitlist will come with any money at all and clearly in this case it’s a resounding yes!
We were in somewhat of a similar situation last year. Not with indecision but with trying for a second appeal to bump D’s scholarship. The May 1 date was looming and we were told by the admissions director at D’s top choice college that most likely the second appeal would come after May 1. (She actually got her 2nd bump in money about 6 hours after she submitted the appeal!) He instructed D to email admissions and ask for an extension to May 15. I think it’s commonly done. I would have your son email admissions of both colleges and ask for this. Be up front and honest and let them know he is struggling with the decision. They should accommodate you/him.
Good luck and I hope he has the time to visit Vandy and make a thorough and thoughtful decision. And you never know, one of them may throw some more money at you in the meantime. ?