<p>I was accepted to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts as an acting major, through a fairly competitive audition process. This is a school I have been interested in for a very long time, and I know that they offer nearly incomparable connections to the theatre world. However NYU has offered me very little financial aid. They have offered a small scholarship, along with the usual work study and subsidized and unsubsidized stafford loans. That aside, what they are asking for us to contribute is a little over 40K a year. I don't know the specific numbers, but this means I would be heavily in debt for many years after I graduate.</p>
<p>My main other option would be the University of Washington, in-state. It is one of the best public schools in the nation, and I like the campus and the community. They also have a fairly prestigious graduate actors training program, but the undergraduate wing of the Drama school is not nearly as strong. </p>
<p>I feel like I would be taking on too much debt at NYU, however if I am serious about pursuing theatre I would have an exponentially better chance going into the world with a degree from Tisch. Everyone around me, especially those involved in theatre say I should go to NYU, but I really don't know.</p>
<p>Go to University of Washington. Many actors who are successful never went to college or didn’t finish. The lowest paid majors are fine arts majors. GO to the reasonably priced school and do well, get into as many productions as you can whether at the university or in the community, and have a great atart at adult life free from an absolutely overwhelming level of debt.</p>
<p>Given your field you have to go to UW, there are not six figure salaries waiting for theatre arts grads, so you are talking 100-150K in debt upon graduation. It’s too much and UW is GREAT!</p>
<p>Have you tried applying to outside scholarships yet? To throw away a chance at Tisch over something like money would be reckless. Sites like Fastweb.com have millions of dollars in scholarships, particularly for incoming freshman, every year. Based on your major alone, you could be qualified for tens of thousands of dollars worth of aid that could make your NYU dream a reality. Sure, you can go to another school on the cheap, but if your degree is not as well-respected because your university has a weak program in your field, you’ll end up having to struggle even harder anyway without even a prospect of future success.</p>
<p>Even a lot of success at outside scholarships won’t put much of a dent into $160,000. You can go to NYC after undergrad at UW and participate in additional acting study, for credit or not, if you feel that it would be a valuable foot in the door for the theatre scene there. But NYU is notoriously limited on financial aid and depends upon the draw of the city to attract students who are willing to begin their professional lives with crushing, massive debt for the NYC experience. I really have a problem with that.</p>
<p>Well NYU is obviously located in NYC, which would provide extensive opportunities to its students; Broadway etc… If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere! :)</p>