<p>Is Eastman worth me and my family going into $80,000 of debt? My other options are Ithaca and Potsdam. Obviously Eastman was my first choice, but it seems like a lot of money...</p>
<p>Euphgal- For performance or performance/music ed? $80,000 is a big nut to crack for a musician or a musician/educator. Is that your portion, or a combined total of yours & parents' debt for your education? </p>
<p>If your New York in-state, Crane at Potsdam is a solid choice for music ed; Ithaca is a great music ed shool, but I don't know how that shakes out in comparison financially for you versus Eastman. </p>
<p>My son (viola performance/music ed; Hartt) will have about a quarter of that as his personal load come May in comparison.</p>
<p>Sorry, you may have posted that elsewhere. Is the debt comparison really 80K (probably you mean 20/year times 4 years) versus no debt for the other schools. I am curious because DS is waiting for his package from Eastman. At the information session Adrian Daly said that most kids get between 1/4-1/2 tuition through scholarship. I hope you can work something out as I do think Eastman is something special. DS's teacher is really in favor of a certain teacher who is not at Eastman, so I don't think DS will have trouble turning them down if the cost is too high.</p>
<p>I would be entering Eastman as a performance major with hopes of reapplying to the ed. program. My goal is to be a performer, and even though the $80,000 is the debt for both me and my parents, it still seems like a lot more than the other two schools in which I would be entering ed/performance.</p>
<p>I personally would have about 20-25k in debt at the other schools.</p>
<p>In my opinion, yes, it's worth it.</p>
<p>I believe there are rational arguments to both sides, and it is really a personal decision, but you asked for our opinions, and there's mine.</p>
<p>The reasoning we used with our kids: If you know what you want to major in, and feel strongly about it, then you need to go to the place that is most likely to help you succeed. If you were undecided, or unsure, then you need to go to the place that has the most options and least debt.</p>
<p>So, assuming you are passionate about being a performer, and want as many chips on your side, and that you will have the best teacher there, I think it needs to be Eastman. The education, "value-added" process of becoming a better musician, and making the professional contacts there all increase your chances of being hired later on. If I recall from other posts, you were feeling pretty good about the military band opportunities.</p>
<p>But it is a gamble, so it is perfectly legitimate to hedge your bets the other direction, assume you won't get a good job anyway, and go for lower debt. This is especially true if you really like the Euphonium teacher at program at the other school.</p>
<p>This is a really tough, real world decision and you should be proud for thinking about both your and your parents' future debt. A lot of your peers may not be so far sighted.</p>
<p>One additional piece of advice is not to forget to factor in any anticipated graduate school debt...</p>
<p>IMHO, the big variable here is what you see yourself doing. I would go for Eastman if you're thinking performance. If you're going for an education job, then starting a career in that field, either K-12 or professor, with a $80K debt is almost financial suicide, based on the pay levels. Additionally, you'll need to attend graduate school for either of these positions, which could possibly add to your debt.</p>
<p>Very, very tough decision, but you have very good options to choose amongst. Good Luck!</p>
<p>If you are stuck with $80k in debt, no way. If your parents are willing/able to assume most of the cost and debt, I would highly recommend Eastman. Theoretically, you can learn anywhere there is a good teacher. In practice that rarely works and it is a big help to be working with other students in a demanding environment. I also think you need to consider your goals and backup plans. If you want to make it as a performer, you may need to go for broke and seriously work on performance. If you decide to go for music ed, your chances of success as a performer will be decreased. In many ways, Ithaca may be a more reasonable choice for music ed.</p>
<p>Of course, how much debt you are willing to incur is a personal matter.</p>
<p>Things to consider - will that Eastman degree earn you more money? Will it increase your chances of getting fellowships/grants later? How much in demand is a person with an Eastman degree when it comes to applying for grad school? I don't have the answers to most of those questions - we're not at that point yet. </p>
<p>This is sort of related: When my oldest D was in HS, sometimes I grumbled about writing a check for an activity her teacher wanted her to participate in musicwise. It seemed so expensive and I often wondered if it was worth it. One time I even had to use a credit card to pay half of the tuition for a summer program. But she told me that in the long run it would help her get scholarship money for college and since we committed to covering the gap the first year, the more monies she recieved, the less we would have to cover. She received a lot of scholarship money - it did pay off in the end.</p>