<p>In the New York Times (2010) Mary Anna Dennard, the author of “I Got In!: The Ultimate College Audition Guide for Acting and Musical Theater,” states that </p>
<p>“Many of these programs (Carnegie Mellon, University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music, Texas State, Pace University, Boston Conservatory) offer substantial scholarships, and even full rides to those who qualify.” </p>
<p>This is undoubtedly true, but you won’t know the exact amount of the scholarship until after you have applied, filled out your FAFSA, and gone through their entire audition process - unlike the full ride scholarships (which I list above) that tell you up front exactly what you will receive if you are awarded the scholarship.</p>
<p>By the way, to illustrate my point, out of all the the MT programs she lists above, only one of them advertises a full ride scholarship based on merit, and that school is Cincinnati* (which is mentioned in my list). So if the other schools she lists do award full rides, you can’t just apply for them because they aren’t advertised through the normal channels (Financial Aid and Scholarships). Therefore, they are opaque. There is no transparency regarding their criteria or the combination of aid that is used to build them. </p>
<ul>
<li>Texas State also offers a full ride, but it is only open to Texas residents and it considers financial need.<br></li>
</ul>
<p>And if these “behind closed doors” full ride scholarships include state and federal aid, what happens when a sibling graduates from college and the calculations for determining need change? What if a Pell Grant is reduced or is no longer awarded? Does the school pick up the difference, or do you? With an up front full ride scholarship you don’t have to worry about things like that. </p>
<p>Ms. Dennard is undoubtedly speaking truth when she says that these top MT programs offer substantial scholarships, but have you seen most of their prices (Texas State aside)? Even a substantial scholarship can be drop in the bucket compared to what a family really needs in order for their child to graduate with minimal debt from college. Of the top ten MT schools* (Michigan, Carnegie-Mellon, New York, Cincinnati, Elon, Oklahoma City University, Boston Conservatory, Penn State, Syracuse, and Ithaca) only one (Cincinnati) offers an advertised full ride scholarship. </p>
<ul>
<li>Source: <a href=“Discover the 10 Best Colleges for Musical Theatre - Music School Central”>http://musicschoolcentral.com/discover-the-10-best-colleges-for-musical-theater/</a></li>
</ul>
<p>College loan debt is a big deal for any college student, but it is an even bigger deal for students who want to pursue a performance career in musical theatre. The sad truth is that very few people who prepare for a career in MT actually make a full time living out of MT performance. And if they are going to take a real shot at a performance career in MT, at least at the start, many will have to find so-called “survival jobs” to make ends meet in between acting jobs. </p>
<p>But if a MT student graduates from college with significant debt they must take on a steady, well paying job which pays enough to service their debt, not a survival job. This significantly impacts their career in negative ways. If they can’t take on survival job that can be easily quit (and picked up again) and which has flexible hours, they can’t audition freely and accept a role at a moment’s notice. And if they can’t accept a role, there are plenty of actors for casting agents to choose from who can. </p>
<p>I compiled the list found above because I wanted to give students who are interested in musical theatre as a major, and who have done exceptionally well in high school (both in GPA and ACT/SAT), a way to see where their hard work could potentially be rewarded. I also wanted them to know about full ride scholarships that are offered in transparent ways. </p>
<p>I see posts on CC about students who apply to an MT college, fill out a FAFSA, and receive “almost a full ride”. But what does that phrase, “almost a full ride” mean exactly? What is an “almost a full ride”? Before I put my hopes in that “almost a full ride”, I would like to know a little more about how large the gap is between what the aid package gives (not including loans) and what the family must pay. After all, one person’s “almost a full ride” may be another person’s significant debt. </p>
<p>The nice thing about applying to MT schools which offer full ride scholarships, like the ones I have listed above, is that there is no guessing game with respect to the dollar amount. These scholarships really do pay tuition, room, and board over four years. There is no “almost” or “close to”. These scholarships are the real deal and although you may not get one, at least you know going in that it is possible. You don’t have to wait until the back end and negotiate to see if you can get an “almost full ride”. </p>
<p>Now, of course, all of these scholarships are very competitive, and most people who apply won’t get one. Consider carefully how impressive your academic/service profile is, and be realistic about your chances. But even the students who don’t get the full ride usually receive a generous scholarship package. And if they don’t get the full ride they can still negotiate to get as much scholarship money as they can, perhaps “almost a full ride”. In that sense students who apply at MT colleges which offer full rides are no worse off than they would have been had they applied at all those other MT colleges where people get “almost full” rides. But at least they know going in that they had a real opportunity to compete for a bona fide full ride scholarship, not a full ride scholarship which may, or may not, </p>
<p>1) be renewable over four years
2) adjust its dollar values to keep up with price hikes
3) even be a true full ride</p>
<p>To that last point, many people confuse a full tuition scholarship with a full ride scholarship. A full tuition scholarship is also a wonderful thing, but room and board over four years adds up to a lot. Full tuition scholarships don’t cover that cost.</p>