<p>Agreed DaddyW, that figuring out the college audition process is challenging enough without also factoring in the availability of scholarships and grants. As a mom of two S’s wanting BFA MT programs, it was super challenging for us. We made it very clear early on that schools that could offer merit/talent aid were of highest priority. </p>
<p>Even though our coach cautioned early on that a few of their “dream schools” were notoriously skimpy on scholarships, I let S & S keep a couple on their lists “just in case” we got a miracle. (It didn’t happen.) We’re now in the home stretch and I will say that the “finalists” in the process are a couple of schools that were the most generous when it came to merit awards. </p>
<p>I realize you’re probably in the same boat, so I’ll offer this advice to others coming up for next year:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Even though your kids are aiming for BFAs, don’t overlook academics. I used to joke with my kids about why they were taking “AP Calculus AB” when they wanted to go to “singing-acting-dancing” college, but ultimately their GPAs and academic rigor were the deciding factors in the merit aid they received. Encourage prep for SATs / ACTs, too. Thankfully my guys had good scores on both. Another bonus for merit awards is that most of the schools considered my S’s automatically; they didn’t have to fill out a myriad of additional applications. (Pay attention to deadlines, though. Sometimes your S or D must apply by a certain date in order to be considered for academic merit.)</p></li>
<li><p>Ask questions about scholarship money. Some schools tie scholarships to participation in honors classes, others don’t. Make sure your S or D understands his or her responsibilities to keeping grades up in order to keep scholarships from year to year. </p></li>
<li><p>Research, research, research. I know some here on CC frown on college visits before acceptances, but we chose to dive in with a spring break trip junior year. For us, it was a good experience that opened our eyes to a variety of schools and proved to S & S that some of the smaller campuses were great options. My first question for every campus tour was “do you offer merit or talent aid?” I knew we probably wouldn’t qualify for FAFSA/need-based aid, so merit awards were very important to us. In the end, and I don’t think this will surprise anyone, the schools that were the most generous were the private colleges in the small- to mid-sized range. They tend to be schools that can use their generous awards to attract bright students who could otherwise be admitted to highly selective universities based on their grades and test scores alone. We were very honest with our boys that we would value a smaller school that offered better aid, over a “big-name, A-list school” that offered no aid. S & S knew that going in, so there are no surprises now when we will have to say “no” to a couple of their acceptances. Ask lots of questions and don’t overlook a hidden gem just because it isn’t “Big Name U.” There are many wonderful up-and-coming programs out there. These boards are filled with lots of info. </p></li>
<li><p>Be realistic when it comes to what merit aid can and cannot do. Know that merit aid probably won’t be a full ride. At a couple of schools my S’s applied to, merit aid was capped at the price of tuition, so even at the top-level scholarship, we’d still be paying room, board, expenses, etc. (And again, those top-level scholarships are rare.) Also, very few schools let you combine academic and artistic scholarships. Some only let you take the larger of the two. Ask that question up front. Also be sure you know whether awards are renewable year-to-year, if students must reapply, etc. </p></li>
<li><p>Go for the dream schools. But remember that even the most generous merit scholarship (which is rare–have I stressed that enough?) may not reduce the price enough. Met a boy on Saturday who said he’d received a $20K scholarship to NYU Tisch, but he pointed out that even $66K minus $20K still leaves a $46K tuition bill that remains out of reach for his family. </p></li>
<li><p>Balance that list! Not just in terms of academic and artistic reach, fit and safeties, but also for financial fit. You simply must have a few schools on your list that you can afford. And those should probably be the first ones you add. For us, “affording” meant our two S’s being able to attend without taking on loans, but for every family that might be a different definition. Discuss your “budget” and select schools that are appropriate for your situation.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I hope this helps. Feel free to message me for specifics on individual schools. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m happy to share what little knowledge we’ve gleaned along the way…</p>