@mominwestlake What is your son’s instrument? We had the same experience with the NEC financial aid document, which included the loan options.
@Jazzmom3 My son plays trombone.
@SongStress2024 D received an email this evening saying the decision would be available tomorrow after 5pm CST in the VU portal.
@teewhy Thanks for the update on Blair. My daughter just got an email that the results will come out tomorrow at 5pm FYI: Someone on a Vanderbilt CC thread (non-Blair thread) said the girl my D knows who already got accepted to Blair last Thursday likely got a scholarship, bc that is what happened to her daughter’s friend…she found out last Thursday she was into Blair with a Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship and her formal acceptance to the school will come out with RD. So, sorry if that is me sharing some bad news. However, I am hopeful our D’s both got plentiful music merit awards! Fingers crossed. Best of Luck!!
Received a letter from CMU that D is on the priority waitlist- they want her to fill out a form because of her “qualifications”. Is there any chance though that the school could offer something that would compare to her BU offer? They have our financials because we submitted everything. If anyone has insight on this, I would be appreciative. First time playing this kind of game.
Mannes and Northwestern!
Bold print for final choice.
4HSKIDS (daughter) BM Songwriting and Vocal Performance
1/31 Berklee (email to check portal)
angelcatcher (Son) BM Jazz Studies Bass
Wayne State (email to portal + mail)
MSU (email to portal + mail)
2/24 Univ Michigan SMTD (email to check portal)
3/24 Northwestern Bienen & Weinberg (email to portal)
arkham (son)
12/19 Berklee BM VP (email to check portal)
12/20 Loyola New Orleans BM Jazz Studies Voice (email to check portal)
12/23 Adelphi BFA Theatre Arts: Acting (snail mail)
3/4 SUNY Purchase (regular mail)
3/5 UNT (email)
3/16 The New School for Jazz Voice
3/23 Temple University for Jazz Vocal
BenniesMom1 (son) Clarinet Performance
1/10 -University of Delaware (portal)
2/4 Rowan Univ School of Performing Arts BM Performance (portal)
2/5 Wells School of Music - West Chester University BM Performance (Accept’d message)
2/11 West Virginia University SOM BM Music Ed or BA Music
2/24 Mary Pappert School of Music, Duquesne -BM Performance & Music Technology(portal)
03/11 Kutztown University Department of Music - BA Music Performance Instrument (portal)
03/12 Tell School of Music, Millersville University - BM Music Performance & Music Industry(email to check portal)
BigPapi2 (son) Viola Music Ed
Berklee
3/3 Ball State (email to check portal)
bonfigleo (son) BM Horn Performance
2/7 Madison-Mead Witter (email)
2/20 IU/Jacobs (snail mail)
Busy_Momma (son) BM/BA Dual Degree
3/6 Univ Washington (portal)
3/24 Northwestern (portal)
cellistamadre (daughter) BM Cello Performance
1/24 Penn State (snail mail)
3/11 Ithaca College (portal)
3/22 Eastman School of Music
ClassCompMom (son) BM Composition
3/3 New England Conservatory (email)
coloraturagirl (daughter) BM Vocal Performance (soprano)
University of Houston
Cal State Fullerton
San Diego State University
University of California- Irvine
Boston University
UCLA- waitlisted
CMU- waitlisted
NEC/Tufts Dual Degree
Doransa (son) BM Music Composition
2/10 IU/Jacobs (snail mail)
2/17 CCM (email to check portal)
3/21 Oberlin Conservatory (email to check portal)
3/23 Eastman School of Music (email to check portal)
3/23 Cleveland Institute of Music (email to check portal)
Elegie17 BM Classical VP Soprano
2/24 SUNY Purchase
3/12 Syracuse Setnor School of Music
3/21 IU/Jacobs
GalaOvsi (daughter) BM Classical VP Soprano
2/24 SUNY Purchase (email)
HiyaHoyas (daughter) BM Flute Performance
2/6 IU/Jacobs (email 2/6, snail mail 2/12)
2/24 Univ of Denver/Lamont School of Music (email to check portal)
3/6 DePaul (email to check portal)
3/6 Roosevelt CCPA (email to check portal)
IronCitEE (daughter) BM Violin Performance
2/7 Duquesne (email 2/7 snail mail 2/12)
3/20 IU/Jacobs (snail mail)
Jazzmom3 (Son) Vocal Performance
12/19 Berklee (email to check portal)
12/6 LACM (email)
12/24 Belmont (snail mail)
3/5 UNT Jazz (email)
3/16 The New School Jazz (email to check portal)
3/11 MEIS CU Denver (email)
3/20 NEC Contemporary Improvisation (email)
JoHollywood (son) MM Voice/Opera Tenor
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (phone call)
3/13 IU/Jacobs (email)
3/15 SFCM waitlisted (email)
3/15 Boston Conservatory (email)
Kean DMA Piano Performance
3/6 Rutgers (email)
3/14 Eastman (email to check portal)
3/23 Cleveland Institute of Music (email to check portal)
khalijahsmom MT
AMDA (email)
MezzoDadByNight - (Daughter) BM - Vocal Performance
12/14 Southern Methodist University/Meadows EA
12/17 Baylor Univ EA
12/19 DePauw University (email)
3/18 Pepperdine University
3/21 Oberlin Conservatory (email)
3/21 Carnegie Mellon (email)
3/23 Eastman School of Music (email to check portal)
MezzoMama (daughter) BM Classical Vocal Performance Mezzo-Soprano
3/4 Chapman University
3/15 San Francisco Conservatory of Music
3/17 UC Santa Barbara (portal)
3/20 New England Conservatory
3/21 Carnegie Mellon waitlisted (Acceptd portal)
3/21 UCLA (portal)
mindyou BM Piano
12/19 Berklee (mail)
mom2clarinetobsessedkid BM Clarinet Performance
Temple University/Boyer
Shenandoah Conservatory
2/14 University of Michigan SMTD (email to check portal)
3/20 IU/Jacobs (snail mail)
3/22 Eastman School of Music (email to check portal)
MomOfSingers (son) VP Bass-Baritone
2/19 Univ Michigan SMTD (email to check portal)
2/24 Lawrence Conservatory (email to check the portal)
3/4 Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College (message through GetAccptd)
3/21 Oberlin (email to check portal)
3/23 Eastman School of Music
Momofviolinboy (son) BM Violin Performance
3/2 JMU (via email)
3/10 McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University (via email)
3/20 NEC (email)
3/21 Oberlin (portal)
Musicmom2two (daughter) BM Music Ed Soprano
Berklee College of Music
NECJ97 BM Jazz Studies Voice
North Central College
University of IL (portal)
Loyola New Orleans (email)
2/24 Univ of Denver/Lamont School of Music (portal)
3/14 Western MI (email)
OrangeJacket (daughter) Mezzo Soprano
Late November St. Mary’s Minnesota BFA Acting (snail mail)
12/13 Oklahoma City University BM Vocal Performance (email)
12/13 Baylor University BM Applied Music VP (snail mail)
2/11 UT Austin (email to check portal)
pianissimolove Piano Performance
2/20 IU/Jacobs
3/7 UC Santa Barbara
Pocket22 (Daughter) - Popular Music Keyboard / Piano
12/7 Belmont - BM Commercial Music (mail)
12/11 CU Denver College of Arts and Media - MEIS (email to check portal)
12/12 Lewis and Clark - BA Music (email to check portal)
12/15 Cornish College of the Arts - BM (email to check portal)
12/6 University of Oregon - BA Commercial Music (email to check portal)
12/19 Berklee - BM (email to check portal)
Scripps College BA Music
Occidental College BA Music
3/21 Oberlin Conservatory (email to check portal)
Racingfan53 Classical Mezzo-Soprano
12/? Azusa Pacific University BA Music (snail mail)
2/17 University of Kansas BME Music Education (email)
3/3 UNT BM Music Ed
3/10 CSUF BM Music Ed, email
raincat (son) BM Jazz Piano
12/19 Berklee (email to check portal)
rubypiano (son) Piano/Keyboard Commercial Music and Jazz
12/18 Elon MPRA Program (email to check portal)
1/30 Belmont (snail mail)
2/19 CalArts (email to check portal)
2/24 Univ of Denver/Lamont School of Music (email to check portal)
3/16 The New School
runninglate (daughter) BM Vocal Performance
1/14 Loyola New Orleans (email)
2/11 UT Austin (email to check portal)
2/26 CCM (email to check portal)
2/28 IU/Jacobs (snail mail)
3/15 SFCM (email to check portal)
3/21 Oberlin
3/21 Carnegie Mellon (Acceptd)
Senior2016M
2/28 IU/Jacobs
3/13 Univ Michigan SMTD (email)
shulad (daughter) Violin Performance
IU/Jacobs (snail mail)
3/20 New England Conservatory
songbirdmama (daughter) MM Vocal Performance/Opera Soprano
2/13 IU/Jacobs (snail mail)
3/3 Univ of Maryland Opera Studio - waitlisted
3/17 Bard Conservatory (email)
3/24 Mannes (email)
SongStress2024 (daughter) Soprano VP and Neuroscience
Duquesne Direct Admit Pre-Med
3/21 Boston Univ College of Fine Arts Scholar
Syracuse University
tableforsix (son) BM Cello Performance
2/17 Univ Michigan SMTD (email to check portal)
3/11 Southern Methodist University/Meadows - recorded aud (email to check portal)
3/20 New England Conservatory (email)
3/21 Oberlin Conservatory (email to check portal)
3/23 Eastman School of Music (email to check portal)
3/23 Cleveland Institute of Music (email to check portal)
teewhy (Daughter) BM VP Soprano
2/27 Memphis (email to check portal)
2/28 TCU (snail mail)
2/28 West Virginia (email to check portal)
3/5 UNT (GetAccptd)
3/21 IU/Jacobs (snail mail)
tubamama (son) Tuba Performance and Economics
12/6 Stanford (portal)
@SongStress2024 Thanks for the information, those scholarships are beyond competitive; ditto fingers crossed for acceptance and mucho dinero for Blair merit for both D’s 
Hey! For everybody curious about financial awards-here’s a previous year’s thread that could prove useful:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/2130409-merit-scholarships-for-music-majors-reported-by-school-p1.html
CONGRATS to all the latest acceptances. I just LOVE reading this book !!
I know there are only a few folks here who auditioned for the Mary Pappert School of Music @ Duquesne University (a gem in downtown Pittsburgh w/ most of the music faculty members of the Pittsburgh Symphony) so this info is not for them. But for those who are coming along next year… (and for anybody doing a list for this year like the helpful one @cellistamadre just posted ) they offer EVERY musician who auditions and gets accepted a 50% off tuition “Lead With Music Scholarship” … which this year parlays into $23,831 - renewable every year for 4. There’s also a Music Enhancement Award, varying amounts (4K added here ) and looks like a Room and Board 4K which goes to all students, I think. All of these are auto renewable for 4 years… no stipulations either except that you have to live on campus to get that 4K. With other institutional & government grants/loans offered, his F/A package is sitting at $50,046 at the moment for the year. If my calculations are right, this is 83% of the total tuition, R&B and fees of $64.932. Did I do that right? Not too shabby, if I calculated right and I just realized. Hmmm… Anyhoo, since we’re talking scholarships and such, just thought to post for future reference.
The Money Game… Interesting game we’re playing… one that I’m getting better at day by day. HA. I follow the philosophy… If you don’t ask, you don’t get. And just like Oliver - every day I’m singing… "Please Sir. May I have some… More ? " All they can do is say yes… or no. I’ve been on the YES roll lately. I’m working on another “Please Sir… may I have some More” email, as I type this 
The package has changed 4 times upwards since the initial offer, singing my son. A full ride is not out of the question. And I’m actually enjoying the game. Keeping my mind of missed senior concerts, and graduation and prom, and well… you know… Senior stuff. I had already started crafting Decorations and gifts for “College Decision Day” they do at his school on April 30th. UGGGH… what a bummer. The Governor has issued a Stay at Home order until 05/15 !!
After all this singing, will my kid go there? Unlikely, cause his favorite instructor is elsewhere and making offers as well. Waiting to finish playing that game too and will advise of the BOLD hopefully by the end of the week!! Almost there.
@BenniesMom1 Surely Duquesne is a good school that gives out generous aid, but seems like opportunities after grad are slim. My D has two cousins who studied there, both piano and they both got their BM and MM at Duquesne, both were offered 80-100% aid and paid very little while studying there, got 4.0 GPA and Presser Scholarship etc but after grad they could barely find jobs or performance opps 
just for references.
@2427Mom … My son is getting a BM in performance for an orchestral instrument and Music Technology so will have different results, I’m sure, than your D’s cousins with piano performance, but thanks for the point of reference. Competition is fierce out there! Not being able to find jobs or get performance opportunities right out of college can happen for tons of musicians graduating from various music programs across the county. Everybody’s experience is different. It’s what you make of it that matters. With this Momager in his corner, I’m confident my son will do just fine when he graduates, from Duquesne or elsewhere.
Hi all,
Negotiating is definitely an important part of the process at many schools. I found this article helpful: https://www.violinist.com/blog/karenrile/20144/15696/
One point that the author makes is that negotiating should be limited to your student’s top choice. Admissions deans have a fixed pool of money to commit to a group of deserving kids. They’re working hard to make the right calls; the money they offer to one student can’t be offered to another until the first one turns it down, by which point it may be too late for No. 2. The system only works if both sides negotiate in good faith: the student is clear about what it will take to get him/her to commit, and the school does everything it can to insure that commitment.
By the same token, if there are schools your student definitely will NOT attend at this point, please let them know immediately. That way your child’s scholarship offer can be freed up for someone else.
Finally, we found there were some schools with simply no wiggle room (or maybe they just wouldn’t wiggle
for my kid). Berklee and NYU were on this list, along with his state school.
Good luck!
GREAT article @akapiratequeen . Thanks for sharing. I don’t understand, though, why one would want to limit the negotiating to just one school. I would think it would be helpful to do it at the top 2 choices so you can have some negotiating ground - School 1 just offered an additional X$, can you do better kinda thing. Food for thought. PLUS if the #1 school is lolligagging on their financial aid package, it would be prudent to start negotiating at #2 so you can have SOMETHING if #1 doesn’t come through. Anyhooo… in my money game, there are two players ?
My son has been accepted at Boston Conservatory at Berklee and New England Conservatory. He was waitlisted at Eastman. Are we able to share here scholarship amounts and for what program? If anyone is willing to discuss scholarship amounts and negotiating thoughts, I would appreciate it. Or perhaps we need to pm?
We are definitely hoping he can get more money.
@mominwestlake, last year we handled this by having everyone pm the details of their scholarship offers to a single person, who then posted them without names attached. If there is interest, I would be willing to compile the information this year. it could be posted either here or on a separate thread, whichever the group thinks would be more helpful. Keep in mind that we are looking at apples to oranges in many cases, though.
@BenniesMom1, this is just my
opinion, but to me the point of negotiating is to allow kids to attend their top school at a price the parent can manage. It’s not a “show me the money” scenario but a conversation in good faith, understanding that another kid will lose money to the extent that my kid gains it. With this in mind, I would not be comfortable pushing for more money at a school my kid isn’t planning to attend anyway. I did leverage his other offers to get more money from his first choice, but only because it would not have been possible for him to attend without the bump.
@BenniesMom1 we are in the negotiating process with Boston U right now. My D went directly to the Profs who praised her audition weekend. They replied to her immediately and enthusiastically to help and said they would be with her every step of the negotiating way. It is so worth it to fight for your number one school and we are not giving up hope just yet! I am happy to PM to share thoughts and would love to know your approach as well. We are keeping our hopes very high for Boston and more money. Best of luck to you and all who are negotiating. The worst they can say is “no.” OR they might just say YES! We have nothing to loose in the asking!
^lose
@akapiratequeen that was an EXCELLENT article on negotiating your case for more aid. Thanks so much for sharing. I never thought to introduce how our financial situation has changed since D applied (it seems like it should have been a no brainer on my part). Since the pandemic my husband’s firm gave him a 10% pay cut, and I work at a on-profit regional theatre which has cancelled its upcoming summer season (who knows if I will even have a paycheck or a job in the coming months). These are our financial realities. Thank you for the article. My approach in negotiating has now changed.
@akapiratequeen I imagine if you had BOTH offers (or all offers) in hand, that might make sense. But if your top choice offer is an IF, in other words… nothing official on paper (portal) yet, I don’t see the downside in negotiating with the one that IS on paper. From day one, my kid has understood that in the final analysis, it WILL be about who “shows you the most money” so to speak, and THAT will become your first choice… and you will grow to love it like it’s been your first choice all along. Expectations set … a year ago… and we’ve debriefed on it several time. I personally don’t feel comfortable waiting until the end to do negotiations which could have been going all along. It wouldn’t make for smooth negotiations… more like desperate negotiation to get one offer which I can afford. So, right now as it stands, IF top choice comes through with what’s being SAID, it’s unlikely that he will go to school where negotiations are being made. But what IF that never shows up on paper? Can I (single parent here… so all on me!) afford that top choice? No… but I’m not going to stress about it because I’ve already negotiated a nice deal elsewhere. Is my kid going to be upset ? Not one bit because expectations were set from the beginning that ultimately, your top choice will be one from your top two that gives the best financial package. Would he be able to attend where I’ve negotiated already, had I not already negotiated?? Definitely not. So then he’s stuck. That’s not going to happen. And for sure, as soon as a decision can be made, the other school will know so that they can release the funds, or lack thereof, and make them available for some other student. And no matter what name you give to this $$ game… good faith/bad faith - scenario/conversation… the negotiation IS all about “showing me the money”. Isn’t that the whole point of a financial negotiation?
@BenniesMom1 as I said, your mileage will vary. If you don’t yet have an offer you can afford you absolutely have to do what you think is best. Did his first choice school say when they will be making an official scholarship offer?