| We also have a high EFC, but D received a decent merit scholarship at NEC. Eastman offered her the most. Peabody teacher also said she'd get merit money, but she chose not to apply there. I can't say how these schools approach merit aid generally, but this was our own experience. D's merit awards ranged from one-third to one-half tuition.
On each of D's applications, she had to list all the schools she was applying to. I wonder if this has an impact on financial aid awards. If a lower-tier school thinks they have to compete with Juilliard/Curtis, they may be willing to offer more merit money. (Of course, the audition needs to demonstrate that the student has a reasonable shot to get into those schools.) I don't know. It's just a thought. I also know that once all the acceptances/scholarship notices go out, it is possible to bargain for more.
Be careful with application requirements if your S/D is looking for only merit money. Some schools require no separate merit scholarship application (Eastman), some require early financial aid applications (NEC), others later.
Momnipotent, you are not sounding pretentious at all. Your lucky S already has a safety school! And if your S's teacher is at a respected music school, all the better! It is only natural for your S's teacher (as well as conductors) to want to hold onto a strong student. However, his teacher is an important part of the process to figure out what should come next. Don't feel awkward about this conversation. The teacher should be expecting it. If your S feels too awkward to initiate the conversation, then you can start it. |