<p>So I'm in a bit of pickle with my acceptance to Cornell: Cornell has been my dream school for quite a few years so you can imagine my excitement upon getting that likely letter and, furthermore, a Cornell Traditions Scholar offer. Unfortunately, my parents and I were terribly discouraged upon receiving our financial aid package which is downright unrealistic and certainly debt-demanding. I'm a prospective music major and am striving for a top graduate school such as Yale, Harvard, NEC among others. As I've researched the accepted students at these schools, they've (in most cases) come from relative top undergraduate programs such as Cornell. I know that Cornell and its stellar staff might facilitate my ambitions in the future but is that worth the price? My other option is the conservatory at my state college, which has not sent anyone to schools such as the ones I hope to be at someday (at least not from what I've read). Again, I know it's not impossible to "climb the ladder" from state school to ivy but anyone in the realm of music knows how particularly far name recognition goes. What to do, what to do....Thanks everyone in advance for your advice!</p>
<p>If you are a music major then you should try to graduate with as little debt as possible. I am not sure why you would go to Cornell to be a music major. Why not CMU?</p>
<p>Sorry, I should’ve probably specified: I was accepted to Bard College Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, Boston University, and CMU…and yes CMU’s aid made Cornell’s look almost good.</p>
<p>[Cornell</a> University Department of Music](<a href=“http://music.cornell.edu/]Cornell”>http://music.cornell.edu/)</p>
<p>Bard College Conservatory graduates are almost universally accepted to the top music programs for graduate study, as well as elite academic institutions if they decide to pursue their second degree. (As the OP knows, all students at Bard Conservatory, in addition to a BM, must get a second degree in the college itself.) Are you a performance student, or perhaps composition? Composition is the only music major I would think Cornell could compete with at the undergrad level with Bard.The conservatory also offers spectacular aid - if you didn’t get a good scholarship, and you need it to be able to attend, you should talk to the conservatory admissions director.</p>