<p>Sorry to hear about the dilemma facing broadwaybelter. Tough deal, with no easy answer.</p>
<p>Most of us parents would love to see our children follow their dreams, at any cost. But the practical side of us tends to favor less risk and less financial burden. It’s human nature. (Doesn’t always make it right.)</p>
<p>Starting out life with a large debt is OK for some people. But for most people, it is an enormous burden that causes them to make business and career decisions out of desperation, often compromising the dream.</p>
<p>famousactress2b is responding in a manner that would make most parents VERY proud, even humbled by her maturity. But her situation should not be compared to broadwaybelter’s even if they seem similar on the surface. I’m guessing that broadwaybelter’s parents would feel differently if she was a 1st year transfer like famousactress2b instead of a 2nd year, such that fewer credits would be lost.</p>
<p>Both kids seem to have some awesome qualities in common - smart, talented, and motivated. Something tells me they will do well regardless of which direction they ultimately choose. </p>
<p>Best of luck to both girls as they pursue their dreams.</p>
<p>It’s important for our young readers (and parents) to understand that an MFA in musical theatre is rare and doesn’t make you seem more marketable to those hiring; MFA MT showcases are generally not well-attended (I’ve been to 2 this year), as MT does tend to be a youth market. An acting MFA is much more valued in the performance world: that training is more of a known, established entity and therefore more respected; and the top MFA acting showcases are very well-attended (especially the Big Daddy of them all, the joint Yale-NYU-UCSD MFA actors showcase). An MFA in either MT or Acting is valuable and necessary to teach at the university level, but you are very, very unlikely to be accepted into an MFA acting program, especially a top one, right out of undergrad school. In general, these schools want seasoned performers who are very clear on what they want and need to enhance about their acting skills after having at least tested the professional waters. </p>
<p>The NYC programs like Circle are a much better alternative for supplementing MT performance training right out of undegrad, as this is what they are designed to do.</p>
<p>broadwaybelter- it sounds like you are being very thoughtful in your decision-making process and it is tough. I am a parent so I guess I can see your parent’s point of view and agree with it a little more. We do want our kids to follow their dreams, but at the same time, you have to be realistic. Many talented and well-trained people are out there looking for work in this super competitive field and a lot of actors don’t work full time or have very low paying side jobs just to get by. My S got out of college last May with student loans -stafford and private, totaling over $100K. (Not a theatre major-his is Comp. Science). When it comes time to start repaying that extra money you will have to borrow, the reality of it may be a rude awakening. His monthly payments for his loans at full amount will be over $1100 per month for over 10 years! Right now he’s on a graduated schedule which helps ease into it but actually adds on more in the end. My D who is interested in MT is looking at programs right now, but we have already discussed her options keeping money in mind. I disagree with the statement made by another poster that taking on loan debt is the same no matter what degree you get. The reality is that someone like my S with a degree in CS has a much greater chance of finding a high paying job even in this poor economy and working full time with a steady income than some of his friends who have graduated with a MT degree and are now struggling to find work. I’m not saying getting a MT degree is bad, I’m just saying when you plan to go the route of working in theatre, you have to be prepared to not have steady work all the time and believe me, those banks don’t care about that. They just want their money. I think your parents are trying to give you the benefit of their experience and wisdom because they know how tough it could be for you financially down the road. Please think about it carefully. There have been some really good suggestions offered by other posters as feasible alternatives to your situation. Whatever you decide, best of luck to you.</p>
<p>You may be referring to posts of mine on a different thread where I wrote that I would pay the same amount of money and take on the same amount of loans no matter the major. I want to be VERY clear that I am talking about loans that PARENTS take, not students. I am not into large student loans that the student pays back (though some would be reasonable). As a PARENT, I don’t see financing my kids’ educations as related to their earning potential when they graduate. Rather, I’m spending money for them to get an education and all that entails and the experiences that go with it. And I believe that having a college education will serve them well in life no matter what income they will earn or what job they may eventually have. That is not the same as student debt where the student has to pay loans out of their potential income. </p>
<p>On a different note, I agree with all that CoachC wrote in post #22.</p>
<p>I appreciate and respect that different parents have different views but I just want to post to say that Soozie is not alone. I always joked to my children “I don’t care if you major in basketweaving…I just want you to get a college education”. I know how having a college education changed my life and my perspective. I know I’ve been a better Mother out of that change. I believe my life has been fuller and richer because of it. If my D ends up using her education only in the capacity as wife and mother I will have no regrets in paying for it.</p>
<p>Broadway Belter,
you say that you will be in debt and extra $9000 for every year you attend U of the arts. What will your total debt amount be by the time you graduated from U of the arts plus you current school?</p>
<p>I agree with soozie and hoosiermom that I wouldn’t dream of telling either of my kids what they can major in/pursue in college. I know several people my age whose parents told them “We won’t pay for your college degree if you want to become a teacher/history major/art history major.” </p>
<p>However, I do think that it is irresponsible in the extreme for parents to allow (when they can control it) kids to take on massive debt in order to finance their college educations. (Whether parents should take on massive, massive debt is another topic altogether. Parents are presumably adults and as such, can maturely decide what they can handle. The average 18 year old is not. To the average 18 year old, four years “in the future” when they have to begin to pay the loan back is something far, far away. Of course, we adults know it’s not that far at all.)</p>
<p>It sounds from your initial post that you have many compelling reasons to want to study at UArts. I think your first step should be to really keep in touch with the financial aid office there. It would be good to take a good hard look at what your monthly payments would be like. Graduating with about 20,000 total of debt for all 4 years is reasonable, but beyond that might be difficult.
That said, if you aren’t able to get adequete vocal and dance training where you are now-it might be best in the long run to transfer to UArts. You might regret it in the future if that is where your heart is. It will also not be cheap to finish up your BA and then pay for additional fulltime training in NYC- it might add up to the same amount of years committed to education and training before you hit the audition circuit. It may not be possible for you to graduate from your current school early, or it might be quite stressful to fit your required credits in one remaining year at your current school.
I was an art history major in college- my choice of major did not lead to one job in my field- I have worked in education and real estate- but I’ve never regretted it. The experience of a liberal arts education has enriched my life to this day. And theater majors actually graduate with an array of skills that can be applied to many jobs outside theater- the ability to work well with others, great communication skills, etc.</p>
<p>Soozievt- actually I went back and looked and I think it was ttmom not you as the post I was talking about. (I’m pretty new so I don’t know how to put the quote in here like you did.)</p>
<p>But she and I do agree that taking on loan debt can be risky no matter what. However the point I was trying to make is that statistics show certain Bachelor degrees are just more lucrative than others, so if you do decide to take on debt, it won’t be as much of a burden to someone who is making more money after college. Struggling to pay large student loan debt and having a low income can adversely affect a person’s quality of life. </p>
<p>And I agree with everyone who thinks a college education is worth more than just what kind of job you get because of it or how much money you make, but sometimes you have to be realistic and temper your “dreams” with a dose of reality. Sometimes a compromise works out for the best.</p>
<p>I called UArts today and spoke to the Assistant Director of the SOTA about transfer credits. Thankfully, he was very understanding of my credit situation and is sending my transcript to one of the program heads so they can be reevaluated with a closer eye. Hopefully I should have a definitive answer by Monday as to how many credits are being taken and how that will effect my academic standing. I’m praying to be admitted as a sophomore, but I’m trying not to get my hopes up. It’s silly how 1 year will make a HUGE difference in my parents’ decision…</p>
<p>Actually,KABee, here is my quote that you were refferring to:</p>
<p>“As far as the loan debt for theater being more risky, I disagree. Loan debt is risky, period. There are no guarantees, especially with this economy, that a different degree will guarantee employment on graduation. Many kids in even technical fields are not getting hired. I know; I have a graduating senior.”</p>
<p>I was not saying that theater loan was NOT risky or not MORE risky, I was simply saying that ANY loan is risky and no matter what the field there are NO gurarantees of employment after graduation. Certainly a technical field will have a greater opportunity to repay earlier as the ob jis steady once found, and commnads a higher salary; no argument there, none implied by my statement. I am not joining in on the discussion of how much a theater kid should go into debt because I feel , like NMR and soozievt and Hoosier mom that it is persan to each family. Please do not assume anyting other than what one actually says, as I beleive I was not disscussing “taking on debt”; rather I was poionting out that ALL loans are risky, especially in this economic climate. I hope you see my point now. Both of my kids will leave schoo with some debt. My son, whose school costs upwards of $52,000 a year graduates this spring with a total debt of ~ $15,000 and right now my d’s debt halfways through her BFA is $4000. Not bad. Most kids have some debt; all loans are risky as all loans must be paid back wheter or not a job is found. You do not even want to konw what my husband’s law shool debts are and he is 14+ years out of school. ;') Loan debt is risky, but it also offers kids a way to establish good credit if they pay on time. Not to mention that it offers them a college education which they might not get otherwise. JMHO</p>
<p>MAJOR apologies to ALL for my not spell checking- I am walking out the door and did not see the typos in post #31. Old computer; keys stick. ;'(</p>