<p>Might be interesting to chime in with more info (even excluding travel costs) that performing artists incur when applying and auditioning for colleges.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/816619-how-much-did-you-spend-applying-colleges.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/816619-how-much-did-you-spend-applying-colleges.html</a></p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Gosh, and for me, this is the main CC forum! </p>
<p>Between application fees, recording fees, campus visits, audition visits, the new instrument we bought last summer, the brand new bow that our teacher insisted we buy before making the recording, the multiple years of music lessons and summer camps, all those audition outfits in different shades of concert black, and of course the shoes…</p>
<p>I’m just going to curl up in a corner and cry now. Especially after reading some of the responses that are already up there.</p>
<p>I posted this in the other conversation to help the non-music parents feel better about their paltry expenditures:</p>
<p>Music performance major:</p>
<p>6 schools each at $100 per online application: $600</p>
<p>mailing of prescreening recordings and other materials (needed to use a trackable 6-day service): 6 schools X $40 = $240</p>
<p>accompanist fees for rehearsals and recording of prescreening recording: $300</p>
<p>audio and video recording and duplicating of 6 recordings (some DVD’s, some CD’s, each requiring different repertoire; two recording sessions; fortunately we managed to avoid rental fees for the recording spaces which were donated–a living room does not cut it acoustically and you cannot edit to add reverberation): $250</p>
<p>We live too far to have visited any of the schools (minimum 2 flights and 7 hours of flying)and so were unable to get any lessons at the schools which many performance majors do, but we did manage to get a free internet lesson, but had to travel a 600-mile round trip to get to a place with appropriate technology for an internet lesson (an ordinary high speed connection just doesn’t have either the audio or video quality necessary for a lesson): travel costs: 600 miles X 60 cents per mile = $360
plus I had to take a half day off of work to do the driving: $150</p>
<p>SAT: $71 (the regular US $45 plus a $26 international surcharge); fortunately we had stellar results the first time and I did all the tutoring (so no tutoring cost)</p>
<p>Total so far: $1971</p>
<p>We must travel to each school for an in-person audition (assuming we make it past the pre-screening stage). That will add about $7000 if we can manage to get our first choices for audition dates and minimize the number of flights required. No holidays for about four years (and all those northeastern conservatories are not known for their vacation weather during audition season, unless one finds snow a novelty which we most decidedly don’t:).</p>
<p>Addition to this thread:
Here’s the clincher: My son has a full-ride at the local excellent university for any of its colleges including a waived application fee (and this was offered without any application to the university: the university makes automatic offers to the very best students in the province), but he has already studied for 11 years with the university’s only teacher of his instrument. Even if he gets extraordinary money at the conservatories he is applying to, we still face about 4 years of travel and board and room that will come to well over $50 000 versus free at home.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, we are enjoying the adventure so far and look forward to our February/March travels.</p>
<p>Geez KaTMT, why open a can of worms? 
</p>
<p>It could easily be a grand or three (excluding travel per the OP on that thread, but I think lodging on a multi stop audition tour should be counted depending on the number of schools and potentially a few repeat visits); add app fees, postage, test scores transcripts accompanist(s), rehearsals/coachings/audition prep lessons, recording fees, studio time, perhaps an outlay for new audition performance wear, etc., etc., etc.</p>
<p>Then if you do post, at the very least you’ll:</p>
<p>a) have to defend all that as necessary;</p>
<p>b) have to justify being a performance/music major, spending oogobs of $ for a career that will train you to be perpetually un(der)employed.</p>
<p>c) and have to explain why there are no performance majors offered at the Ivys.</p>
<p>Naw.</p>
<p>stradmom, you’re far safer here. Collectively we understand each other, and what drives our kids. :D</p>
<p>The music, theatre, musical theatre, and dance forums are my “main” CC forums as well :).</p>
<p>I thought it might be good for all of you to post on the parents forum thread. People not involved often discount the arts as “fluffy” majors. Thought sharing the commitment, time and expence could " spread the news" ;)</p>
<p>Kat, my comments were tongue in cheek. I wasn’t discouraging anyone from letting them know the idiosyncrasies.</p>
<p>A bit of wry humor helps a bit entering audition time.</p>
<p>;)</p>