Should I/When to transfer?

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>I was in the musical theatre scene for a while at my school/community, but never took it seriously until it was too late (after college applications and such), so currently I am on track to spend the 2013~14 at a very non-theatre school, as the theatre/dance program here is quite inferior.</p>

<p>I really want to enter the musical theatre scene professionally and in-depth.</p>

<p>I was wondering if transferring would ever be worth it-- or should I just stay and finish 4 years and then do a 2-year certificate musical theatre intensive/master class conservatory.
If I do transfer, most of my credits, besides the basic requirements such as English 100, would not be transferred and thus my tuition right now would be for waste. Currently I am under instate tuition and living at home so costs are cheap.</p>

<p>I do want to take a break since my parents will absolutely not let me do that. And honestly, I wouldn't want to do that either.</p>

<p>Debt, cost, and finances are also a very big factor in the transfer to a college requiring out-of-state tuition+board/private school tuition.</p>

2

<p>Hatsukoi,</p>

<p>There are so many points to respond to, but I feel for your situation and will do my best to offer my thoughts. But realize this is merely my opinion and I am merely a parent who has been through the process and done a lot of research - I am no expert. There will be many others with completely different thinking whether they respond or not.</p>

<p>I understand taking a year off is not in the cards for you, so that means you will spend this year at your local college. This means you will be a transfer student the following fall. From what I have read on CollegeConfidential, there are few scholarships for transfer students, but I am no expert on this. By scholarships, I mean academic and merit money that is not based on financial need and does not need to be repaid. If you have financial need, you may still be eligible for grants, work-study and loans. I assume your parents filled out the FAFSA for this coming school year. If they were eligible for grants for your local college, you will probably be eligible for the grants at any school you attend. I will stop saying I am no expert after this, but I am reminding you again to do your own research and confirm what I am saying.</p>

<p>Hawaii is part of the WUE. Therefore, you may be eligible for in-state tuition at the participating state schools. Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and more. It may not be automatic and seems to be based somewhat on application date, so look into that. You are very lucky to have this option - we have nothing like it in NY!</p>

<p>That leaves room, board and travel as the difference between your current school and a possible WUE school. Board is food. Since you have to eat at home anyway I call that a wash. That leaves the cost to live at school (it varies, but approx $5,000 for the year) plus airfare.</p>

<p>Time for an honest talk with your parents. There is nothing cheaper than living at home (except full scholarships). Are they willing to consider paying the $7,000-$10,000 difference if you attend a WUE college? What if you took out a Stafford loan which is available to all students regardless of financial need? They are low interest loans in the amount of approx $5,000/year. You will find all sorts of threads on CC regarding incurring debt for a MT education. Some people think it is worthwhile, others avoid it at all costs. You need to find your own answer. Some schools may offer automatic scholarships based on grades, but I do not know how that works for transfer students.</p>

<p>Now, think about the type of program you want to transfer into. If it requires an audition you need to start preparing as soon as possible. You say you just became serious about MT. Do you dance? Sing? Act? Do you feel you have the potential to get accepted into audition programs? Would you also be happy in an active theater department that is non-auditioned? Working with a voice teacher and taking dance and singing lessons can get expensive. There are costs to prepare an audition DVD and to attend in-person auditions.</p>

<p>All this being said, there are different paths to reach your goals. If you are determined to have a career in Musical Theater you can find a way to do so without attending a college program that specializes in it. However, training is important. Find a way to do train over these next 4 years and get some performing experience.</p>

<p>Good luck!!</p>

3

<p>Definitely look ino the WUE schools - ask your h.s. counselor about them. Oregon and Washington are part of the program. Central Washington U has a rising MT program, as does Southern Oregon (that you audition into after freshman year). Most MT programs are 4 years long, so you may have to commit to an extra year of college, even though some of your basic credits MAY transfer. I would start with schools off the Big List of MT Schools that are WUE schools and call them and have a discussion with each one.</p>

4

<p>All of the above suggestions are excellent - and I believe that I mentioned WUE schools to you last year as my D is from Hawaii and attends one for MT. The other option is to stay at UH and continue with their theater/dance program. The school has a lot of talented performers and faculty - I know many of them - and this may be the training that is right for you. There are also singing teachers from the faculty of music (or island wide for that matter) that could help you develop in this area . You can get of this program what you put into it, get a little extra training on the side and immerse yourself in the wonderful university and community theater opportunities here on the island! Just another option to consider from someone who is familiar with the local school and theater scene.</p>

5

<p>Have you heard about the concept of a financial aid safety school? Essentially, a school that is a safety for you based upon your qualifications may offer you more significant merit awards to entice you to enroll. While virtually all audition programs are pretty selective, merit awards vary considerably based upon how badly the school wants you. We do not qualify for need-based aid and thus did not even considered filling out the FAFSA forms, and my son received significant merit awards from many of the schools that accepted him. In addition, If you can demonstrate need, most schools do try to provide a combination of grants, awards, loans, and work study to fill the gap. Rather than letting the money keep out from trying, be smart about your strategy to give you as many choices as possible. In the end, you may not be able to attend your first choice, but you can make sure you have some choices. Your former high school counselor may be able to advise you. Good luck.</p>

6

<p>We don’t qualify for need-based aid either, but our college counselors highly recommend everyone fills out the FAFSA. That way if there is a life-changing event that comes mid-year (job loss, death of a parent, etc) you could qualify for aid that year instead of waiting for the following year. At least, that was the way it was explained to us.</p>

7

<p>If you plan to have ANY loans at all you should always fill out the FAFSA.
There are non need based Stafford loans that are available to everyone regardless of need.
To qualify for them you must complete the FAFSA. These loans are usually better than the Plus loans.</p>

8

<p>Merit award scholarships need to have the FAFSA filled out, also, for many colleges, as some combine merit and need and don’t specify. Just fill out the FAFSA!</p>

9

<p>Thank you to everyone who responded and contributed. I talked to my parents and loans are out of the question, even though I filled out the FAFSA-- unless I transferred with a full ride. My parents are okay with me pursuing a better theatre education post college, such as classes at places like AMDA, Square, and other 2-year programs. Not sure how the difference in education is, compared to someone getting their BFA in MT.</p>

<p>It is true I just only got into the musical theatre scene, but so far all of my teachers really encourage me to go for it since I have the talent and potential to handle that level of training.</p>