I'm in need of some serious help

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Help me pick from these options </p>

<p>Option A - Go to Illinois Wesleyan University, and have it paid for in its entirety. I would major in history and theatre there. I really want to get out of the midwest, and I don't think IWU is a good fit for me.</p>

<p>Option B - Go to Wesleyan University (my first choice), but graduate with 100 grand in debt. I would probably major in political science and film. </p>

<p>Option C - Go to Kenyon College and graduate with 100 grand in debt. I would probably major in history and theatre. I like this school quite a bit, and my parents like it far more than Wesleyan.</p>

2

<p>Option A</p>

<p>How are you ever going to pay off a college debt of 100k on a performers’ income?</p>

<p>Not to mention that the only loans you can take out without a cosigner are the federal Stafford loans. The max total for four years is about 27k. </p>

<p>There are good loan repayment calculators and information about that topic at [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) Run the calculators for these three schools with your parents, and see what all of you think.</p>

3

<p>That is a ridiculous situation. Sounds like your parents are forcing you to go where they want you to. Take a gap year and do something useful, academic or otherwise enriching. Apply to some state schools that cost less or do something else to get more reasonable and more equavalent choices next year. No school is worth $100k debt for undergrad studies.</p>

<p>Academically I see it ranked as B, C and A. Same for opportunities and peer quality as well as culture and enrichment. But all schools you should be able to be quite sucessful. And do start looking into study abroad options for a semester early on so it can work into your schedule.</p>

4

<p>What are some academic/enriching things I could do for a year that would look good to colleges? I kinda want to go out to LA for a year, and just audition, but I know my parents wouldn’t let me do that.</p>

5

<p>What is the local theater scene like where you are? You could conceivably spend the next year at home, work at WalMart by day, and perform every night in local productions. You also could rack up a bazillion hours as a volunteer with any kiddie/teen theater program that is in the area.</p>

<p>IWU for free, followed by working for a few years and then an MFA at a famous-name-here-U would not be a bad plan. Think about it.</p>

<p>And, I’ve gotta ask because I’ve got theater-nut family in the midwest, why IWU and not Monmouth?</p>

6

<p>St. Louis isn’t the best theater scene, but I have a couple contacts, so I could get work. I didn’t look into Monmouth because of academics, and my parents have loved IWU all along. It never really was my decisions to apply there.</p>

<p>The only problem I see with a gap year is that I would have to spend it with my parents, and I don’t think I can take another year of living with them.</p>

7

<p>Do you have a car? What about if you took classes and auditioned and worked part time in L.A.? I don’t think that’s bad use of a gap year.</p>

8

<p>I do have a car, but I know my parents would never let me go out to LA by myself, with a car. That would be ideal though.</p>

9

<p>The more I think about it, the more I don’t want to take a gap year. I could not handle living in my house for another year. I guess I have another option. I got into Trinity University, which is about the same cost as IWU. Trinity is harder to get to, and I’m not sure if their departments are strong enough for what I want to do, but a different location may be good for me. Any thoughts?</p>

10

<p>Which Trinity? There are several.</p>

<p>You may want to ask about the Theater department in the Theater/Drama Majors Forum. Here’s the link: [Theater/Drama</a> Majors - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/theater-drama-majors/]Theater/Drama”>Theater/Drama Majors - College Confidential Forums) Even though most of the people there are more familiar with the BFA programs, someone is likely to know about the theater programs that you are currently considering.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

11

<p>IWU is the only school in that list with a high-level theatre program. $100K is debt is not an option. I’d rather drive a Ferrari than my minivan, but I don’t because $100K in debt is not an option when the two vehicles will each get me where I’m going.</p>

12

<p>Option A. Don’t look back.</p>

13

<p>Agreed with gadad and seattle_mom…if YOU will be shouldering the debt alone, then I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect to be able to pay it all off until well into the future. You may not be thrilled with the idea of going to IWU, but you can always transfer - and if you keep an open mind, you might even like it.</p>

14

<p>Trinity University in Texas is the other school happymomof1</p>

15

<p>Bump10char</p>

16

<p>Right now I’m thinking I should make a choice between Illinois Wesleyan and Trinity. Is Trinity worth visiting with the areas I want to study?</p>

17

<p>I don’t know about theater or film at Trinity University, but San Antonio is a fabulous place to live. Beautiful river and city, lots of stuff to do and nice people, great place to spend 4 years.</p>

18

<p>I know a Trinity grad who liked it there (many years ago) but not in those majors.</p>

19

<p>Definitely visit Trinity. It’s a good school and the people who go there tend to love it, but it’s got a very unique flair to it. Visit. You’ll either love it or hate it and will know right off the bat.</p>

20

<p>It sounds like Trinity is worth visiting. After doing a lot of research and thinking, I have come to the concision that I need to move on from Kenyon and Wesleyan. Wesleyan is my dream school, and I love Kenyon, but it is not going to work out.</p>