I’m just sick over it. Honestly I really didn’t understand the “non profit” status at all. I just found out that D’s friend who is there is one semester away from graduating. OMG…just horrible. What other music schools out there fall into this category? Are private schools in that category?
A school can be for profit and still be accredited. For example SVA ( for art and design) is a very reputable and accredited school in NYC. It is still owned by the founding family and is technically “for profit.”
But are any credits transferable from for-profit schools? I really hope some music schools out there help the McNally kids who are stranded right now.
If a school is accredited, credits will transfer. That is separate from profit/ non profit status. It’s like one has to do with the recognition of course work, the other with financials and taxation…
What you want to be carefully about is the accreditation (not for or non-profit status). If a schools closes that is accredited then you “simply” transfer your credits to another school and finish a degree. Of course you may face some disappointment in the transfer…nothing works perfectly…but in most cases you would only lose a few credits if any. Of course the new school may have some other class expectation…but that’s another conversation. The bottom line is that a senior at one school could transfer to another school and most likely graduate in a reasonable amount of time. If the school is NOT accredited, there is a chance that NONE or very few credits would transfer. So if these students wanted to try to finish a degree at the U of MN for example they would most likely have to start over. It is an extremely sad situation.
None of the schools listed in the pre-screen thread etc are schools without accreditation. Schools without accreditation do tend to be for-profits with a more singular focus - arts, cooking, medical technology etc. and not full colleges. But you have to be careful bc they can present themselves as full colleges. As mentioned above SVA is accredited so it makes it “safe” to attend. McNally was trying to switch to a non-profit model bc the Dept of Ed has been going after for-profits. They have been able to have access to federal student loans but statistically these students have very high default rates on loans. Quite a few for-profits have closed across the nation bc they have been unable to prove their worth so to speak and continue to get federal loans for their students.
I would not worry too much about this for your situation…and all should be sure they are only looking at accredited programs. But yes, for any student at McNally it really is a nightmare. Buyer beware.
I’ve been PM’ing her Mom and I think they think she can take a couple business classes somewhere else and get her Bachelors degree. I don’t think they realize the situation they are in. And I’m sure not going to be the one to tell them. It’s making me nauseous. I honestly had ZERO clue about the non-profit thing. Terrible.
Well…My D2 has her first “meh” response. She applied Early Action to Chapman and found out she was “Rolled to Regular Admission.” When we saw her Chapman “music audition form” it had two check boxes, admit or deny. So we were thinking she would hear one or the other even though we knew early action could lead to a deferral for other students.
I am guessing this means that she may have gotten the nod from the music department but the academic side wants to see her fall grades or improved scores. Although, I am not sure about this.
Chapman was a bit of an academic reach for her as her test scores are average (regular average, not CC average) and her high school record is spotty. Fortunately, she is doing well academically this year. However, I won’t encourage her to retest on the standardized tests. It is not her strength and there is no reason to keep trying.
She is working on a new song that she likes while waiting for her scheduled auditions. We are all waiting on prescreen results. And she will wait for a Chapman (re)decision in March. To quote Tom Petty “the waiting is the hardest part.”
@BearHouse hang in there… my D was the same, regarding standardized test scores, and it would have been an exercise in futility to spend the time studying and doing them over again. They were “good enough “ to meet the minimum requirements of all the schools she applied to, and it would have been torture for her to do them again. It’s a gamble, but in our case her time and energy were much better spent working on music! You know your child best. Trust yourself! And if impeccable test scores and grades are necessary for certain programs, maybe that college won’t end up as the best fit? You have lots of time!
Thanks, @dramasopranomom I appreciate your input. Surprisingly, my D2 is pretty relaxed about the decision. She wanted to get in and is interested in Chapman but wasn’t overly disappointed with the news. She quickly submitted the link to keep her in consideration and then I heard her singing in her room. I am confident it will work out as it will.
Hang in there @BearHouse ! After music rejections from SMU and Vandy this week, S18 was notified today he passed his prescreen and has an audition at USCal! So relieved to get a positive outcome!
@vistajay That is great news!
Congrats @vistajay !!! We are still hearing crickets here…ugh
@bridgenail - this is absolutely hilarious (or perhaps you and I just share the same sense of humor. ) 
“As you are living in a nightmare of fear and doubt, the professors will be shushing down the ski hills at Aspen without a worry in the world…as your prescreen results sit on an admin desk covered in holiday cookie crumbs for 3 or 4 weeks.”
I’m laughing now, but grad school applications will begin in just 2 years…
Hang in there @SpartanDrew ! Good news is coming!
In checking these comments it only reminds me:
- How tough this process is for parents. You have no control. And even if it’s smooth sailing now at some point you usually suffer a little or a lot as you watch your child’s ups and downs, powerless to help them to realize a dream.
- How resilient the kids are. They seem to suffer less imho. Or bounce back more quickly. I think they know based on years with peers that they have a shot and won’t quit even with set backs. I think this is a necessary skill for the future. So they are practicing living the dream so to speak.
It is an interesting experience (when you aren’t in pain). I gained a lot of respect for my D during the process (but not so much for myself lol). Their resilience will carry them through the bumps of college (@bouyant - glad to hear your update and that you appreciate dark humor). I think the journey only really makes sense after it’s done.
Bear House, I love the comment that you heard your daughter singing in her room, after she indicated continuing interest to a school that deferred her.
As a parent several years out from college graduation, two things: first, the angst at the high school senior stage can be greatly reduced by the child applying to a range of options, so that there will be a place to study, period. Undergrad school doesn’t always affect where the student studies for grad school, or where they work. If that doesn’t sit well, then there is always the option of a year off and trying again.
Second, I think it can be good to practice parental detachment as early as possible. This is difficult, particularly when so much support- money and driving (!) and advice- is needed. Detachment means not getting too excited about successes as much as it involves not getting too upset about the “no’s.” These emotions, ideally, belong to our kids. Emphasis on the “ideally”
I struggled with this too, at the high school stage. I tried to avoid meeting teachers or going into studios throughout high school, so that it was clear to my kids- and me- that it was their artistic life. I also asked myself frequently how I would feel if they quit their artistic endeavor. One of them has, and it was okay, the sun still set
Our kids really are resilient. It’s wonderful to read about all these young people so dedicated to music and wishing everyone good luck!
@bridgenail I am in the “tough times for parents” moments. This process is brutal and awful. Every day that passes with no news on prescreens (as I watch the prescreen thread continue to get updated with no invitations yet for D) I die a little inside. We are in a vacuum of information right now. And you’re right…I imagine prescreen results are sitting on someone’s desk somewhere covered in cookie crumbs while we wait for notification. It’s unbearable…
@SpartanDrew we did not know about this site when my D went through auditions in high school. It does have great info but its results may be skewed imho.
Many moons ago, I’m not sure we had any results in December as my D didn’t get everything done until 12/01 (it was an angry Thanksgiving)…I know she did a mid-Dec submission too. I felt like a dictator telling her we weren’t dragging it out through Xmas…there must have been a few schools that allowed that…01/01 submissions.
My point is…I sincerely believe that in the real world…we are still in the EARLY phase of results. I feel plenty of people hear bx mid-Dec and mid-Jan. Some schools with large faculties simply can’t get all results out quickly. My D helped her teacher at IU, and years ago for voice, I believe the majority of results went out after break. A few weeks in Dec was NOT sufficient to score results, make a final list and then figure out audition dates and then send invitations. So hence my cookie comment. There’s still plenty of time for results.
@SpartanDrew I know how hard—and, to use your word, brutal—it can be. All you want is some good news for your child, and you have zero control over how or when that happens! Every minute can seem like a week. But then things start to come in, and you will soon be at a point where you can all relax a bit! From what I can tell, you haven’t been receiving news of “No’s” on the prescreens—just no news at all, so far. So keep the faith. I’m rooting for you and for everyone else around here trying to find ways to make those moments pass until they hear some fantastic news—and you will. All the best.
We are right there with you, @SpartanDrew ! Hope y’all get good news soon! We hear from Furman later today on admission, merit money and hopefully music money as well. S18 is pretty cool about it, but his mom and I are stressed!