I know I read a post here a while ago but I can’t find it so I’m resurrecting the question.
We are in a wonderful position of choosing between 3 schools and really need some help in making the final decision. What are some questions we should ask ourselves when trying to figure this out? I was going to make some kind of ranking sheet for D so that she could order the things that are most important to her and we could create a matching system for the school. Or am I being crazy that it will never go down that organized and clean!
Here are a couple of ideas:
. Compare curriculums. Will you be taking the classes you want and getting the type of training you want in all areas?
Someone on CC recommended doing this blindly - have them pick the curriculum they like best without knowing which school it is.
. Make a chart for each. List pros on one side and cons on the other. Which school has the most pros? which has the most cons?
. Make a list of things that are important to you and see which school rates best in the most of these areas. (location, cost, alumni success, performance opportunities, size of program, size of class, campus environment, faculty, do they have a showcase, dorms, food, ability to minor, study abroad – whatever it is that is important to you)
Ultimately though, sometimes it is a gut feeling. Do they have a gut feeling about which is the best place for them? Who did they connect with during auditions or if visiting campus?
Best of luck to you. It is great to have choices!
Thank you @vvnstar! you are always so helpful!
D is most fortunate to have choices and knows this. The trouble is 2 programs are very similar and 1 is a total outlier (which one of these is not like the other lol).
I think one of the hardest parts of this process will be telling 2 amazing programs, that she LOVED, that she accepted another offer. For heaven’s sake at what point is this process EASY??!!
The list put together by vnstar is great! Since our D could not visit in person (she primarily auditioned at Unifieds), one of her BFA acceptances offered her the opportunity to skype in to a campus tour and classes, and she requested this of the other two, one of which also agreed to this. This is worth a request, I think, if you can’t visit in person.
I think her gut and a good night’s sleep can help TREMENDOUSLY.
With that being said, my D had to choose between 2 programs two years ago … at the end of the journey she had burst into tears because she was afraid of making the wrong decision.
There were two things that helped in her decision … first, while she loved the program at School 1, she loved the program AND other things about School 2. And second, she felt more of a “we care about you” vibe from School 2. (That’s not to say that School 1 didn’t care - not at all - just that School 2 made her feel like they cared about HER and who she was. It’s super hard to explain … my apologies!)
But choices are a great thing to have!!
My S was able to learn the most by speaking with the faculty and the current freshmen. If you can’t go in person, ask to Skype.