<p>Our daughter (cello performance) needs to decide by Monday. It's come down to BU (where she is undergrad now) or San Francisco Conservatory. Or taking a Gap Year. Or ?</p>
<p>She received 3/4 tuition at BU, and a bit more than 1/2 tuition at San Francisco.</p>
<p>We do not know how to interpret this. Should she go or not go, if it means student loans?</p>
<p>We are more familiar with graduate school for other academic areas, in which one is generally fully funded. </p>
<p>Does that rule apply for music schools or not? Should one only go if fully funded?</p>
<p>And, we do not know much about San Francisco Conservatory. </p>
<p>It depends on a number of things. Grad school can be fully funded (through teaching assistantships, etc.), but sometimes it will not be. Especially as a music major, grad school is often seen as a way to catapult yourself into the professional music world - generally where you go to school will influence what sort of jobs you get. Don’t look at how much scholarship you’ve received - how much will you have to pay for either option? The cello teachers are remarkable at both schools, as you’re probably aware.</p>
<p>Check into whether teaching assistantships are availble with either school. They could be in cello but may also be in theory and some other courses.</p>
<p>While full tuition is the norm for some areas of the sciences and engineering in grad school, it is pretty rare in the arts in general and music in particular. A few places, like Yale School of Music and the graduate opera department at Curtis, do indeed provide this benefit for all their students, but they are very much the exception rather than the rule. Half and 3/4 tuition would be considered large awards for a grad student at most music schools.</p>
<p>Loans are generally a bad way to go for an undergrad degree in music but, if kept to reasonable levels, might make sense for a graduate degree. This really depends on individual circumstances.</p>
<p>It was my D’s experience that 1/2 tuition at SFCM was about the most that they gave grad students. (though this was for VP) Too bad…because it’s so expensive to live in SF.</p>
<p>I’m the parent of a college junior who will be applying for master programs next year. I’m a little anxious because, looking at what is happening with her friends who are current seniors, it seems that many are getting less funding than they did as undergrads. Do these programs look at the family financial situation, or is it only merit aid at the MM level?</p>
<p>Dh and I both went for music performance back in '92 in Ohio (U of Akron). Dh had a full assistantship, I had a half assistantship. Dh is percussion, I’m violin. </p>
<p>At that school, most grad students were on at least a half assistantship. Dh taught undergrad students who were deficient and trying to get into the percussion studio, I taught undergrad non-music majors. Mostly kids who enjoyed playing violin in high school and wanted to continue. I was also the local youth orchestra’s music librarian. Second year I was in a string quartet that performed for Akron Public schools-we created our own educational program. </p>
<p>I honestly don’t know if those were the good old days and assistantships aren’t as plentiful anymore or not.</p>
<p>She will need to switch teachers anyway, as her current teacher has had her for 3 years, and says she’s at a point where she needs to move on. So even if she stays at BU, she needs to go into a new studio.</p>
<p>@glassharmonica- From what we’ve learned this year, the potential grad students files her/his OWN FAFSA and submits that unless they haven’t earned a penny and mom and dad are going to pay the full tab.
It is sad to see how little funding music grad students have been offered this year while large awards are going to potential freshmen to lure them to a particular school. And we know that much of that $$ won’t be able to be awarded to those same students in subsequent years of their undergrad education because the whole “enticement project” begins anew next year at this time.</p>
<p>Make mom, my daughter is currently a senior vp major at sfcm. It has been the right place for her. I don’t know anything about the cello teacher’s but I’ll see what I can find out. I do think their strings program is good.</p>
<p>The scholarship your DD received should continue for both years. My Dd had a good scholarship going in freshman year and has retained it each year. That said, tuition has increased each year while the scholarship stays the same…</p>
<p>Cost of living in SF is very high, but so is Boston’s. The city has much to offer. Dd loves it there and plans on staying one more year before she does grad auditions.</p>
<p>Regarding loans. That is a call you will have to make. We have worked very hard at making sure our DD did not come out with large debt. Did not want that hanging over her head as she was trying to get established in whatever she ends up doing. </p>
<p>I know you can’t pm yet, do you have any specific questions re sfcm or the city?</p>
<p>Glassharmonica, when the students file the FAFSA for grad school, they must put the parent’s income on the form but they are considered independent so parent support is not factored in to the outcome.</p>
<p>In my S’s case he received less than some undergrad students have reported. In the most generous package received, the difference between the merit award (2/3 tuition) and total cost (including estimated housing) was offered as a combination of federal loans (at 6.8% and 7.9%). He did not accept the loan part of the package. </p>
<p>Some schools offer Graduate Assistantship or TA awards either in addition to or rolled in to their merit award. Each school offers their awards differently. It may be that awards are instrument specific from named scholarships or by field of study, or it could reflect how desirable a candidate the student is to that school. All awards offered were renewable for the following year.</p>
<p>Thank you! Great to be able to talk to someone who has a child at SFCM. My dd has been able to talk to a couple of people, and has gotten some feedback, but of course, not everyone has the same experiences.</p>
<p>The living situation is a big unknown for us. Our dd would prefer to live in the Golden Gate Hall, as it seems to be close by, relatively affordable, and seems like it would make her life easier. As a grad student, we see that she is #4 in order of priority to get into that housing. One person told her she could surely get in, and then another person said they weren’t at all sure. </p>
<p>Has your daughter lived in Golden Gate Hall, and what did she think about that?
Otherwise, the process of finding somewhat-affordable housing, working on transportation and so on seems a bit overwhelming. We’re looking on Craigslist, figuring out neighborhoods, transportation, distances.</p>
<p>DD has also heard various reports of the safety of SF, and is it true you cannot walk around at night? </p>
<p>So I guess those issues are figuring into this decision, both for me as a mom in the Midwest, and for dd. So any input you have on the living situation would be very helpful.</p>
<p>As far as the programs & instructors at SFCM go, I think DD is sure that it would be a great experience.</p>
<p>When my oldest daughter applied to grad school, she found that some places required parental income information (and presumably factored it in) and others did not. But she was not applying to music schools.</p>
<p>What confuses me is that so few grad students apparently get funding-- but presumably most have very low income. I suppose that loans are considered sufficient financial aid?</p>
<p>None of the schools my D applied to (MM/VP) required parent’s income on their forms. The amount of awards this year is much lower than usual and the teaching assistantships are going to Doctoral candidates.
D is still deciding- down to the wire!</p>