Talent vrs merit at bu?

<p>Anybody have any experience with BU's policy on their initial admissions offer, in terms of whether the financial aid includes School of Music talent money, or simply the academic merit money? I ask for obvious reasons; DS got in, is dying to go, but got virtually no money from financial aid. So I'm wondering if more may be forthcoming from the Music dept., or if that, as they say, is that.</p>

<p>There may be some historical info within the links here: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/886715-2010-scholarship-thread.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/886715-2010-scholarship-thread.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Longtime posters thumper1 and fiddlefrog have or are students with BM’s from BU. (Now say that three times fast). Might be worth a pm if neither responds within the thread.</p>

<p>The bad news is that the entire package is presented at once. It’s a holistic package, incorporating both need and talent considerations.</p>

<p>The good news is that if you make the level of interest clear, /and/ can get a faculty member behind your son, the offer might increase. Does he have a particular teacher in mind?</p>

<p>FFrog, when will they tell us what studio? Or do we have to ask? Or don’t they know right now?</p>

<p>@ fiddlefrog - ECHO Marjecat. If you can help there that would be great.</p>

<p>@datripp - Just a guess but based upon the package we got, it sure looks like the financial aid package offered is comprehensive.</p>

<p>Fiddlefrog is correct. BU sends all of it in one package. Perhaps things have changed…but when my son received his acceptance, it came in a nice red pocket folder with admissions info on one side and finaid info on the other. The aid letter was very clear regarding the the music award…and the other parts of the financial aid award.</p>

<p>Agreed with Fiddle, if there is a particular teacher with whom your son wishes to study…perhaps this person can act on his behalf…worth a try.</p>

<p>My son knew his studio assignment BEFORE he made the decision to matriculate…I think he called or emailed…and asked. Or he may have found out when he spent a full day there after he was accepted.</p>

<p>There’s no fixed procedure (unless it’s new this year) on studio assignment notification. It can be arranged between a student and a teacher in the spring; it could also be left undiscussed until the first week of classes! For students who aren’t in contact with a teacher ahead of time, department chairs often get in touch with a few available options.</p>

<p>All this is to say that if your son knows who he wants to study with, he should contact the person or people right away.</p>

<p>Thanks, all. I think we’re gonna let this one go by; there’s just no chance, I’m afraid, that they’d come up with enough, given that they haven’t come up with any. We didn’t get the mailed thingy, just the online acceptance, but I’m assuming it’s the same. I’d have thought he’d have done better, as he was chuffed to get a note from one of the teachers after that audition inviting him to come to BUTI, guaranteed acceptance and no audition, etc. needed. Eh. He got nice aid from the other two schools to which he was accepted.</p>