Worth the trip?

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>Ok, so I've been accepted to both OCU and Hartt's MT programs.. and I have a dilemma. </p>

<p>Living in the area, having gone to OCU's MT summer program the last two years, and knowing several OCU students, I know pretty much everything there is to know about OCU's program, the good and the bad. On the other spectrum, I have Hartt, which except for the few questions I asked at the audition, I know absolutely NOTHING about. </p>

<p>OCU is definitely the cheaper option. I have nearly $60,000 in scholarships there, whereas at Hartt I only have an $8000 a year talent scholarship, which doesn't really put a dent in the nearly $40,000 it costs a year to go there. (We don't qualify for any type of financial aid) Now, I'm sure if I visited Hartt and absolutely fell in love with it, we could find a way to afford it, but I don't know if I could do that to my parents..</p>

<p>So here's my question. Should I just stick with OCU and forget about Hartt, or at least visit Hartt and see what it has to offer, even though it would not be the smartest choice financially. (My mom doesn't want to waste money on a trip if there's not a chance I would realistically go there.)</p>

<p>I absolutely adore OCU's program, and I LOVE the faculty, but my concern about it is that it is sooo close to home (literally 20 minutes away), and that fact that it is mainly a music program, whereas I feel I am a much stronger actor (but maybe this would be a good option to work on my weaknesses?). Also the fact that I have a friend who in her four years at OCU has only been cast in the ensemble of one show.. but then again I also have friends who have been cast in more than one show in just their freshman year, so you never know! I know this shouldn't be a concern since this could happen at any school I went to, but it just seems so much realer when you know someone whom it has happened to haha. </p>

<p>And as for Hartt's program.. I like that it is an acting based program, but I don't like that it is a conservatory. I also like that they work so closely with such great theatres. And I know I wanted to get away from home, but Connecticut might be a little too far for me. And other than that, I know very little about the program. </p>

<p>So I guess I'm just asking for your opinions.. is it worth the visit?? I would appreciate any feedback :)</p>

2

<p>kitkatt565 - We visited Hartt when we were on vacation last summer seeing my brother who lives in New Haven. My D is just finishing her jr year in hs so will not be auditioning until next year. My D loved Hartt. She really liked the University of Hartford itself and also the BFA program at Hartt. She considers herself a singer who acts, so she liked the acting focus at Hartt. </p>

<p>Before you take a trip you may want to contact Hartt and ask them if there are any other scholarships you could be considered for as the cost of attending the school is holding you back.</p>

<p>Congratulations on your great acceptances and good luck with your decision!</p>

3

<p>Kitkatt - I actually would really recommend you visit Hartt. Simply because you may be pleasantly surprised, and realize that as soon as you walk onto the campus, that this is “home”, or the exact opposite, that OCU is really the way to go for you. </p>

<p>It is a good time, because right now there are a lot of special airfare deals, and so the cost of flying out there, will be worth it to set your mind at ease and help you make your final choice. </p>

<p>My daughter was somewhat in a similar position in that she received some offers last year that would have covered her tuition, and yet she had applied ED to NYU, as we know a potentially very expensive option. Yes, by applying ED she indeed committed to attending if admitted, but that did not take away from the fact that she also was well aware that a less expensive school would have been easier financially on our family.</p>

<p>However, having visited the different schools (she mostly auditioned on site), she got a feeling where she could thrive and learn the most, and this helped to put things in perspective. The cost of tuition is an important consideration, but there are definitely other things to look at as well. The “cheapest solution” can be, but is not always, the right option :D, and like showmom says, you have nothing to loose by trying to see if Hartt would be willing to “up the ante” a bit on beforehand.</p>

4

<p>Perhaps you could negotiate with your parents to provide for a summer NYC or summer abroad acting program if you accepted OKC. That’s a deal I may offer my daughter when everything is on the table. And it’s true airline fares are low now but they may not stay that way so factor in travel costs also.</p>

5

<p>kitkatt565…My daughter and I have had similar questions of visiting schools and costs. She is also choosing between Hartt’s BFA and Muhlenberg’s BA. She has her heart set on a conservatory style training but agreed with me that you really can’t make a decision on something until you see it and really get a feel for it. Hartt is a more expensive option, since you are not eligible for merit aid as a Hartt student, but as a parent I feel she has come this far and the next four years are important and I would rather stretch financially if it is the right answer, rather than investing in somewhere she might not stay. However, as for a visit-I think whatever the cost (and it’s really expensive to fly there from South Florida right now-) is minimal compared to a four year education. When you think of all the money spent of applications, auditions, travel, etc…this is like coming down home stretch and you don’t want to run out of steam. Good luck with your decision, and if you end up at Hartt perhaps you’ll end up with my daughter in MT.</p>

6

<p>Congrats on being accepted to two great MT programs. You must be very talented! (Also thanks for your previous help via PM.)</p>

<p>It’s impossible for anyone to really appreciate the full dilemma you find yourself in. Tough deal. But at least you have two wonderful options to choose from.</p>

<p>As a parent, there a million things to consider. Most of us want to do everything possible to allow our children to follow their dreams. </p>

<p>In a perfect world, money is not an issue, and you make the decision based on what is the best school for your desired career/educational path. But I must say, if money is even remotely a consideration, then the “right” answer becomes much more difficult.</p>

<p>If Hartt is better for you, then many parents would sacrifice to allow you to go there. But if the distinction between the programs isn’t that great, then it really does make sense to save your family a bucketful of money and matriculate at OCU.</p>

<p>If your parents are like my wife and me, they will want to see every possible performance that you get to participate in. Clearly, that would be infinitely easier from 20 minutes away. Traveling from OKC to Hartford will be an ordeal, regardless of the price. Also, you may have other family, friends, and fans in your community that will love to see you perform in college, many of which may not be able to justify an expensive trip.</p>

<p>Another thing to consider is your level of familiarity with the faculty at OCU. You have a huge head start as they know your talents, and clearly they appreciate them. If they are awarding you with $60k in scholarships, they will want to see their money well spent, which could translate to good opportunities as you progress through the program.</p>

<p>Please take all my comments with a grain of salt, as I have no idea of all the factors involved in your decision. My thoughts come purely from a parent that is trying to give a practical take on what I might do if faced with a similar challenge.</p>

<p>Most of us parents can only dream of our children being faced with the great opportunities that lie ahead for you. Good luck!</p>

7

<p>Kitkatt565-
Congratulations on your acceptances. My D and I visited Hartt twice. We still haven’t heard if she is in or out. But when we went on the tour with the present students, we weren’t thrilled with the idea of not being able to audition until your junior year for their main shows. We were told they changed the program and freshmen do their shows just for themselves(no outside audience) and sophmores are now doing sophmore shows with no outside audience and they no longer audition for main shows in the spring of their sophmore year. The mainshows are now reserved for the junior and senior students. So as a parent, we wouldn’t see our kids perform till their junior year if they got cast. There may be student directed programs available for the underclassmen, but I don’t know much about them. They do have a strong dance program and were told sometimes they mix into the mainstage productions if they need strong dancers. I hope this helps.</p>

8

<p>Sashusmom – I understand your hesitation about this policy. Many schools don’t allow freshman to audition, (like Syracuse, where my D is a junior) and a few also prohibit sophomores from auditioning. HOWEVER, I should point out that in most cases, underclassmen are simply not as experienced and skilled as juniors and seniors, and are less likely to be cast even if allowed to audition. A no-audition policy allows the younger students to improve and fine-tune their skills until they can compete with the older students. I have seen many cases where freshmen get to college, raring to audition and perform, and then are devastated when they don’t get cast right away. In the case of Hartt, it does sound like freshman and sophomores have opportunities to perform, even though it may not be in a mainstage show. Hartt has a great program – don’t let this policy turn you off to the school.</p>