How many schools are you applying for...

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>...and how are you going to pay all the fees?</p>

<p>Because of numbers, and because I don't have as much voice or dance training as the majority of applicants, I was planning on auditioning for 10 schools (7 MT and 3 Acting.) I also have 5 non-audition schools:</p>

<p>Oglethorpe, which could be free if I got a certain scholarship, but they waived my fee anyway.
Columbia College Chicago- seems like a great back-up
Temple University (not for MT)- same as CCC
UNC Greensboro- visited and really liked it as a back-up
Columbus State University- really dislike it, but my mom's making me</p>

<p>All together, these add up to $815 in fees. However, I feel like I can't cut out any of my audition schools, and my mom's only paying for about $200 of it. Any suggestions? I haven't been able to get a job since I've been at rehearsal every day after school for months, and now I don't have enough time to raise that much money.</p>

<p>Thanks...</p>

2

<p>Even if you were applying to school for engineering you’d race through that $200 in no time. Does mom understand the cost of applications these days? And the huge amount of applicants? My D got a few “free” applications but truely the $ we’ve already spent on college and she’s not even there yet is rather frightening.<br>
If you have some rolling admissions schools that you have auditioned at already or will do very soon, and if you get in, you may be able to whack down your list somewhat, depending on due dates. At least, you can save yourself the time and expense of travel.<br>
5 seems like a lot for non-audition schools. Most folks on CC I’ve noticed keep non-auditions to two or three at most, assuming they are very good academic matches. </p>

<p>-Best wishes to you.</p>

3

<p>I am with classicalbk - you do seem to have a lot of non audition schools on your list. One thing you may want to do is create a spreadsheet that shows the application and audition deadlines for each school, along with the application and audition fees. If paying for school is going to be an issue, yoou can list the COA (cost of attendance) on there as well. Then you can map out a plan for when to aprly to your non audition schools if needed. You can also show your mom the important dates and how quickly the fees all add up. And hopefully you have discussed with your mom how you will pay for any travel and other expenses for the audition schools.</p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

4

<p>wow, I’d take the opposite tack. Five doesn’t seem like too many non-audition schools at all! I find that alot of people just look for non-audition “safeties” when they should also be considering “matches” as well. If an applicant is not accepted anywhere by audition, it is wise to have a school to go to that is more than just a backup plan.</p>

<p>I do hope you’ll find a way to get your mom to let you apply to more schools. Is it because she really doesn’t want you to audition for these programs?</p>

5

<p>Good point SDonCC - I guess I was thinking “safeties” when I wrote that as opposed to matches. There are some wonderful non-audition programs out there that the OP may want to consider. And if costs are an issue - especially travel costs to get to auditions - then those 7 audition schools may not all work out.</p>

6

<p>I wish I had suggestions of how to make up the difference in application costs between what your mom will pay and what the actual costs are, but getting a job (either in a store, restaurant, etc… or baby sitting, doing odd jobs for people, etc…) or a gift/ loan from a relative, friend, etc… is the only way to make-up that $600+ difference. </p>

<p>Is your family supportive of the additional travel and audition fees that many schools will charge? This will be another large expense that could be hard for a HS student to cover on his/ her own. </p>

<p>You may want to consider looking at your list of schools and cutting a few out of the picture. Possibly apply to 2 non-auditioned schools (as long as they are academic and financial safeties you would be happy to attend) in addition to Columbus State, and then cutting 2 - 4 of the auditioned Acting/ MT programs, applying to a total of 6 - 8 auditioned MT/Acting programs. </p>

<p>You mentioned in another thread that your mom is not super supportive of your choice. How much can your family contribute to the cost of your college education? What is your family’s EFC? Have you run the institutional calculators in terms of financial aid on each of your school’s websites? Will your family pay big bucks for you to attend a MT/ Acting program? Your answers to these questions may help you cut the schools that you would likely not be able to afford to attend off of your list. What state is your state of residence for in-state tuition purposes? You may find that state schools in other states are not financial safeties for you unless your family is able to contribute a large amount to the cost of your education. </p>

<p>Good Luck :)</p>

7

<p>Have you thought about trimming you list? To which audition schools are you applying? </p>

<p>As someone else pointed out, even if you were applying to engineering or business or something your parents were really excited about, application fees add up quickly.</p>

8

<p>Well, it looks like I’ve cut out Temple- it seems like a great school, but CCC is about the same to me, and its application fee is a bit lower. Now it looks like I need about $430. My dad’s on the other side of the country and doesn’t have much money, but he’s paying for travel expenses and everything. My mom wasn’t originally that supportive, but it seems like she may have gotten used to it by now. She does like some of the schools, like Syracuse and Emerson, and those are the ones she is paying for. I’m pretty sure I could get into Greensboro, and I really like it, but I would much rather be in Chicago (CCC) than Greensboro- I think it would have a lot more opportunities. </p>

<p>KatMT, I’m in Georgia, and there’s not a single public school here that I’d be happy attending, even though there’s a great, full-tuition scholarship for all graduates of Georgia high schools. That’s the reason my mom is making me apply for Columbus State. This theatre woman we know has a daughter who goes there, and she apparently really loves it. However, when I visited, I thought the show was mediocre, the surrounding city was bland, and the school didn’t do anything for me. If it was the only school I got into, I think I’d end up taking a year off from college. What really bothers me is that my mom is paying the $50 for CSU while she could be using that to pay for a school I would actually attend. </p>

<p>My mom says that she can’t pay anything for my college education, even though we’re way above the suggested income bracket for waived application fees. I go to an expensive prep school, so nobody is going to give me need-based financial aid. I’m basically relying on any scholarships or grants or (eek) loans I can get. I haven’t crossed anything off my list because it’s too expensive, except NYU because I heard that it doesn’t give students any money. Some of the schools on my list give pretty substantial scholarships, and some are relatively cheap for theatre schools. </p>

<p>So, what do I do if we CAN pay for a school/applications, but my mom just WON’T? </p>

<p>I think I may email the teachers at my school and explain a bit of the situation and see if any of them need babysitting or anything like that. It’s just that audition dates are filling up, and I need to get the apps in soon.</p>

<p>Sigh. Sorry guys. I’m not sure what I expect you to do or say- maybe I just need to rant.</p>

9

<p>Whether or not your parent(s) will pay is not taken into account for financial aid purposes. This is why you need to find out (1) your EFC according to FAFSA (2) institutional method for all of the schools to which you are applying (3) how much your family can/will pay (even if you attend a school they do not approve of). (4) Look for schools that you would be happy to attend where you will receive merit/ talent based awards to cover the COA (or the difference between COA and what your family will/ can pay). </p>

<p>In GA – Shorter and LaGrange (private) also have good theatre and/ or music programs. I think you can use HOPE at these schools if you qualify? </p>

<p>If your family “could” pay according to EFC, but can’t (or will not), then you will need to look at schools that will give you large guaranteed merit aid for your academic stats that ALSO have theatre programs you would like to attend. You can apply to schools that may give you talent/ merit (not guaranteed) aid, but these schools should probably be rounding out your list… unless you find a couple of non-auditioned, academic safety schools that your family will/ can pay for (or that will offer you guaranteed aid for your academic stats) that you would be happy to attend. In that case you can apply to a few of those and round out your list with reaches (all auditioned programs are reaches for the most part because of the unknown nature of auditioned program admissions) that may give you talent/ merit to meet the COA.</p>

<p>Your family may not be able/ willing to pay for the MT/ Acting schools that you would like to attend. :frowning: Set yourself up to have a decision to make in April. Apply to more than one schools that your family can afford/ will pay for that is a safety in terms of academic admissions AND that you would be happy to attend.</p>

10

<p>Would mom go along with a double major - the second major being less risky than theatre (and pretty much everything is less risky than theatre)? That would probably mean taking a BA path.
Or if that doesn’t fly would she support a major in something “sensible” and a minor in theatre?<br>
We can all name plenty of wonderful performers who don’t have degrees in theatre. I imagine these folks just managed to get some great acting and/or singing coaching on the side.<br>
If you need an idea for another major, I have often thought a good “day job” for theatre folks would be communications/public relations. Your stage would be a little different but so many of the same skills would apply. I hope for a happy ending for you!</p>

11

<p>In GA there is also Valdosta to look at. I believe they have a MT program. </p>

<p>Talking to your family about what they can/ will support and what kinds of options you have… ie. Double Major, BA Program, MT/ Theatre Minor, etc… Will set yourself up to have options in the spring.</p>

<p>There are many different routes to a career in the performing arts. </p>

<p>Best of luck! :)</p>

12

<p>fwiw, my best friend is a dance major at UNCG and loves it! :)</p>

<p>Best of luck with your process! It’ll all be worth it in the end. :slight_smile: At least, it was for me, and I sincerely hope it is for you as well.</p>

13

<p>Do the adjacent state to Georgia have any reciprocity or neighboring state tuition agreements? Some schools give in state or very close to either counties close to the state line or entire states, depending on various things. If so perhaps a state school in a neighbor state would appeal to you and have a good theater program.</p>

14

<p>Georgia belongs to the Academic Common Market. A program that makes it possible for a student to study in a specialized field at an out-of-state college, while paying in-state tuition rates. Its a bit of a labyrinth, but there are BFA MUSTH programs in states outside of GA that are part of the ACM. Good luck.</p>

15

<p>Thanks! The problem with ACM, I think, is that Georgia does have a BFA MT program: Valdosta State. And, although I did look into it, the bottom line seems to be that I really, really can’t imagine myself in South Georgia. After living close to Atlanta pretty much my whole life, even here seems too Southern to me (not trying to offend anyone, but I really am a Northern girl at heart). The thing with Greensboro is that the city just doesn’t have a Southern vibe to me, and UNCSA (not a MT school, but I spent the summer there and now it’s one of my first choices) is just too good a program for me to care where it is. I just don’t think Valdosta can make up for its location in this case.</p>

<p>I know that I can’t really be picky here, but I do think it’s important to feel right about the schools you end up applying to.</p>

16

<p>SoSo - If you put in Georgia as your state the ACM site gives you a couple of options, including the BFA in Musical Theatre Performance at University of Oklahoma. While that may not be what your “northern girl at heart” is looking for geographically it is an outstanding program.</p>

17

<p>It certainly is! But it’s definitely NOT a safety - extremely competitive to get in.</p>

<p>There is the academic common market but there are also some schools that simply choose to give tuition breaks to neighbors. Some New Mexico and Texas schools do it for each other (regardless of major) and same with some Texas and Arkansas schools.</p>

<p>I have noticed that at some programs, (Texas State being one - which, like OU, is a great program but a lottery to get into) if you qualify for any talent scholarship money, they then will also automatically give you in state tuition. You might check into that. It would be nice for you to have some good fit or safety schools also and OU and TSU are definitely not safeties, they both cap at around 10 or so MT and 10 or so BFA acting admittances a year.</p>

<p>A northern (not east coast, though) school that is supposed to be one of the best programs in the country is Minnesota-Guthrie. And when I looked at it, their out of state tuition was barely any more than in state tuition for Texas. (we have some really high in state tuition here compared to some state - GAH I wish we lived in Florida!)</p>

18

<p>“My mom says that she can’t pay anything for my college education, even though we’re way above the suggested income bracket for waived application fees. I go to an expensive prep school, so nobody is going to give me need-based financial aid. I’m basically relying on any scholarships or grants or (eek) loans I can get.”</p>

<p>“I know that I can’t really be picky here, but I do think it’s important to feel right about the schools you end up applying to.”</p>

<p>Theatre is not the highest paid profession. MANY entry level performance opportunities are of the internship, lower paying variety. I agree, it is SUPER important to make sure you feel right about the school you ATTEND. Just make sure you leave your options open with choices come acceptance/ decision making time. </p>

<p>The only loans you personally will be able to take are Stafford totaling up to $5500 for your freshman year, raising a little bit for your sophomore, junior, senior years (maybe Perkins… but only if your EFC is very low?). Any other loans would need to be taken out by your parents (Parent PLUS), or by you with a co-signer (not recommended if avoidable). Large amounts of loans that you personally will be responsible for paying off will limit your opportunities professionally when you graduate.</p>

<p>Do you have an academic/ financial safety in your mix of schools that you would be happy to attend? Even more than one, so if you end up only getting into/ being able to afford those schools you still will have a choice of schools?</p>

<p>Just because you apply to a school does not mean you need to attend, even if it is the only school that accepts you that you can afford to attend. You always have the option of a GAP year… but, the more options you have come decision making time, the better. :)</p>