<p>I've been accepted to Ithaca and emerson for BA Theatre studies and emerson is my dream school. However, both schools present a large amount of debt post-grad. $100,000 at Ithaca and $135,000 at emerson. Emerson could help.me get a job a lot more than Ithaca but it's so expensive. What do I do? </p>
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<p>Neither school is affordable.</p>
<p>Even $50k of debt is too much. </p>
<p>Besides, what foolish person would co-sign those loans knowing what a huge risk they are and how they’d ruin your life?</p>
<p>How much do you think you’d earn the first few years after graduating?</p>
<p>What are your affordable options?</p>
<p>How much are your parents paying?</p>
<p>Did you apply to any of your instate schools?</p>
<p>That is WAY too much debt regardless of your major, but even more so for theater studies. Did you apply to any other more affordable schools? I understand that Emerson is one of the best colleges for liberal arts, but going into that much debt is absolutely not worth it.</p>
<p>Congratulations on being accepted! …but both of these schools are very expensive. Neither Emerson nor Ithaca is more or less likely to “help get you a job” after graduation. They are both very good schools, but neither is worth that kind of debt… honestly, no school is worth that level of debt for you the student. You will not be able to take out all of those loans in your name without a co-signer. Is your family in a position to take on that debt?</p>
<p>What are your goals post graduation? Are you thinking that graduate school may be in your future?</p>
<p>Most entry level theatre jobs are not particularly high paying. Even jobs further along in your career may not be particularly high paying. Having that kind of debt from undergrad will likely severely hinder your opportunities after graduation.</p>
<p>Do you have other acceptances from more affordable schools? I looked back at it appears that you were also accepted to UNH and UMASS, and that UMASS may be instate for you? </p>
<p>What is your families perspective on this? Are they able to help you out at all?</p>
<p>It really come down to whether your parents can afford to make this happen. You are not going to be able to take out that much in loans without your parents cosigning and once they do that, they might as well be the ones borrowing as the loan will be on their credit report and they will be responsible to pay if you cannot, as long as they live. These outside lenders like getting two people on the hook for the loan. If your parents can afford to borrow this and are willing to do so, it could be a go. But you can;t afford this.</p>
<p>My son is an auditioning actor with no loans, and it’s still tough for him to make ends meet. He lives hand to mouth. He is lucky in that we live near enough to NYC that he could live at our home and still hit the audition circuit if it came down to it. He is considered successful because he does have an apartment in Manhattan and gets by. We do help out here and there but with two in college, we cannot support him.</p>
<p>So if you expect to be a working artist, or an auditioning artist, you will have live where the chances of getting work in your field are good. With a nut like you are considering, do you think you can afford to do the most important thing of all in becoming a working actor: that is making the audition rounds in a city where the Performing arts action is?</p>