<p>@"Erin’s Dad" I’ve been considering what you said and I think I’ll still be staying with the math/piano double degree. Literally I watched a “Paths to Pixar” video for technical artists and a few of them said math was really useful. 
Plus, it seems this combination is more achievable whereas compsci/piano has probably never been attempted. Thanks! </p>
<p>Many students make the mistake that if they’re thinking of a career in, say, CG, that they themselves have to have training in CS and drawing. Instead, they could have a career in CG as a manager, marketer, CFO, etc., and still have a satisfying career in CG. Think broadly, OP. CS/Piano is very common; haven’t you ever played an electronic piano built after 1990?</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>Ask your dad this: “If college was starting THIS fall, and the family contribution was $10,000, could you pay 1000 a month in a payment plan for college?”</p>
<p>If he says, “no’” ask them how much could he pay each month. Sometimes it is hard for parents to wrap themselves around an annual amount, so putting into a monthly payment amount will make it more real.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids Okay, rephrasing the question really helped. Thanks! He said that we would most likely be able to pay around 1000 a month. I’d probably also try to squeeze in a bit of work study here and there to also help with the costs as well as trying to get a job over the summer breaks. </p>
<p>I’m still a bit worried that Lawrence U might be out of our league financially. I really, really like the school and area. It’s really catching up to Oberlin. We’ll just have to hope for a lot of grants from Lawrence… </p>
<p>Going to leave my major alone and go with mathematics and piano performance. </p>
<p>So far -
Oberlin
Lawrence?
St. Olaf (still looking but maybe not because I don’t want a religiously affiliated school)
Boston U (will probably end up too expensive)
UnivTN: Knoxville</p>
<p>Any other good fits? EFC around 9000, TN resident but doesn’t have to be in TN lots of merit and need aid. I still looking around on my old thread for suggestions. I was also looking at Bard which no one mentioned… </p>
<p>I’m probably going to send in an application for the National Hispanic Recognition Program. Since I probably didn’t mark hispanic on the PSAT I didn’t get an email. Does anyone know the cutoff score for Department of Defense School students? I did qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Corporation thing. 178 on PSAT. </p>
<p>Lawrence seems to meet the majority of need (as determined by them, but still). <a href=“http://www.lawrence.edu/mfhe/www_dept_ora/Everyone/CDS%202013-2014%20Section%20H.pdf”>http://www.lawrence.edu/mfhe/www_dept_ora/Everyone/CDS%202013-2014%20Section%20H.pdf</a> I’d keep it on the list. And don’t let the religious background of St Olaf throw you off. It’s an excellent school. </p>
<p>@"Erin’s Dad" Yeah I’m still going to keep it on the list because I’d really like to go there and it’s just a bit, relatively, more than we can afford. I probably will add St. Olaf to the list because like you said, it’s a good school and that’s really the most important thing. Thanks!</p>
<p>Still looking at Bard. The only way to do double degree there is to apply to the conservatory. The double degree program is required for all conservatory students. </p>
<p>@spaceboy1996 you will have more open doors with claiming your hispanic heritage, and possibly scholarship money. Some schools want diversity and are willing to pony up scholarship money to achieve that. However higher standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) will help you look more attractive to them. In my experience, many students can move up their ACT easier than SAT. Definitely look at test dates available to you.</p>
<p>If your ACT score is 29, you probably qualify for TN’s program - can’t remember what it is called. Probably also requires certain grade point. Hope scholarship or named something like that. Look into that.</p>
<p>Be sure to apply to the public schools in TN that meet your academic major (CS/MA); may not have piano performance at all - how important is that to you?</p>
<p>As mom2ck said, you need to see exactly what parents are willing to pay. You may still be applying to some of the private schools, but will then have to see what they come up with scholarships.</p>
<p>As another poster said (with my agreement), do not be put off from a school with religious heritage (like St. Olaf). Many students at the school are not there primarily for that, but for the great educational opportunities.</p>
<p>@SOSConcern Yeah I see what you’re saying about the diversity and hispanic heritage thing. I was looking at the demographics of some of the colleges I’m looking at and I see how they’d want to increase their diversity. Yeah I want to take the ACT and retake the SAT. We have some limited testing dates being overseas but I’m going to get into the earliest ones. I need to go to my school to get some info on that stuff. I’ll look around for that scholarship. The piano performance is really important, although I wouldn’t require it if I went to school close enough to home that I didn’t have to live away. I really just don’t want to go great lengths of time without playing piano and piano performance seemed to be a great opportunity to further my knowledge and have the chance to play in college. I’m slowly getting to an exact amount with my parents. I’m still looking at St. Olaf but I do think I will be adding it to my list. Thank you! </p>
<p>I know from experience that piano performance will suck a lot of time. One of the MDs I worked for (brilliant guy) did continue piano (at Duke as an UG) - he was a Math undergrad major; he still plays piano every day at a very high level (he considered being a concert pianist). He is the exception.</p>
<p>I do think you will have opportunity to keep up your piano skills at many colleges. </p>
<p>My kids continued with band at college on wind instruments (one had 12 years piano, the other had 10 years).</p>
<p>Music majors cannot focus on more than one instrument (of course percussion includes more, but I am talking sax and clarinet - you can only focus on one). </p>
<p>A private lesson (one or two credits) will take a lot of time due to music majors having a lot more time than you will have to devote X hours every day. </p>
<p>You don’t have to determine this now though - after you have your list of schools that you are accepted to and that are financially feasible, you can look more closely on students that have done your major/minor or majors and the additional music.</p>
<p>Maybe other CC posters can comment, but do not lose your focus on the primary things for UG.</p>
<p>did i already ask you if you qualify for Tenn’s HOPE program?</p>
<p>If your family will be living abroad throughout college, then you need to also budget intl travel costs (fall beginning, Christmas break, and spring end). That alone can be a couple thousand easily.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>You need to have your GC contact them. I dont think a communication from you will be enough. Call and ask what is needed. I am not sure if 178 is high enough for NHRP. I think the scores needed are about 10-15pts higher.</p>
<p>@SOSConcern @mom2collegekids I think I do qualify for the HOPE program. </p>
<p>“Entering freshmen must have a minimum of a 21 ACT (980 SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests OR Overall weighted* minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA)”</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.tn.gov/collegepays/mon_college/hope_scholar.htm”>http://www.tn.gov/collegepays/mon_college/hope_scholar.htm</a></p>
<p>While I may or may not qualify with the ACT/SAT I think my GPA will keep me qualified and I should be eligible even though I’m not physically in TN. </p>
<p>“Be dependent child of U.S. military, Tennessee National Guard on active duty, Department of Defense employees, or full-time religious workers who maintain Tennessee residency while stationed out-of-state are eligible”</p>
<p>While I do want to continue doing music, piano performance was and ideal situation. I was emailing a representative at UTenn and he said they have a great music department and I could minor in that or I could always do private lessons with their classical instructor. It all depends. </p>
<p>@mom2collegekids Yeah I still have to go to my school and talk with the guidance counselor. But, like you said, I’m not sure I scored high enough. The lowest qualifying score I saw was like a 181. So close! And we will in fact be moving back to the states after I graduate. We’re not sure exactly where, but we are certain it will be stateside so travel will be significantly less costly. My parents are also thinking about selling our house in TN so that could very well disqualify me from the HOPE scholarship, in state tuition, etc. I have to talk with them about that. </p>
<p>My nephew in TN also had another higher amount (I believe) with ACT 29 - I think it gave him full tuition at in-state for four years. </p>
<p>I think U-TN is a great option to consider. TN Tech wouldn’t have the music you are looking for, but very solid in Eng/CS/Math etc (that is where nephew went, graduated Magnum Cum Laude; co-oped and also summer internship).</p>
<p>Hopefully you can navigate the college application and scholarship search successfully so you can land at a great place for you.</p>
<p>Also look at UT-Chatanooga :)</p>
<p>@SOSConcern That’s great for him! That’d be amazing to get full tuition, even if that means you have to pay all the other costs like food, dorm, etc. But it cuts out a significant chunk of the cost. As much as I’d like to go to those other more expensive colleges, I’d prefer not to have overwhelming debt or put my parents in the poor house. I’ll look at UT-Chattanooga. </p>
<p>I saw this in the “Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships” thread. </p>
<p>“Besides Lee, UTK also gives out full tuition scholarships. With a 32 ACT superscored you get 6k from utk, 4000 from the hope, and 1000 from the GAMS addon. This adds up to be 1-2k more than the cost of tuition.” - Nicknicholas</p>
<p>Do you happen to know what the GAMS addon is? </p>
<p>You may also be considering UA (Tuscaloosa) - with ACT equivalent of 30 with your GPA- Presidential Scholarship for Engineering (CS is in eng.) - 4 yr tuition plus $2500/year 4 yr additional eng scholarship. If another field, would need ACT equiv of 32 for Presidential. UAB and UAH also have option for piano performance - since you are looking…UA has built up OOS scholars students within eng and honors. I like all three of these schools (I worked at one; daughters go to other two).</p>
<p>That’s really awesome. I’ll look at those schools. The only problem with UTenn and all the other schools you mentioned in the summer heat. 
But it looks like I’d be there anyway with my parents. Thanks! :D</p>
<p>I’ve been looking at math major with CS minor and taking private piano lessons at the college because lot of jobs in the industry seem to want both CS and math. Piano on the side is perfectly fine for me. Although I’m still going to try out for Lawrence, Oberlin, etc. We’ll see what happens.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your help everyone! </p>
<p>@spaceboy1996 For Bard - One needn’t apply to the conservatory for a double degree - instead one can double major in the college and get a BA in Computer Science & Music. The piano professors in the college (different teachers than in the conservatory) are fantastic and the BA in music can be a performance track. You will be required to put on a moderation concert, and a senior concert. Check out music.bard.edu for information about the college music program.</p>
<p>You should also check out Middle Tennessee State University. Its music department is nationally known (especially for its recording industry degree) and draws on students from without the country. <a href=“School of Music | Middle Tennessee State University”>http://www.mtsu.edu/music/index.php</a></p>
<p>I am sure Middle TN State University has some fine students, but two people who graduated from there both were jerks at work (two different work settings in N AL). One had a master’s degree, and one an UG business degree. Both were very aggressive and underhanded - anything so they would get ahead. </p>