all marks good except one really bad: what to do?

kmccrindle
Sun, 27 Jun 2010 08:05:19 +0000

Just to add one point as a former Canadian resident:
My son and I were really completely unaware of the extraordinary financial costs at private and out-of-state universities in the U.S. when we first moved here.
I am hoping that because you said:

I have nearly no money, so I’m counting on financial aid and scholarship.

that you are also planning to apply to some of the extraordinary music performance programs in Canada as well, such as McGill.
While McGill is highly selective, I would consider it at least a FINANCIAL safety for you. U of Toronto and U British Columbia may also be worth a look.

In the US, some of the “meets 100% need” schools such as Oberlin may very well end up giving you a package that meets all your needs, but many of the outstanding students receiving scholarships at music programs still end up with substantial costs that are significantly higher than attendance costs in Canada. Eg. if the tuition to the U.S. program is $43,000 (like NYU) then a $20,000 scholarship still leaves you with the TUITION ONLY cost for a single year that would net your four years at McGill (depending on where you live.)

Good luck in your search!

PS - I think the universities that do look at academics (eg. UMich) recognize that there is NOT the grade inflation in Canada that there is in the U.S. – was told as much once by a counselor, just FYI, so you should be in good shape.