<p>It happens that because of mono, this is the ONLY school she didn’t do a talent audition for. It would have been just for money, not admission. Fortunately for my sanity, in this case, like many schools, the talent money is capped and isn’t really huge - enough for books or something, very very rarely exceeding a few thousand and normally less than two - so we don’t have to beat ourselves up about it too much. (and it’s too late anyway so I just have to keep telling myself, don’t go there, don’t go there!!! lol!) BUT even with her not getting any, she still got the best offer from them than from anyone else of the same caliber. She got the same amount of money from a couple other schools but they cost a pretty good chunk more and so this ended up being, for us, actually about the same amount of money as it would be for her to go to a flagship school in the same city. lol. Because that particular school gives no money to students like my D. So - pretty compelling. </p>
<p>Class rank and standardized test scores will get a decent amount of merit aid and they have quite a few really good scholarships for community service, look at their website. </p>
<p>The program is not nationally known, but it has a good regional reputation. The school itself is a great fit for my D. So - hard to ask for more.</p>
<p>I found that there was such a difference between websites from one school to another. One thing I loved about this school was that their theater program is given such emphasis. I think that says a lot about how a school treats it’s theater program. Their website is like, “hey, we are a really great school and all OH LOOK AT OUR THEATRE PROGRAM”. 
Such a contrast between another school we looked at whose theater website has been “under construction” ever since we first looked at it almost a year ago…clearly not a big priority at that school, we crossed it off the list immediately!!! (Only looked at it because her best friend who graduated a year before her went there…not known for theater, and it’s clear to see why. HA.)</p>
<p>I’m sure there will be days that either she or I will be aggravated with it as there is sure to be with every school (or institution of any kind) on the face of the earth, but I feel really good about it and keep feeling better as we go along. Unlike some of her options where I just kept getting a nagging little voice about one thing or another…you know that voice. I have found best not to ignore it…</p>