Congratulations to all of your young musicians. Quite the flurry of acceptances over the last 36 hours!
Negotiate and appeal. That’s what I’ve been told @goldilockspryor We are in the same boat. My mezzo daughter is in CIM, Mannes, MSM, UNCSA, Peabody, Hartt, and only applied to one instate, George Mason. She’s gotten scholarships everywhere. Most still would cost us in the $40k range except for UNCSA and GMU in the 20’s and Hartt at $10k. She goes to a performing arts high school and has former classmates at CIM, Mannes & MSM and they all say appeal, appeal, appeal and negotiate. I know one boy (tenor of course!) negotiated up to full tuition scholarship at Mannes. Others aren’t are so helpful. How are people supposed to pay this? And you do know that international students are charged full price because they will pay it. My d made the finals at Curtis and we should hear tomorrow, but that’s like winning the lottery and there aren’t any mezzos graduating. Good luck!!!
Meant to add @goldilockspryor if my D got a full ride to an instate school, she’d take it. It is a marathon. Go to BOCO to NEC for grad school. Pay the big bucks for grad school since it’s only 2 years! She’s on their radar!!
@goldilockspryor Don’t forget about needing cash for summer programs and overseas studies. Most VP majors will do summer programs that as an UG usually have a cost from a few thousand up to $8000+ (although we drew lines on those costs). And she will most likely want to study in Europe for a summer. If you go to the edge on costs for school…be aware that plenty of her fellow students will be doing additional programs and the pressure will be there to spend more. If it’s affordable for your family that’s fine. But the pressure to spend doesn’t go away in college (or even at the end of an MM).
Hope this helps.
that is great advice! I apologize if you addressed it before but do the schools really negotiate?
I have started a new “April Angst” thread here to continue the conversation as students and parents weigh their decisions: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/1978441-april-angst-2017-p1.html
@goldilockspryor If it means anything, I’m in Boston, and I know plenty of people who are leaving here for Colorado! Decisions have nothing to do with cultural opportunities. It’s a quality of life issue. Weather, cost–not always easy to live here.
I’m in Boston too and guess what? It’s snowing outside today! Anyway, I think it’s worth negotiating but NEC has a reputation on this site for historically giving smaller merit awards than other programs. Not sure about BoCo especially with the merger
@drummergirl is correct. Historically NEC ( for VP) gives little merit in comparison to other Conservatories. Last year my D ( whose pre college teacher at Juilliard also teaches at NEC) got the most merit NEC usually gives in VP. She had 3 full ride offers and although she was keen to be in Boston ( we are NYC based) she chose to go for the teacher and the money and the weather elsewhere. I also reiterate that VP is a long, long haul. She will have no debt and her school is paying for her to study with her former Juilliard teacher this Summer in Nice. We are very happy about that.
@coloraturakid “She will have no debt and her school is paying for her to study with her former Juilliard teacher this Summer in Nice.”
I bet! I’m happy about that and I don’t even know you guys. That’s fabulous!
Hahahaaaaa @BassTheatreMom! I know. I got Mistagged in this weeks ago and I’m getting all the updates and reliving it all again.
Toi toi toi to all still awaiting financials, etc.
Hi all!! My D wasn’t accepted to Curtis and we don’t know who was. In the very nice email, it said they took “one or two!” D is a mezzo and friends with the other mezzo who auditioned and she wasn’t accepted either. only 4 girls made finals along with 7 boys. Last year, they took 5 freshman, 2 mezzos, 1 soprano, 1 tenor and I’m not sure what the other boy is. So timing, as we know, does matter. The letter encouraged her to reapply. She was already invited to their summer program, but she’s going to work this summer to make money for school. She did summer programs the past 3 summers. Soooo, now we have to weigh the offers from the 8 conservatories. Hitting the road over spring break to go back to a couple. Going to Peabody to meet the 2 teachers who want her in their studios. Attending classes at UNCSA. Not sure if we will head back to NYC or not. Joining up the April discussion or as I call it “Agony April!” Thanks for all the advice! My facebook friends say negotiating works!!
Thanks everyone for all your good advice, I am appealing for kicks and giggles, but cannot see any reason to pay $160,000 more over 4 years in tuition when a fabulous highly sought after teacher recruited her and she loves him, and since CU is a great program and cannot beat the fact we live just an hour away and can attend every performance. That in itself saves money for summers abroad! NEC has told her if she does go else where they want her for grad school so all good! So proud of all of our kids and the great advice from this board. They also kicked in an additional matching $2000 from Schmidt Vocal Competition she where she placed second, making that afternoon in Boulder worth $4000. Cannot stop smiling that we will owe them nothing for 4 years as long as she keeps her grades up!