Money issues... is it worth it?

<p>I've been accepted to a 'top' MT program that I never thought I would get into which I feel so incredibly blessed and humbled about. I was ineligible for merit scholarships but they didn't really give that many scholarships (I really do wish I paid more attention in class and I wish my grades were up a lot more) so I would have to pay the full tuition. My parents however cannot sustain my education any longer... with the economy their bank accounts have gone close to zilch. I am ineligible for finaid.. how am I supposed to come up with 40,000 per year? I'm scared. I really want to enter this profession but I do not want to come out of school with hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans in a profession where there isn't really a stable income, and jobs are scarce. Now that May 1st is nearly round the corner I'm worried about whether I should accept it and live the rest of my life with a load of student loans to pay off.</p>

<p>Please help!</p>

<p>MTlover…if this is your dream and something you must do with your life, then I say go for it. Talk to the school about possibly being a Resident’s Assistant as often if you are able to secure a position, your room and board fees may be lowered or eliminated.<br>
Fill out every scholarship application you can and get a job over the summer…maybe you can get an internship at a local theatre. The economy has a lot of us tapped and so don’t feel alone. I agree with trying your best to not compile large debt. You are obviously very talented as you were accepted into a top program. Use those talents to find a way to make this happen if you really really want this. Very best of luck to you. I am certain things will work out for you!</p>

<p>My sons college roommate, also a MT major is paying for school on his own. He is carrying $35,000 a year in loans. As a sophomore he is in debt to the tune of $70,000. To say the least, he is very worried about how he is going to pay this back. College loans are something that he can never default on or go bankrupt with so imagine how much he will owe by graduation. He is persevering though, so it must be worth it to him.</p>

<p>Do you have any acceptances at schools that are in your state or that don’t charge quite so much? Your dream school is not the only place to get a good education. </p>

<p>Like mtlover92 said, it may be worth it to you and you are obviously very talented. Now is the time to make some very important choices in your life. Hopefully your parents will be involved in your decision. Even though they may not be able to pay for your schooling, I’m sure they want what is best for you and will stand by you in the future.</p>

<p>Goodness, what a difficult situation to be in. I can’t quite get over the cost of college in America - it seems really horrific to me. Normal university fees here are £3000 per year (plus accommodation, living costs etc), and people worry enormously about the ammount of debt they leave with. Some drama school fees are the same as uni fees, but some are higher - about £12k a year, but a significant number of students then get funding through the government Dance and Drama Awards scheme, which make the fees the same as university fees. Many people turn down places if they do not get a DaDA and reapply the next year, as paying £12k a year plus living expenses is just not seen as viable unless your family is fairly well off. So you being faced with fees of 40k per year just seems absolutely astounding to me - to be honest I don’t know how anybody affords to go to college in America! I really wish you the best of luck with your decision. It is horrible that money (or rather the lack of it) can have such an impact on people’s lives.</p>

<p>I was in a very similar situation several years ago due to a school that offered no academic scholarship for performers, and while when I was accepted I was willing to do “whatever it took” to go to the school in question, I soon realized (via an online debt payment calculator) that the loans I would have to take out to attend the school would come up to almost $900/month in payments after graduation. My mother and I had to have the difficult and tearful conversation that my dream school just couldn’t happen. Knowing the incredibly difficult employment market for actors and realistically that I will always have to have a “survival” job, I had to turn the school down. I was beyond devastated, literally sobbing on the phone with the MT department telling them I had to decline their offer.</p>

<p>My solution was to attend a great liberal arts school and use my academic merit to get some great scholarships. I’ll get a degree from a school I’m very proud of, and though it’s a BA and I’ve had to search out more intense training opportunities outside of school, I will not have the staggering debt I would’ve had. I definitely still have my share since I’m paying for college by myself, but it’s an amount that manageable. </p>

<p>Though you said you don’t have great grades, you could always attend a school that’s MUCH less expensive and seek out real training either in the surrounding area or though summer programs or certificate training programs. You can still major in what you love, just accrue less debt and use some of the money you’re saving to seek training elsewhere. Unfortunately, money is a non-negotiable factor for some. Just know that I 100% share in your agony and wish that there was never anyone in the same situation that I had to deal with and you are now.</p>

<p>I wish you the best of luck in making your decision. I know it will be hard, but just try to weigh out everything as level-headed as you can.</p>

<p>Taking on debt for school is a very personal choice, but before you do so, you really need to look at the impact it will have on your life in the future. At $40,000 per year, you will graduate with at least $160,000 in debt. I don’t know if that covers room and board, travel expenses, and extras, but let’s use that as a base. I just used the Wells Fargo student loan info for this example, but you could use your own bank ([Wells</a> Fargo Student Loan Interest Rates and Payments](<a href=“Wells Fargo Bank | Financial Services & Online Banking);%5DWells”>Wells Fargo Bank | Financial Services & Online Banking):wink: for each $8,000 you borrow at 4.5% (this is low-it will probably be higher) you would owe about $103 per month for 15 years. With a loan of $160,000, you would owe $2,060 per month for 15 years. Now, you might be able to get this down a bit with working part-time, small scholarships, etc. But I can’t imagine graduating from college and have to start paying $2,000 per month in loans. No matter how good you are, we all know how chancy this career - it is very possible you will barely be able to feed yourself, let alone pay back that kind of money. And think of the limitations it will put on your life- that is a house payment!!! In addition to all of this, you will need a co-signer to even get the loan and that may not be possible if your parents are that cash-strapped. </p>

<p>I don’t know what other programs you got into, but you really need to look at some other options before you commit to this. You must have a great deal of talent to be admitted to this program. There may be other avenues that you can take to pursue your dream that are not so costly. I feel for you - many students are in the same situation and it is very disappointing. Just don’t let your disappointment force you into a situation where you will have little control over your finances for the next 15-20 years.</p>

<p>Forgive the long post. But this has to be a long post. I’m going to copy a post made by Fishbowl Freshman in April of 2009. She outlined how much it costs to start up in this business. I think you need to think about how much you are going to spend to start up in the business, and then add that to your college debt before you make an educated decision. For this reason, I am copying this amazing and detailed post into this page… </p>

<p>This is not meant to discourage you from going for it. This is just meant to make sure you do so with your eyes wide open… I’m a lawyer. I believe in full advisement… Here goes.</p>

<p>Fishbowl Freshman wrote: </p>

<p>Post-Graduation Expenses for Settling into LA or NYC </p>

<hr>

<p>Here’s some more gloom and doom from the real world consisting of ‘block & moves’ of what it costs to get settled in as an actor in LA and NYC that should be considered on top of what your college will cost. It’s best to know all this now before you find yourself staring into the abyss third or fourth year. </p>

<p>It’s a bit late for it this year, but it might be worth bumping around next March or so for next year’s crop of seniors. It’s definitely worth considering before you commit to ‘tapping out’ your parents or taking on huge amounts of debt for a BFA if you aren’t a trust fund brat like me. As I said in the “Decisions” thread, I’ve already seen and heard about some very talented and well-trained people having to pack it up and go home because they couldn’t keep their heads above water. Hopefully, the economy will have recovered by the time most of the kids on this forum graduate, but what I’m hearing from some people who are ‘out there’ right now is that it’s tough to even get regular, good-paying office temp work due to all the competition from highly experienced office workers who have been laid off.</p>

<p>The first is from an LA working actress that I lifted from the Backstage forum followed by some pertinent replies. We aren’t supposed link other forums here, so look at the Backstage.com message board under ‘New Actors Only’ for a thread by ‘Miss Stone’ entitled ‘For all newbies - must read!!’ for the whole discussion. It seems to be geared more towards people who don’t already have a lot of training (i.e. not BFAs or MFAs), so you MIGHT be able to deduct a little off the costs for that (The author initially trained at Adler LA) although you should know that EVERYONE needs to continue with some kind of training to keep their chops fresh no matter where they went to school. Most commonly, I’m seeing people from my school and others taking audition technique and improv classes. You can also deduct some of the costs for obtaining representation if you’re one of the lucky ones who lands a good agent or manager from your showcase.</p>

<p>I’m not sure who originally authored the second one since it’s been passed around via email and on blogs so many times, but it speaks to the reality of getting settled in bare bones for the first few months in NYC. </p>

<p>Quote:
LONG POST but a MUST READ for newbies!
There has been a lot of questions about moving to LA and NYC lately from some of our new posters. I would like to clear up a few things and put things in perspective about what is really needed from you, financially and emotionally in this business. This info is from an LA perspective but I imagine NYC is very similar. </p>

<p>Some of the necessary things you will absolutely need just to survive are as follows-</p>

<p>Per Month
place to stay $700-$1200
food $300- $500
gas $200- $400
electricity $50- $200
miscellaneous $200 +</p>

<p>So, just to survive at the barest minimum if you have roommates, a LOW gas mileage car and IF gas stays low cost-wise and you never use an air conditioner, sit at home on Saturday night and eat very minimally- $1450 a month.</p>

<p>NOW that is just to live, acting aside. For your acting you need this- (to do it right if you actually want to stand a chance, that is)-</p>

<p>acting classes $800 for 12 weeks at my school
on camera class $200+ a month
improv classes $300 or so for 8 weeks
headshots $400- $600 every six months
reproductions $95 for 300 +
postcards $50 for $200 cheapest
I found
mailings $3.50 for a pack of 25 envelopes
stamps $1 or so to mail a headshot?
ink for printing $60 or so for refills
paper $5- $10 for 500 sheets
reel editing $150- $350
duplication $300??? for a few hundred
padded envelopes
and labels $???
Submission sites $68 for Actors Access
$120 or so for NowCasting depending on which package
$140 for LACasting
$175 for Backstage + Ross
Reports
These are all yearly.
$12.95 a month for IMDBPro
Film Independent
Membership $95 a year
Women in Film $110- $210 a year
Australians in $125 a year
Film
AFTRA initiation
fee $1300 + dues</p>

<p>So, without any union fees and without including the price for DVD mailings etc, the amount for that first year would be around $14,000, give or take. So that and your survival money is around $30,000 for that first year. Now, the next year will fluctuate and you may or may not continue with ALL the above mentioned classes but you will hopefully need to join the unions and that is when the extra $3600 will sting. And the on-going classes are absolutely essential. Very few people are instantly ready and most need developing. You constantly need to be training and working on your craft to stay in practice and to be able to compete readily in the game. There are literally 100,000’s out there trying to do this and you need to bring your A-game at all times. I can’t stress the need for classes- really. It prepares you for the day when you finally get that big audition and ensures you do not fall apart from nerves and BELIEVE me it happens to everyone!! Nothing worse than getting a shot and not being ready. You only get one chance to make a first impression- don’t kill it with arrogance, ego or an idea that you are so much better than everyone else as the truth is- you’re not. But what you can be is prepared, professional and ready. Training will do that. </p>

<p>Now, about the memberships etc. One of biggest part of this business is marketing and selling your product- that is YOU. It doesn’t matter how good you are (or think you are) if noone knows you exist. Gotta meet and greet and put yourself out there. Not the time to be shy. But running around getting blind drunk at parties and harassing executives etc on their night off is not my recommended plan of attack, especially not for girls. The legit and classy way to mix with other like-minded individuals is at screenings etc, such as the ones held by the above listed groups I mentioned. There are also breakfasts with guest speakers and these are golden opportunities to attend and just LISTEN. Don’t walk aprund with a greedy look and a gimme- gimme vibe. Waste of time. Be the quiet one. Just listen and observe. A few weeks of this and seeing the same faces and they will want to talk to YOU. Have a little mystery but be YOURSELF. Everyone in this town wants something. Be the one who doesn’t and see what happens. Talk about anything, whatever comes naturally and force nothing. If you simply relax and act like a friendly and open human being anywhere in this town, you would be amazed who you meet and what can happen. Really. I worked as a demo girl at a supermarket in some very good neighborhoods ages ago and there I met producers and personal managers. To this day we are in contact. I didn’t suck up or say gimme gimme- I teased them, argued and debated with them and they loved it. When you are in a position of power and everyone is kissing your ass because they want something from you, you know what turns them on? People who tell them they are wrong and keep it REAL. So, MARKETING and NETWORKING is the point of joining those organizations.</p>

<p>Submission sites- I listed all the best ones and yeah, you need them all. They all have different projects and serve different purposes. The best up and coming actors out there have them and so should you. At first.
And NO SNAPSHOTS IN YOUR APARTMENT TO BE ON YOUR ONLINE PAGES EVER!!! NEVER!!! PROFESSIONAL SHOTS ONLY!!! Let me say it again for the cheap seats in the back- 100,000’s of people doing the SAME THING as you!!! Make your headshot count!!!NO SNAPSHOTS!!! No half-naked, implied naked poses (girls- no bare shoulders or pouting like Playboy centerfolds, air-brushing). For the guys- no flexed muscles, oiled-up and “Damn, I think I am sexy” shots- NO NO NO and NO. We are actors. We are not models or porn stars or strippers or trying to do Calvin Klein underwear ads. If that’s your thing, by all means go for it and God Speed. Just know where it belongs and where it doesn’t. Don’t put a sexy picture online and wonder why you attract the freaks. This ain’t Kansas, Dorothy!!</p>

<p>About AFTRA. I for one, WHOLEHEARTEDLY recommend anyone with the money who wants to be SAG Eligible as soon as possible, join AFTRA TODAY no matter where you are in the country. Period. Let me explain. One of the ways to become SAG eligible is to be a member of a sister union for a year and get just one speaking line in an AFTRA project. Just ONE. I for one think that if you submit your GOOD headshot off like crazy to all the soaps- this is very possible and the best way to get SAG- IMO. Extra work for vouchers? Ugh. Shudder. Why WOULD you!! You didn’t move here to be someone’s ***** for $60 a day, okay? Bad idea. You can wait for a Taft- Hartley, yes possible- but imagine if you are living where you are and saving up to come BUT you are AFTRA and as the year goes by in a snap. That means as soon as you get to LA, you get just one itty bitty line on an AFTRA show and BAM- you are SAG ELIGIBLE!!! Awesome. Now after a year or so honing your craft and getting your reel together, you are ready to submit to legit agents and not look like a green and inexperienced fool. SAG-E will make you much more attractive to agents. JOIN AFTRA NOW!!! But not SAG. Not until you HAVE to. Build that reel!! By all means submit to agents if you must before you have these things. But beware of who you attract with no credits, unions or training. The sharks are fierce and there are MANY!! I would highly advise only commercial agents in the beginning stages. And it is expensive to do mailings these days. Best to wait until you have something better to bring to the table- IMO. To sum up-

  • A reel
  • A GREAT headshot
  • SAG Eligible
  • credits
  • TRAINING</p>

<p>That way you might have a shot. Instead of 100,000 to compete with maybe now only 99,000!! LOL.</p>

<p>Finally, survival jobs. This was my Achilles Hell and still is. I can’t even stress how hard it is to land even a meager server job in LA. Again, 100,000’s of people. It is no wonder, really. And with this economy and recession which we CANNOT deny, I can only imagine the pain for many this year. With people cutting back on spending- i.e. eating out and with the likely strike, there will be even fewer jobs as partially working actors who previously got speaking parts are forced to beg for extra shifts at their day jobs. FYI- I do fully support the strike. But if you are planning a move here, be patient and stay home and continue to save your money HARD and learn a new skill as it could come in handy for when you come out here. Learn anything that you think could give you an extra edge over others and an opportunity to make money from. Sit tight and see what is happening with Hollywood first. No point in coming out here to struggle and agonize with everyone else. If they strike- LA will be a **** fight. Period.</p>

<p>I know there is SOOOOO much more but I am exhausted after this and besides- I am not revealing all my secrets!!
I hope this has been of some help to anyone and whatever you do- rememeber this is s BUSINESS. This is not a game and those of us in it for life take it very seriously. Focus, work your ass off, be professional and do your research, never lose sight of your goal and be realistic about how long it will really take. It CAN HAPPEN. I promise you. Best of luck and God Bless. </p>

<p>I forgot!!! Theatre is a must!!! Join a theatre group. Some require dues! That is %50- $75 a month. Make sure they are reputable. A theatre actor is a GREAT actor. Period. </p>

<p>Quote:
This is an excellent post that I think will benefit newbies or even those that have experience in outside markets and are on the next step of moving to a bigger market. </p>

<p>From a NY perspective the costs are pretty much the same the only difference being that you can take advantage of Mass transit and buy a monthly metro card for 81 per month.
Also rent can range anywhere from 900-2500. I worked with a girl that had roommates and paid 1600 for a room because the apartment was so expensive. Of course you can always live outside of Manhattan in either Queens or Brookly, but rent costs are going up in those areas as well. </p>

<p>In situations like these, it’s always better to over prepare and save as much as possible. It is also difficult here to get bartending and waitressing gigs, because there are a plethora of young attractive people trying to make it as actors. </p>

<p>The only numbers to focus on are the ones accumulating in your savings account. </p>

<p>Quote:
Thanks!!! Let me say that again, Thanks!!! Is there a way to force all aspiring actors who say they are “ready to move to LA/NYC” to read this thread? </p>

<p>What you have presented is very sobering information. I am sure it was not meant to discourage anyone from following their dream, but just to make sure they are properly prepared to make the move. There are too many people who think it is just going to happen over night. They are going to come out to LA or NYC and suddenly make a lot of money. I think I recently saw a post from someone who said they have saved up $6,000, so they are now ready to move to LA??? I am sure that this person does not realize that there are lots of costs that need to be incurred to do this correctly. You have very nicely enumerated them for everybody. They need to realize that it is going to take time to make the $30,000 or so that is needed to survive in LA or NYC by acting alone. And their are a lot of people are already out in LA or NYC who are not making that kind of money in acting so they will be competing with them for the “day” job.</p>

<p>Again, Thanks for posting it. </p>

<p>Quote:
This is a really informative post, Miss Stone! I just wanted to add insurance to the list (sorry if it’s already here and I overlooked it, but I don’t think it is). At least a couple hundred each for car insurance and health insurance goes on that monthly tally. Just to be clear, I’m not posting this to quibble or anything; I know that some of the people reading this post are younger and insurance may not have occurred to them. </p>

<p>NYC Specific by unknown author …</p>

<p>Quote:
“My advice would be to make sure you have a financial cushion – even with the promise of a job where you’ll immediately start to make money, I would say you would need to come with a bare minimum of $5,000-10,000 in liquid savings, plus whatever you anticipate your move costs to be. If you will have to come and then look for a job, then obviously you would need much more to cover any period of unemployment. But to rent an apartment, plan on putting down in cash at least 2 months’ rent (1st month + a security deposit equivalent to a month’s rent), and then if you go through a broker (which is sometimes a necessary evil here) you’d have to pay typically a fee equivalent to 15% of the annual rent for the pleasure of working with them. All that can eat up $5,000-10,000 in the blink of an eye.” </p>

<p>" Grocery shopping, and the difficulty/ease of it, can vary. It depends largely on where you live in the city; it can be very easy or very hard. I used to live in the midtown area, and the nearest decent-sized grocery store (not a deli; they’re practically on every corner) was 8 blocks away – that sucked. Where I live right now, it is ridiculously easy, as there is a large (for Manhattan) grocery store right on my corner. Depending on how long you’ve lived in the suburbs and how used to a big weekly shopping trip, it might take some adjusting, but we basically go to the store every day or every few days, and carry a few bags home. We don’t buy in bulk like you might in the suburbs. Kitchens are tiny here anyway, so there’s usually not room to store “value size” supplies anyway. The other really great option for most of New York at this point is Fresh Direct, which is an online delivery service. It’s pretty inexpensive and delivers the next day (you pick a 2-hour period for them to deliver). I don’t use it too much because of the convenience of our local store, but some people use it for the majority of their shopping. </p>

<ul>
<li><p>Safety also depends on where you live, I guess, though the majority of the city is pretty safe these days. Let me tell you, I feel MUCH safer here than in many smaller cities, including my hometown of Hartford! You can safely ride the subway until 1 or 2 in the morning and they will always be well populated, and one of the nice things about going out in the city is that there is no reason to drive after drinking (just stick out your hand and hail a cab!), so that to me is a huge step up from the suburbs in terms of safety.</p></li>
<li><p>Increased cost of living is true – especially in terms of rent and eating – though at least you won’t be paying for gas anymore and let’s be honest, with the way those costs are going, most New Yorkers’ $81 unlimited monthly metrocard is much more affordable than many suburban commuting costs." </p></li>
</ul>

<p>" I’m pretty sure that many if not most landlords will require that you provide proof of annual income of 40-50x the monthly rent, not 25x. For guarantors, it’s more like 80-100x. Often, it’s made more difficult for those coming from outside the tri-state area, because sometimes guarantors are required to be from the area. If you have large cash assets that can easily cover 6 months or more of the rent, you may be able to get away without proving such an income. I’ve heard a decent rule of thumb in budgeting for rent in NYC is to expect to spend 25% of your gross annual income on rent. When I first moved here, I think I spent a little over 50% of my take-home salary on rent. (My parents had to be a guarantor on my first two apartments.) </p>

<p>It’s not easy, especially just starting out."</p>

<p>A little reality check- great post chrissyblu</p>

<p>I lay awake at night sometimes worrying about how my d will survive after graduation with no college debt.
She couldn’t attend her dream school because it would have cost 15.000 more per year and if she wanted to be a BFA in MT the rule was NO LOANS. One of the reasons was, why get the degree if you are unavailable to audition due to a regular job that’s needed to pay bills? Besides there is always the chance she will go to graduate school and that she will have to pay for,( another good reason not to have loans for ug). Also there are many who will need added schooling in an entirely different field. Their needs change or they marry and have children. Perhaps they tire of a nocturnal life or desire a rural life in their thirties. Don’t burn bridges. Look at going instate and getting involved in school and community theatre. I have said this before but I will repeat it, I have a neice who graduated from a flagship state school and chose not attend mt theatre program because she earned a very prestigious, four year, full ride, academic scholarship. She minored in theatre but spent all her spare time in community and regional theatre, taking dance and voice lessons. She is working and will have earned her equity card by April.</p>

<p>Don’t get sucked into this “Dream” school concept. That’s the rational everyone uses for buying something they can’t afford and it doesn’t matter if it’s a car, vacation, a house or an designer handbag or an education. You are very right to look hard at return on investment and how much more you will have to pay with interest and penalties accumulating during periods when you are out of work not to mention just regular interest. As you grow older you will meet many, many people who live on the economic edge. Their there not because they didn’t earn enough in their careers, but because they never saved. And without saving you miss the rises in the stock market. You miss the effects of compounded interest and employers 401k matching and lower home mortgage rates due to a high credit score and free checking due to keeping a required bank balance and tax benefits for IRA contributions. All these measures and hard work can lead to wealth and security. They begin with saving when you are young and the earlier you begin, the less you need to contribute. Now, I reread this and I know I sound like I’m in the wrong forum, I shouldn’t be on an arts forum but I hate to see so many young people in the bondage they are placing themselves in. Indebtedness destroys future opportunities for the accumulation of wealth and artistic achievement through a loss of freedom.</p>

<p>If your parents have suffered a recent reversal due to the poor economy, is there a process for reexamining your ability to receive financial aid?</p>

<p>Alas, I’m most likely going to rain on your parade as well. A couple of first-hand examples: my daughter’s roommate has a monthly debt payment of over $600, and her loan amount was I believe about 1/2 of what you’re talking. She was incredibly fortunate - within 4 months, landed a lead role in a national tour, and is in the second year of her contract. She is on track to pay off her loan several years early.</p>

<p>Example 2: A friend (straight theatre) was offered a full ride at the local university, but didn’t want to stay “home”. She attended another school with an approximately equal reputation, and took out about the same amount you are talking about. After graduation, she returned to her home city and took an internship with a smallish equity house and lived with her parents to save $$. Now, 2 years after graduation, she is back attending school to obtain certification in a field where employment is more likely.</p>

<p>My daughter - no college debt, due to scrimping and saving by parents, with a little assist from grandma. She is Equity, eking out a living in the city, with the occasional work there and a couple of decent regional theatre gigs over the last couple of years. But, there is no way she could survive on what she is making if she had college loans to repay. </p>

<p>I agree with thecheckbook that high levels of college debt create a loss of freedom that can limit your choices and opportunities for post-graduate life. :(</p>

<p>crissyblu, fantastic post.</p>

<p>Wow…this is a topic really at the forefront in our house, now that all the options are in. It is so hard to walk away from a “dream” school because of money, but what if you can graduate debt-free at a lesser-“buzzed-about” program? In our case, I feel that our in-state school is “under-valued”, meaning there is top-notch training without the notariety, and I suspect that is the case many places. Also, reputations can change quickly, with the addition/deletion of one or two key faculty. What was reputation-building reality two years ago, may be untrue today. And other programs may have seen their past weaknesses and corrected them, but their reputation hasn’t caught up with them yet.</p>

<p>Sometimes it just comes down to common sense. For example, that I am sure a Mercedes is worth every penny you pay for it, but I simply don’t have that many pennies. No one would advise you to buy a $1M starter home, no matter how good of an investment it might be.</p>

<p>On the other hand, in this crazy major, you need every possible leg-up you can get…and some things in life are worth stretching the extra premium.</p>

<p>If I had a third hand, I would say that I have been reading “WhyWhy” on another thread, and he is asking (quite legitimately) that if these top programs are so worth it, why is the Playbill roster so spread between all types of schools…and no schools at all?</p>

<p>We go in circles at our house…as I see many of you are. Again, we will pray, look at the fine details (a close look at actual cirriculums, staff, balance and focus of dept. between the three disciplines, etc.) and pray again. Good luck to everyone! Remember, it is a blessing to have such wonderful choices.</p>

<p>Normally I would say right off the bat…DON’T DO IT!!! That comes from having to pay back “only” $40,000 for H’s law school…it took 14 years with final monthly payments over $1000. And that was twenty years ago and WITH stable employment. I will never forget that final payment. I stuffed the envelope with confetti!!! :slight_smile: </p>

<p>It’s hard when it comes to getting into that kind of top program or school that people dream about. I think it’s actually harder to deal with than a rejection because no matter what you choose you’ll probably still wonder what your life would have been like IF…you didn’t have a massive load of debt or what your career might be if you had been in that program!</p>

<p>Here’s something else to consider though. Will you be looking for work outside of the location of this program? Because you might not walk out of school with an agent and your connections or lack of will play into your opportunities to find work. Do NOT count on the name doing it for you.</p>

<p>A friend graduated several years ago from an MT program outside of the NYC location where she is currently looking for work and is finding it very difficult particularly because she does not have representation. I personally think she is better off heading back to the location of her school and looking for work there because it’s a smaller market and she has local references and contacts. She is struggling to support herself and has no health insurance so it’s just a matter of time before she is faced with the need to find alternative and possibly unrelated employment. I don’t know if she has any student loans but I’m sure that will play into how long she has before potentially letting go of the dream. That is not to say that she cannot make use of her MT background and live a very fulfilling life. But her dream is performing and she’s in NYC going to open calls and competing for parts with actors who DO have representation and local connections and are still struggling to find work. </p>

<p>I don’t know if your dream school is located in one of the major markets but either way you should consider where you want to work after you graduate, what “type” you are and what kind of competition you will be facing for parts, how strong your connections will be in helping you secure representation and employment and above all, what kind of money you REALISTICALLY might make and then determine if it will be enough to support yourself AND pay off your student loans. And keep in mind that money you MIGHT make is very different than the money you DO make.</p>

<p>Best of luck!!!</p>

<p>Thank you so much for your responses!! I’m so grateful for all your responses and your insights into this sensitive topic. If I were to go to any of the schools I was accepted into, the amount of debt would still be the same. I didn’t get any scholarship or finaid for any schools. Whether in-state or out state schools, my parents cannot afford it at all. I worry every night as to whether I should have applied to something academic that would have secured me a steady paying job in the future. I really really don’t know what to do… :(</p>

<p>At many schools you can negotiate and increase the amount of aid. I did that for my D. Be creative. Be assertive. Be prepared. While my D spent a couple days in classes last April to make sure her school was the right fit, I spent that time getting to know the financial aid people, talking to the drama professors and preparing spreadsheets. I made my presentations and they more than doubled the initial offer. You never know until you ask.</p>

<p>mtlover92 - Why are you ineligible for financial aid? Did you complete your FAFSA? And have you gotten actual financial aid letters from any of the schools yet? We were able to get additional talent scholarship money from one school after they asked about competing awards my D was given and we shared that information with them, but it really helps to have that initial letter so you see what the starting point is for you.</p>

<p>Please read thread started by gravenewworld, the education “at all costs” myth. I’m afraid you’ll find this debt genuinely life-crippling.</p>

<p>Bottom line, folks: NO ONE majoring in acting or musical theater should graduate with the kind of crushing debt that I hear kids today taking on. It’s insane and will, unless that young person either wins the $1 million lottery or graduates school and becomes a huge megahit movie star, handicap you for a very long time to come. Do NOT do it. It cannot and will not be worth it. Whoever said upthread not to buy into the “well, it’s my dream school” thing was absolutely right. DO NOT do it. As a quite experienced equity director told my daughter: the very best gift a young actor can give himself or herself is to graduate free of debt. It doesn’t matter where you train. It just matters that you train.</p>

<p>Couldn’t agree more with most of these posts. Coming out of school with massive debt simply means you will have to “get a job” immediately after graduation and be so busy paying back you won’t have time to have a real opportunity to use your degree. The chances of landing an MT related job shortly after graduation that pays enough to live and pay off loans is so slim it can’t be discussed realistically. And even then…I have students on Broadway that can just “pay their bills” and live decently in NYC. And that is until the show closes and then there is the gap problem with their employment. Rarely does one go from show to show without at least a short period of no pay or modest unemployment. And then there is health insurance…until and unless you become a member of Equity health insurance is a real problem on so many levels. It is so sad to see someone walk away from the privilege of attending a top MT program if they were actually accepted but unfortunately it is one of life’s many acts of unkindness. I am just happy to hear that there are kids smart enough to consider these problems before they jump in blindly and it is too late. If you read through all these and other posts you will see their are many ways of climbing the ladder, it’s just about choosing the one that makes the most sense now AND later.</p>