My D17 went to Cal Poly SLO, can’t beat the education at that cost! S23 would be thrilled to go to Poly, but we’ll see.
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Not only the low cost education, for a full pay, but D21 got a fantastic major-related summer job too.
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D17 is happily launched into a big girl job. She loved her time there.
Shortlist: I sat down with D23 this afternoon and went through the dozenish colleges on her list with her to narrow them down. Here’s the seven colleges/programs she has now, with a few notes, in order by zip code:
- Montclair State U/Film & Television: The program is clearly mainly oriented toward wannabe directors, but it’s large enough that the selection of sound editing courses is solid
- Savannah C of Art & Design/Sound Design: She likes the curriculum, but has serious worries about the “campus” (which is a bunch of renovated historic buildings spread out over more than a square mile)
- Middle Tennessee State U/Audio Production: Requires a minor (or second major), which she likes; the location is, frankly, a worry given the local politics
- U of North Texas/Media Arts: A very flexible program, customizable for anything from her interests to aspiring videographers to wannabe media critics; again local politics are an issue, but the location issue is somewhat ameliorated by having family a few hours away
- U of Colorado Denver/Recording Arts: They have both an audition-entry and a non-audition track, based on whether you want to perform or be purely behind the scenes (she’s the latter); this is the only program on her list that actually requires music theory; she worries about the heavily commuter nature of the university
- San Francisco State U/Broadcast & Electronic Communication Arts: This is kind of a “lite” major in terms of required classes; on the flip side, that would allow for a couple minors or even a second major (and one is effectively required—though technically not—by the program)
- San José State U/Radio-TV-Film: This and SFSU’s programs are very clearly competitors, with this one being slightly more “traditional”; it would also allow a minor or two, though not as easily
Of course, since we’re after Big Merit Aid™, I’m mildly worried by her list only having seven colleges, and some of them stingy to nonexistent with merit scholarships. However, UCDenver has automatic WUE tuition, and with her stats she’d be a strong contender for the good money at MTSU and North Texas.
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@dfbdfb - to throw a spanner in the works, here’s an article I read in the Seattle Times during my trip; I thought of you. Don’t know if the program is worth a look, or if it even lines up, but …
https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/audio-engineers-are-almost-all-men-this-seattle-program-was-created-by-women-to-change-that/
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@dfbdfb I’m generally a lurker, but I noticed your daughter is interested in MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment. I’ve been at MTSU for 22 years if you have any specific questions about the university. I don’t know if your daughter is interested in an honors program, but MTSU’s Honors College is a great option as well, with opportunities for additional merit aid beyond the guaranteed freshman options.
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Both Montclair and MTSU belong to National Student Exchange if that is of interest. NSE is a program that allows up to 1 year of domestic exchange. Credits transfer automatically and the student pays only instate tuition. https://www.nse.org/exchange/colleges-universities/alpha-location/
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D23’s list is in pretty good shape I think - longer than ideal (16-17), but that seems to be the reality when applying to some of the SLACs on her list (which is most of her list). She has a good safety she likes (and 1-2 others that are probably safe), a lot of match, and a lot of reach.
She’s applying ED (to a definite long shot) and maybe also choosing an ED2 (has that narrowed to 2 possibilities). She also has 2 EA schools, but most on her list don’t offer EA. None of the schools are closer to home than a 10 hour car ride. S21’s list was the same way in that regard…I think that’s more because of where we live than because they want to get away from us?!
She was able to visit quite a few in New England/New York and some in Ohio and PA. The visits cut 5 schools off her list and kept some others from being added/considered. There are still some in the Northeast, the Midwest, and on the West Coast that she probably won’t see for now…I think we’re done with visits until next year if that becomes necessary.
Her summer has been busy - her first job, a 2-week summer program away from home, an unfortunate first case of Covid misery while away from home, friends/fun, an epic week-long room cleaning at my insistence and with my help (I feel for her future roommate), a ridiculous amount of AP summer homework (feels like ours is one of the only schools that piles this on…blech), and the beginning of her college application essay writing.
In terms of the application process beginning, she is pretty close with her personal statement…still needs a few more minor revisions, and she hasn’t yet started her supplementals (of which she has many to do) but will start one this week that we’re pretty confident is going to be the same question it was last year. She’s worked on the forms her teachers and counselors wanted filled out for recommendation letters, she’s gotten a few interviews taken care of, and her activities and honors lists are in decent shape. Informational webinars have been happening but trying to keep it to about 1 or maybe 2 a week to avoid zoom info session burnout. The number of essays that need to be written is daunting. (Still, if any schools were to get cut from the list, it seems they’d be the ones without additional essays, so that doesn’t help).
School starts for her in just 3 weeks (right around the time the Common App opens) so here’s hoping she knocks off an essay and a video she has to make for an application before then…August to December might be rough!
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Beginning to think that CC is for parents of highly over-achieving kids. None of my kids have had more than 3-4 schools of interest on their list. Guess I’m grateful because I don’t think I could handle the stress (stress of S19 getting into TAMU was enough for me). Good luck to all of your kids! Will be watching for updates and cheering for them this year.
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Question about supplemental essays. My son is almost done his main Common App essay. How can he find out which schools have supplemental essays and what they will be? I looked at a few of the college’s admissions websites but I don’t see anything. Thanks!
I find this site helpful below. If you google the name of school and supplemental essay it works too Supplemental Essay Guide 2022-23 - College Essay Advisors: Admissions Essay Experts
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After August 1st they’ll be linked in common app for the schools that require supplements.
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You’re not alone! My twins’ lists are all pretty much safeties…Thing 2 only has two iffy/maybes on his list: UT Austin & Trinity. Thing 1 is applying to 6 schools, and he’s auto admit to all, Thing 2, 9 schools, he’s auto admit to all the publics (except UT!).
I still have PTSD from my older son’s TAMU app as well (he had only applied to 5 schools!).
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Thanks! I don’t see any of the schools he is applying on the list.
It will be on their websites under the “apply” or similar tab. Agree sometimes is pretty hidden! Pretty much every school has at least a “why our school” essay and often there is also a community/diversity one.
Thanks!
I only wish we had any schools in California we could count on or consider safeties. I’d be happy to have my son apply to only 4-6 schools if we actually knew he could get in to one. Things here are a mess and it creates a lot of hysteria.
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In our school the kids are told to come up with a list of 20 and discuss with counselor to narrow down to 10-15 to apply to. Almost everyone applies to many reaches and schools that used to be solid targets or safeties are no longer so due to intensive yield management.
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Yeah, our counselor has strongly, strongly urged my kid to take some schools off the list. They are so similar - southern flagships - that it seems silly to pile on, and I do see her point. But there are enough variables to make it worth it, to us, and the application workload for southern flagships is pretty minimal.
btw, it’s been my experience that most colleges outside of the top 100 do not have extra writing, not even a “why our school.” And most of our schools aren’t in the top 100.
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As much as I crib about living in Texas, College Confidential has showed me how lucky we are when it comes having solid and relatively affordable in state options for colleges. The whole Top 10%/Auto Admit rule can be curse and a blessing at the same time!
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