<p>I didn’t broach the issue of other better packages but I was also asked to provide them and did so. I also appealed at more than one school because I didn’t know if any would be responsive and felt I didn’t have the luxury to focus only on one. My appeals were not designed to get the best deal I could. I was honestly trying to get a package that I could with Herculean effort actually afford. Results were mixed. One conservatory gave a little more but a renewed appeal was unsuccessful. They said they were already at max they give for merit. Some increased it enough to be affordable. One upped their offer considerably though not sufficiently at the last minute. In all cases I and my daughter were in touch with the schools and teachers throughout and provided extraordinarily detailed information about finances above and beyond what the standard forms allow. </p>
<p>@Bachmom, Since your son is a piano performance major, check with the studio teachers and inquire about how much he can expect to earn as an accompanist. At son’s school, each studio is assigned an accompanist from the piano performance studio. All juries, levels and recitals will require an accompanist at his school. He has had the same accompanist since his freshman year and she makes some serious cash which I doubt is included in her financial aid package.</p>
<p>@Momofbassist – Thanks! This is part of his package at one school, but I’m not sure about the others. I will check with the studio teachers. I’d love for him to start making some money! </p>
<p>Bachmom, don’t silently give up on #2 because it is unaffordable. If it is not totally out of reach let the studio teacher know. Then talk to the dean of admissions or whoever oversees the entire admission process for the music acceptances. The answer may still be no, but they willl know why. They could also give advice as to appeal and maybe chances. DD had mixed reactions to her requests but was able to swing her best fit with the increase they offered after the request. They did not double the offer or quite match the other, but it was a 25% increase and made it just affordable. BTW - these negotiations occurred after she had a post acceptance trips to the top three for sample lessons. She was showing significant interest at the time, not just playing one against the other. </p>
<p>I do believe that this has become an accepted part of the admission process and can go up to the very last day before acceptance is due. Schools do vary and YMMV but if you never ask you will never know. You are on the other side now. They have offered acceptance and want him. His is now the driver’s seat to try to make a match happen. </p>
<p>@Singersmom07 – Thanks! I talked to the Dean at his second choice and there may be a little more money as scholarships are “rolling.” Not sure this will be enough. I didn’t realize until recently how important the SAT could be in securing top merit aid, even at music schools. I’d love for my son to go to one of his top choices, although the full ride offer is very tempting. Like all of our kids, he’s worked very hard for many years. He’s getting calls and emails almost daily from several studios and has sample lessons scheduled at three schools. It’s overwhelming to say the least! </p>
<p>To original OP, if you know where you are going, it is good to go ahead and decline the schools where you will not attend. That way, students who are on the wait list for those schools can be notified. They are sweating bullets and would appreciate the call.</p>
<p>This is such good information! It’s so interesting how the schools come up with such different numbers. It is so frustrating too! My D is priority wait listed at what would have been her first choice school but the wait list rarely gets touched at this school. And wouldn’t you know it…the financial packet they offered her if she gets in is amazing! (This school sends the financial packet to wait listed kids because if a yes comes you have a short window to accept) Like rubbing salt in the wound. Here’s hoping, and praying, and keeping fingers crossed and … :)</p>
<p>fingers crossed for you and thank you all for sharing. @Bachmom you talked about the importance of SAT for scholarship are you comfortable giving a range where it looks like they want it to be?</p>
<p>This has actually been the most stressful part for us, we’ve been able eliminate only one- extremely generous merit but still only slightly halfway over total costs and we will not let her amass that kind of debt. We are waiting for the rest of the packages from 2 others…both have given generous merit but it can’t happen without the rest. My D never had a “dream” school- the focus was on the teachers, and now she has three really fine teachers from which to choose…one has already given full tuition and with the merit it brings us over tuition costs and halfway to room and board but we are reluctant to completely dismiss the others without seeing their offers. I was very glad that she wasn’t set on just one place, but not being so has it’s challenges too:)</p>
<p>@saintfan – The range varies from school to school. A combined critical reading and math score of 1300 is a good starting point. Check with the schools your child is interested in. There are full tuition scholarships available for topnotch musicians with both high GPA’s and SAT’s. Needless to say, the higher the score the better. I still believe the audition is more important, especially at conservatories, but some schools are looking to boost their overall stats and will cherry pick musicians with higher scores by offering more aid. Good luck! </p>
<p>Ha! Well Saintkid has 1300 on the nose from last December. I had decided to stand pat and focus on GPA and auditions (that’s not the hill I want to die on, in other words) but if an extra little bit would go a long way superscore wise maybe it would be worth it.</p>
<p>@saintfan sounds like you are in a good place…in the end, we’re talking about kids who want to play music…doing well at everything else is great and if it can be done with the least amount of stress wonderful, but we couldn’t fit in extra college classes in senior year like some others were doing and definitely couldn’t afford expensive SAT prep…so we did as you describe…got the best SAT possible in the time we could, and then focused on the music and kept grades up.</p>
<p>@mymble – This was our approach too. There simply wasn’t time for AP’s or test prep during senior year. S has a high GPA and still managed to get some academic aid and several large music scholarships. We’re working on increasing the financial aid at some of the schools. S will have to decide between four or five. Looks like we will be taking this right down to the wire. We visited one of the schools yesterday and many of the students told us they made their decision on the last day. </p>