<p>This is my first post to CC, but I have been an admirer and follower for several years. Perhaps this is a topic for a new thread, but after following this year’s applicants deliberations to arrive at a list of colleges, audition and then accept an offer, I am wondering what I can infer for my S who will be applying next year to programs in oboe performance. I only counted 2 oboe undergrads and 1 Masters candidate reporting on the site this year. He started the “trial lessons” at schools close to home & a bit afield (thanks to suggestions from CC members!) and will do a few more this Summer and Fall. Are oboe candidates that rare? I was cautioned not to believe that. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.</p>
<p>This probably is a good topic for another thread. Candidates on certain instruments like oboe are less numerous than, say, singers or pianists or violinists. However, there are still likely to be several applicants for each available spot at top music schools and the number of available spots is likely to be small.</p>
<p>For instance, CIM usually has 4 oboe openings each year spread amongst undergrad and graduate students.</p>
<p>Congratulations to 410627 who, on another thread, reports an acceptance in (I believe) music education at St. Olaf College.</p>
<p>Seems like there was a lot more scholarship dollars to go around this year, versus last:
<a href=“https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Av6hWCzFWdI2dDRvUjhBTmhiMGctSjFueE5kOVpKemc[/url]”>2012 vs. 2011 CC Music Major Data - Google Sheets;
<p>D has made her decision and it’s Hartt (5-year vocal performance/music ed).</p>
<p>Welcome to Hartt!</p>
<p>TrumpetDad, I am not entirely sure that can be inferred from the data. First off, we are talking about a fairly small sample size (a little over 150 students out of a cohort numbering at least in the tens of thousands) with well fewer than a hundred of those actually sharing their aid numbers. We have strong suspicions that at least one or two people have either greatly exaggerated or completely fabricated their entries. There is also some question as to whether some of the reports include need-based funding while others certainly do not. I would not read too much into the year-to-year variation in the statistics that I report.</p>
<p>Hello! I have an update to my Tisch scholarship amount. After some deliberation, it is now 48,200.</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>FYI, leilajean’s S just finished his sophomore year at USC Thornton’s studio/jazz guitar program (you will find him on that year’s acceptance list), where he knows my son. Somehow he got listed in this year’s group.</p>
<p>Julian FINALLY received notice from NYU - he’s received a $6,000 Steinhardt scholarship.</p>
<p>Bassdad,
It is interesting what you said about need based versus merit. I tried desperately to sort that out. Initially we did not send in the FAFSA because our past experience with it was that schools just offered us loans that were no better than private loans that we could get. And because both DH and I are self-employed, it is difficult to look at our numbers and make any determination about what our actual financial state is. In the end some schools refused to even give our son merit money without the FAFSA and so our son’s initial acceptance included no merit offers at all. We only got merit money once the FAFSA was completed. When we did get offers often it was divided up. I assume that just means the money comes from different pools or endowments. But because of the way the packages were offered it was hard to tell what was merit and what was not. Clearly schools have gotten better since our daughter applied 6 years ago at sorting out the financial challenges of people in our situation, because much to our surprise we did actually qualify for some financial aide beyond the high interest loans. </p>
<p>Finally parents need to look closely at the numbers because schools make it confusing as to what the real tuition will be. Berklee breaks up their tuition so you have to use a calculator to figure out what the real cost will be. Although my son’s merit offers varied if you actually compared the tuitions among the schools he applied to, you found that there was not as much variation in what we would end up paying. Finally parents also should take into consideration extra living expenses. When our daughter went to NYU 6 years ago she found that she needed a lot more spending money than she anticipated. It wasn’t just the high cost of living in NYC or the fact that she was constantly tempted to buy things. It was that her peers had a lot of money and in order to socialize with them she often needed to spend money to join them on weekends. A child attending Oberlin will spend a lot less money then a child who is in school in NYC. And finally parents should not rule out the cost of travel and make sure they set aside some money for emergency travel. I had a friend whose son needed to come home from Colorado at the last minute who ended up spending a fortune on a plane ticket. We had to make one or two emergency trips down to NYC to visit our daughter when she was at NYU. We were fortunate to have friends to stay with but for those who don’t that might mean that you have to pay for a hotel room.</p>
<p>Yes, it is true that it can be difficult to determine the actual cost of attendance and, in some cases, to tell what financial aid is need-based and what is not. I think the important things to take from this are:</p>
<p>1) Do not eliminate a school before even applying because it seems too expensive, because the real cost will not be known until very late in the process. </p>
<p>2) Look for a financial safety school or two (even though a safety school of any sort is a tenuous concept when auditions are involved). These must be schools that the student is willing to attend, not just afterthoughts.</p>
<p>3) Have the financial talk between the parents and student early on in the process, so that the student understands that acceptance by a dream school does not equate to attendance unless the financial package is acceptable.</p>
<p>Congratulations to clivedavisosborn and KnittingGene and son on the increased aid.</p>
<p>Thank you, jazz/shreddermom, I have deleted the Thornton entry from this year’s list, leaving the CalArts acceptance that seems to be for this year, as noted in another thread.</p>
<p>Hi, all! I’m not sure that I ever posted again after pre-screen results and such! But I’ve decided on Vocal Performance at Boston Conservatory, with approximately $30,000 in merit scholarships! Congrats to everyone!</p>
<p>Congratulations, musicalmermaid. I will add that to the decision thread. If you have any other acceptances here on the Acceptance thread, we would love to hear about them even though you will not be attending any of them.</p>
<p>BassDad, son chose Berklee, guitar performance, because of the master class opportunities, and the diversity. No Berklee money, of course, but that’s why I work, right? Adding my thanks to the long list of folks who appreciate your efforts.</p>
<p>Congratulations to viclet47 and daughter on daughter’s acceptance to USC Thornton for Jazz Studies and Studio/Jazz guitar, as noted on another thread.</p>
<p>BassDad, The major at USC is Studio/Jazz Guitar. There are not guitar players in the Jazz Studies major unless they were accepted with another instrument. These are two separate majors at USC.</p>
<p>Ah, thanks. I thought viclet47 WAS reporting a double major for his daughter. Rereading the original post it seems more likely that it is the single major you mention.</p>