<p>So, I got into the Music Industry Program at Drexel, as you may know its a super selective program, and Drexel is my only choice when it comes to a major that I actually want to major in. My backup plan would be to go to a State school and go into an undecided major. (I do NOT want to major in just general music). Anywho, I've tried what seems like everything, and I'm asking for help, not anyone to tell me how dumb my choice may be, but any input is fine. In order to attend DU I need to take out a 23k loan at the moment (Yes I've appealed my aid), not knowing how the other years are going to go scholarship wise, I'm nervous I may not be able to return a second,third, or fourth year because of such a high loan. Any tips/help would be great, thanks. My father is my current cosigner..and we were super lucky to get approved this loan since his credit isn't great. --Finally, next year I plan on getting all the scholarships I can, and anything else to minimize the cost. </p>
<p>Hey Lnx,
I’m a Drexel undergrad right now and ultimately, my advice is that nobody can make this decision for you. Some people will tell you Drexel is worth it; some people will tell you it isn’t. Some people will tell you that pursuing your dream is worth it. Others will tell you that you’ll find a new dream just as easily.</p>
<p>I know this isn’t of much help, but what I’m trying to get at is that you are the sole person who can really determine whether or not it will be worth it. It’s an experience that revolves around the concept of “You get out what you put in” (I’m not describing Drexel, I’m describing college in general). I have loved my experience at Drexel. I am learning so much of what I want to learn and feel that I have so many amazing opportunities offered to me. At the same time, there are other students at Drexel who feel oppositely: students who feel that they are paying far too much for what they are receiving. The difference between me and those other students are what we put in to our experience.</p>
<p>I get a lot out of my classes because I know only try to earn good grades, but am passionate about the material as well. Achieving good grades isn’t that hard, at any school. Get on the professors good side, study hard for the tests, put it extra hours for projects; It’s something that really anybody can do. But if that’s ALL you do, you don’t learn. If you are truly passionate about the material, and you spend time not just learning how to get the good grades, but also to understand and be able to apply and remember the material after the course, then you truly learn. </p>
<p>I know that seems maybe a little irrelevant, and is entirely unsolicited, but I’m trying to emphasize the same thing. I get so much out of my classes, because I put so much in. Every other aspect of my experience has been the same way; My social life, my activities, my athletics; Everything I do at Drexel follows that same rule. There are many weeks where I don’t sleep as much as I should, simply because I have so much going on. But for me, that’s the optimal experience. Because for every hour of my time that I’m putting into my social life or my classes or the clubs I’m in or the research I do or the sports team I’m on, I get meaningful, amazing experience out of it.</p>
<p>I’m not saying you have to be like me to make your experience worth it. I’m not saying that Drexel won’t be worth it unless you do every club possible and try hard in every class possible and make every friend possible; I’m saying that Drexel, like every other school, will give you back what you put in. Drexel has a program that you potentially see yourself putting more into, something that your more passionate about. Whether that extra cost will be worth it will be entirely up to you, with what you make of that experience. </p>
<p>I know this post was very-long winded, but I don’t want to dis-empower the message by cutting anything out. </p>
<p>Please let me know if you have any other questions. Best of luck with your search</p>
<p>Two last notes:
- There’s probably a statistic online that better represents this, but there are three types of incoming college freshmen. There are those who have NO IDEA what they want to do, there are those who THINK they know what they want to do, and there are those who actually KNOW what they want to do. The ones that THINK they know go into school with one idea and at some point realize that it wasn’t for them and switch to something else. The last type go to school and stick through with it the whole time. As an incoming freshman, you could just as easily be the second type or third type of student; no matter how sure you are. I know a girl who entered music industry sure-as-can-be and after her first quarter, immediately switched. I know another girl who entered the same way, and is more than halfway through the program now and still happy. It’s impossible to know how certain it is that you’ll stay with your major, no matter how much you like the idea of it now. </p>
<p>2) Being undecided at a state school isn’t a bad situation to be in. There’s probably a statistic, but think how many students enter school with no idea what they want to do. Obviously, there is a mechanism in place in the school to help these students decide what degree they want to end up with. And I’d be willing to bet that many of those students possibly end up happier making the decision in college than those who stuck through with their pre-college decision and end up disliking their job. </p>
<p>best of luck in your search</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your response, the thing is I do believe Drexel is worth it, but I dont believe any school is worth the very high risk of not being able to finish. This meant the world to me, im fighting until the very end, but it just sucks to be in this situation.</p>
<p>Lnx, My daughter will be attending in the fall and we struggled with financial piece. I have an older daughter in college as well. Try to get as much schoalrship $$ in your first year possible. The scholarship and fin aid is less for transfer students, and even less for returning students. Really work the Fin aid angle, make sure your parents updated thier CSS profile and FAFSA. Send your final senior year grades. Write formal appeal.<br>
I would not allow my 18 kid to take out 20K per year in loans. Too much of a risk. </p>