How to prepare for the tough road ahead, once the decision is made

Good advice by all! I think it’s important to have the ‘after grad financial’ discussion at this point because it should be factored in to school choice when looking at financial aid packages. Don’t let these kids graduate with a lot of debt. I can’t stress that enough. And don’t sacrifice your retirement by taking on huge loans yourself! Kids who have student loans to pay every month are going to be at a serious disadvantage. They are not going to be able to get by with server/bartender/babysitting jobs and still pay their other bills.

Living in NYC is expensive and if that’s where your kid is planning to move after graduation, they are going to need a nest egg of probably several thousand dollars just to get started. If their apartment requires a guarantor, which many of them do, be prepared to have to provide all kinds of financial information, and very quickly!

I second the comment by @jbtcat about agents. I smile when I read posts about what percentage of a graduating class has representation. There are agents of all descriptions and of all levels of worth. Your kid may be fortunate enough to get a gem right away or they may be unlucky and get a dud that is of little assistance. This is yet another factor that must be researched but it’s early for any of you to be worrying about that now. :slight_smile: Just something to keep in the back of your mind.

This discussion might be of interest:

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/2063419-after-graduation-experiences-p1.html