<p>Any updates, EC?</p>
<p>You might want to try Knox College’s “Turkey Bowl” rival Monmouth College (in nearby Monmouth, IL). My daughter as a senior got junk emails from many colleges including Knox; however, Monmouth was much more affordable (per the Net Price Calculator results), and that’s where my D will be attending college this fall. Another less-expensive private college is Franklin College (just S of Indianapolis, IN), which was our D’s 2nd choice. (Franklin awards a $4,000 grant to all out-of-state students, to compensate for state-based aid they forfeit by attending FC.)
Your dad’s right about the local economy in Galesburg - but although Wheaton College is a fine school, it’s probably not any cheaper than Knox (plus they have a VERY strict behavior code at Wheaton, and a “statement of faith” that faculty & students have to sign off on (at least they did the last time I looked) - so if you’re not both socially conservative and a Protestant, forget about it).
UGA or another state school in your home state might be less expensive than Monmouth or Franklin colleges - but crunch the numbers in the Net Price Calculator for each institution to check. Good luck!</p>
<p>Cathy, you’ve got the wrong Wheaton, I’m pretty sure earlycollgege’s Wheaton is the one in MA, it’s about the polar opposite of the Illinois Wheaton.</p>
<p>Hey guys! I hope everyone is doing well. I’m in Toronto right now visiting Canada for the first time (family vacation). I ended up making the Dean’s List Fall & Winter Term, and barely missed it Spring Term (3.57…you need a 3.6). Knox is on the trimester system. I ended my freshman year with an overall/cumulative GPA of a 3.67. I am very proud of myself. First, I will say Knox will be affordable next year, and I will be going back. It’s only costing 2k more than the last school year (with the same loan count), which is great considering my dad made around 40k more in 2012 VS 2011. Actually, we ended up doing the special circumstances form, and we’re paying 2k LESS than our EFC. I got financial aid to give me an estimate early since I was freaking out (took them forever), but I received it. We are still waiting for the “official” package, but she said it won’t change. I am still pretty shocked at the package since Knox’s endowment is pretty bad. I really do think when I made this thread I was panicking, but everything seemed to work out just fine. FYI though, I did pester financial aid, so maybe they didn’t want to deal with me (or my family) anymore LOL.</p>
<p>Knox got a lot better spring term. I started to go out and meet more people. I have one really close best friend who I actually met in the summer on the facebook group. I did go through a lot at the end of spring term for personal reasons, but I managed to get through it. It’s really hard ending so much later than all my friends (didn’t get out until early June). Now deep down, I still agree that Knox is not a good fit socially and probably wasn’t THEE school for me. However, academically it is, and I have friends, but wouldn’t classify me within the Knox “norm”. I know a lot of peers transferring. Knox is a REALLY small school (1400), so I will say it would be nice to meet more new people because after a while…you pretty much recognize everyone. I also work at the convenience store, so I pretty much see the same people daily.</p>
<p>UGA wouldn’t have worked out anyways. I couldn’t have transferred until second semester sophomore year, and it wouldn’t have solved any of my social issues. I really wanted to apply to be a tour guide at Knox, but wouldn’t because I frankly would tell prospective students more bad than good. I am actually looking forward to going back since it did start to get better. I miss my friends. I even have a roommate next year (had a single freshman year).</p>
<p>Summer wise: I did apply to a variety of local jobs and never heard back. My dad got me this one interview, but it wouldn’t work out because of our vacation plans. I also have been sick with a sinus infection, so haven’t been up to par at all lately. I just finished my antibiotics. The problem was that I couldn’t get a job and then work one week…and then take off 9 days to go to Canada. We haven’t had a family vacation in five years. It’s really going to be my last one anyways. We actually drove here all the way from the ATL area, but with a family of 6, it’s cheaper than flying. I honestly don’t <em>need</em> a job, but it would have been nice if I found one. I have enough money in my checking account, and I hardly spend any money in Galesburg. A lot of my friends couldn’t find a job, and the majority of them aren’t working either. I can hear the majority of CC parents yelling at me for not working, but I did try.</p>
<p>I did apply to an internship in ATL at this theatre in April, but again never heard back. Part of me is glad that I didn’t get it because it was unpaid with no stipend. Having to commute to ATL is about 45 mins to an hour without traffic depending where it is, and I’m not use to city driving (never even driven to ATL by myself). The problem with interning is that that most theatre’s do not provide housing or stipends, so it really limits internship possibilities.</p>
<p>I cannot afford to rent an apartment in Chicago for the summer (who could?), so it really puts a damper on future internships. I have found one internship at a theatre in Sarasota (about an hour from my grandparents) and they do provide housing and a stipend for an apprenticeship, so hoping that I get that one next summer (I found it too late). BTW, when I went to the career center, the grants weren’t even offered for freshmen. </p>
<p>I haven’t been impressed with the career center. The lady seemed to know only about Chicago internships/jobs when I asked, which isn’t helpful when I live in ATL. I knew way too many seniors who had no idea what they were doing after graduation, so that really worries me. I am hoping it’s like that for the majority of college students. Right now, I do plan on studying abroad at Trinity College Dublin for my entire junior year (financial aid is covered), so in reality, that leaves only two more years at Knox. I am planning on majoring in theatre and considering a double major in Sociology/Gender Studies (self-designed major), but I’ve found a lot of the gender classes (taken 3) have been very repetitive and man bashing, so I’m on the edge. I’ve already finished 3.5 out of the 10 credits needed for the theatre major. I only need 2 more classes if I want an ANSO minor (taken 3 ANSO classes already). Double majoring does limit the open curriculum, but I would already have 4 classes towards this self-designed major. I have also considered the Chicago Arts Program, but I don’t think I’d have time to do it. I wanted to do a semester in both Ireland and New Zealand, but it’s cheaper to stay in one country than come back and fly all the way to NZ. </p>
<p>Okay got to go. We’ll be going to Ottawa and Montreal before we leave. It seems like we won’t have time for Quebec City (wasn’t a very planned vacation) and it’s a little too north. I’ll probably be spending some time in Florida before I go back. It’s nice to visit family, and I have a friend from Knox in Tampa I may visit. It’s also been nice to be home with my three year old sister :)</p>
<p>BTW, it was Wheaton in MA. I would have never considered Wheaton in IL. I really don’t see how transferring would have worked. I don’t see any other private schools being cheaper or the same price at Knox at this point. I think I would have had other social problems at Wheaton (seemed more preppy/rich while Knox is more hipster), but no school is perfect. It saddens me that I’m not really 100% happy at Knox, but I think it takes time to find happiness. I’m there for the academics and it’s a perfect fit in that regard. I really do think the whole “college experience” is a bit overrated, but maybe that’s just because I was way too over obsessive about the process. My younger brother is an upcoming junior and never talks about college, but hey everyone is different. At this point, I’m thinking post graduation, I would like to go to LA, and try the acting thing out for a couple years, but I’m REALLY interested in becoming a casting director (or talent agent). I have looked into it, and it seems like you have to work your way up, so if I can get a job as a casting assistant after graduation…that could work. I just don’t see how I’d be able to afford all these non-paid internships after graduation. With the Sociology/Gender, I could see myself as some type of equal rights activist. I may want to apply for a Fulbright in the UK, so I can get a masters in theatre, but it’s really competitive as you all know.</p>
<p>You may not know this, but many (most) internships are only offered to students enrolled in college. Once you graduate college, your internship opportunities will be very limited.</p>
<p>A few ideas for you…not meant to tell you what to do, just throwing some things out there for you.</p>
<p>many students from out of the area do internships in Chicago during the summer. Many of them stay in dorm rooms at local universities in the summer. My nephew is doing an internship in downtown Chicago and is staying at the dorm shared by Roosevelt University and Columbia College. Check in to it for next summer.</p>
<p>Also, start thinking about what turns you might want your career path to take. What part of theater do you want to be involved in? What skills are you developing toward that end? Not trying to rush you–just want you to get thinking about the next step, just like you spent a lot of time researching colleges over the years.</p>
<p>One friend’s daughter always loved theater but not as a performer–she went to Indiana (Bloomington) in their SPEAS program and had wonderful internships in arts administration, which is the area in which she now works. You might want to look at the SPEAS curriculum just to get ideas.</p>
<p>as far as being an equal right activist–you might want to consider something along the lines of getting a masters in public policy. It is excellent training for advocacy work.</p>
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<p>I am really, really proud of you too! Wow- that is a wonderful GPA. </p>
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<p>That is wonderful news! I’m glad to know that the financial aid office at Knox is obviously seriously committed to making the college workable for its students – at least for those who like you who are demonstrating that you are serious about your studies.</p>
<p>I don’t think the financial aid people are tired of dealing with you, but I do think that there is a great value being proactive – especially when the aid budget is tight. You expressed your concerns and spoke up early enough in the process that they had some flexibility – and let them know of your very real concerns that might not have shown up from a simple review of the FAFSA. </p>
<p>I do have to say from knowing you online over the years that two great qualities you have are that you are proactive and persistent. Yeah, sometimes it can be annoying (something to keep in mind for future interpersonal relationships – you don’t want to drive a romantic partner nuts with your nagging) – but in life, at school, and at work it may often put you a the head of the line, and be the way that you get opportunities that others miss. So as long as you are respectful of others and approach them in a positive way, I’d say: keep it up!</p>
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<p>EC, that’s life. The only people who are 100% happy anywhere are those who are blessed with a cheerful, upbeat and optimistic personality type. It’s not that their lives are better – they just are happen to be content in most situations. That’s probably mostly inborn – you probably know some people like that – but I know you well enough from CC to know that you will never be that type of person. Nothing wrong with that: you just have a more obsessive personality, and you are probably always going to find fault with whatever situation you are in. However, that may be something that helps drive and motivate you to succeed in life. </p>
<p>If you are happy with the academics, then you are getting the real benefit of a college education. Studying abroad in Dublin sounds like an amazing and wonderful choice for a theater major, and it will certainly give you the break you want from Galesburg. My daughter was not altogether happy with the social aspects of her college and was quite vocal to me about sources of discontent at the time, but she was very happy with the academics and in hindsight, is very grateful and happy that she chose her alma mater, and is quite a booster for the school. My guess is that you will someday look back on Knox the same way: someday, when you are living in a large city, you will remember your days at Knox with fondness and nostalgia. Galesburg? Not so much – but that’s the case with any small college in a rural area. And as you correctly note – you only will spend two more years in Galesburg. Dublin will be an entirely different experience!</p>
<p>Really happy to hear about your progress, early_college.</p>
<p>I know quite a few Knox grads who got internships instead of jobs. One of my coworkers (who just graduated) is actually an intern for the Social Security Administration, but yes I do realize most internships are for college students.</p>
<p>I think I’ve also decided that Knox has a limited choice of majors. I really think a Communications major would have been good for me too, but Knox doesn’t offer it. Career wise, I am more interested in film acting than stage (as I always have been). I want to do something in the entertainment industry. I want to be a talent agent or casting director, but it’s a hard field to enter. I definitely want to move to LA post graduation. I have no plans to move back to ATL. If worse comes to worst and I cannot find a job, I can always work for my father who owns a healthcare recruiting business. He has been begging me for years even though I have no interest in healthcare. My dad works from home, so I can live anywhere and work for him. </p>
<p>I really want to try this acting thing in LA though after graduation just so I can never go back in time and go “What if?”. However, I’m going to be 30k in debt, so I would still like a stable job to pay that off. I have no idea how I would be able to afford grad school. Activism is something I’m very interested in and public policy is definitely a better “career path”, but I think my heart has always been with the entertainment industry. I’ll try to respond to PMs when I have time, but I want to do it when I have enough time as I like to write in-depth. </p>
<p>Thanks for the ideas boys. I’ll look into it for next year.</p>
<p>You do realize that Atlanta has become a HUGE mecca for the TV/film industry, don’t you?? [TV</a> and Film Production Growth Brings Thousands of Jobs to Atlanta Area - Atlanta Black Star](<a href=“http://atlantablackstar.com/2013/04/26/tv-and-film-production-growth-brings-thousands-of-jobs-to-atlanta-area/]TV”>TV and Film Production Growth Brings Thousands of Jobs to Atlanta Area)</p>
<p>EC, “communications” is one of those fuzzy majors that doesn’t really lead into a job at an undergrad level. Nothing wrong with the major – just that its neither required nor guaranteed to lead to a job in a communications field. The MPP grad degree idea is not something you would want to go to straight from undergrad, anyway – it’s the type of degree where it’s better to get a few years of work experience under your belt first. So I’d take that suggestion with a grain of salt right now – not that it is a bad suggestion, just that it something you might be considering in your late 20’s when you have a better sense of where your career has lead you.</p>
<p>Plenty of actors have a day job doing something else while they try to get a start-- so one good plan would simply be to try to pick up some job skills that will be good to tide you over. Working for your dad may end up being a good option, if it gives you a modest income coupled with flexibility with your time so you can go to auditions or whatever you need to do.</p>
<p>Hello from Montreal. We had a great day in Ottawa for Canada Day :)</p>
<p>Jym- I’ve had plenty of agents in ATL over the years, and I’ve auditioned for a lot of various things in the film/TV industry. Even though ATL is growing bigger, it isn’t LA. Agents have told me for years that getting an audition once every couple months is the norm. I went months without getting an audition, but part of that was because I was underage. Casting directors rather cast someone over 18 to play a teenager than someone who is actually 16. ATL is a very good place to start out and build ones resume, but the bigger jobs are out in LA. I definitely agree with you though. Film/tv is getting bigger year after year. To be frank though, I don’t like living in the South. I lived there eight years and don’t plan on going back unless I have to. </p>
<p>Calmom- I agree with you. I’m really not considering grad school at this point unless I got the Fulbright (which is very competitive as we all know). The one problem with working for my dad is that it’s just commission based, so if I have rent to pay and haven’t got any placements…that could be a serious problem. I also want to get rid of this debt sooner rather than later, but I know it takes time. I think I just have to realize that it takes time to find my dream job. I’m just already nervous about graduating, and I’m only an upcoming sophomore!</p>
<p>Was at a recent event (premier of a documentary) and met many people “in the biz”, who have been “in the biz” for quite a while. They had all moved here from LA because the opportunities in the film industry in Atlanta are incredible. Growing asymptotically. The lifestyle is different, but they were all enjoying being able to afford housing and to put gas in their car. And the restaurants are pretty darned wonderful too. The growth in the Atlanta film industry has been dramatic in the past 1-2 years, e-c.</p>
<p>Lots of kids fresh out of school want to go to LA. I have many friends whose kids are there, cutting their teeth in the industry. Just saying that the Atlanta film industry is a really booming one, with opportunities to get in probably earlier and faster-- with less competition. Sure there is an attraction to going to LA. The glam, the glitz, the glitter. Its fun. Just pointing out that, like Dorothy in the wizard of Oz, you should realize what you have at your back door. But yes, you hate the south. Understood.</p>
<p>I agree with you Jym. There are many plusses to ATL. I understand everything you are saying. You have very valid points. LA is very cut-throat, and I realize it. All my life I’ve wanted to go there and experience it. Is it for me? I really cannot answer that question until I move there, but there are some parts of the industry that I do not like…then again no field is perfect. I do think living in the northeast would be my ideal living situation, but I’d move <em>pretty much</em> anywhere for a decent job.</p>
<p>Was merely pointing out, as you talked about not wanting to return to Atl, that it just happens to offer a lot of what you are looking for. That is all. If you were from another city that didnt have such a burgeoning film industry, it would have been different. But Atlanta is fast becoming the Hollywood of the east.</p>