<p>For the record, my D was waitlisted at Northwestern, and I imagine that as nice as Wash U is, she would have picked NU over it, simply because of the theater program. (she didn’t stay on the waltlist, because of her Tisch acceptance.) (we also never visited NU, although we had hoped to; I’m sure she would have been happy there even though we never saw it…)</p>
<p>Anyway, as a parent watching all this unfold, my big fear, to be perfectly honest, was that my D was going to end up picking theater as the first criteria and the academics / caliber of the student body second. It was a big relief to me that this didn’t become an issue for us!! I totally supported my D in her quest to go for her theater dream and am just lucky that it worked out the way it did…At Tisch, particularly in her studio, even though there is not as much opportunity to take as great a variety of other courses and pursue different interests (due as much to time constraints and only two days to pursue academics), there is a strong intellectual and creative component to the work, even in the studio, so again, as a parent, I feel like she is really in the right place.</p>
<p>Interestingly enough, in her first day at studio at Tisch, they asked how many kids’ parents supported their decision to be actors, and my D was one of the FEW that raised her hand. Nice to have this forum where the parents are so supportive of the arts!!</p>
<p>Your daughter’s lucky to have such supportive parents! I’m glad she’s happy at Tisch. I finally took the school off my list because 1. I’m not sure I want an urban campus and 2. the price tag.</p>
<p>what you wanted for your daughter, to prioritize academics and theater equally in her search, is what I’m doing as well. my parents, however, don’t realize that, I think. but they’re not forbidding me from being a theater major, if I choose to be one. </p>
<p>my mom just told me a few minutes ago that she’d like me to apply to the local community college too, just to have it as an option. I’ve been entertaining the possibility of transferring to one of my safety BA schools for sophomore year, with lots of my Gen Eds out of the way… it’ll just be a hassle, making sure my credits are eligible for transfer before diving down that route.</p>
<p>butterflies-you are welcome to send a PM with questions about NU. My son will be home until mid-Sept. (The beauty of being on the 1/4 system at NU is that not only can you explore 12 courses a year, there are theatrical opportunities during fall, winter, and spring quarters.)</p>
<p>I understand though, that finances are a very important portion of this equation. Muhlenberg does offer significant merit money for academics as well as merit money for talent, although you would have to audition for the head of the theatre department to be considered for the talent merit money. My son did audition there and was offered both academic merit and talent merit, and I’ll bet your academic stats are better than his were. :)</p>
<p>I wouldn’t rule out Brandeis simply because of its financial aid policy. There are still some merit scholarships available for students with exceptional stats. Otherwise, it offers need-based aid like many other top schools. </p>
<p>Brandeis truly is an amazing school. Its small student body- the smallest I believe (about 850 in a class) of any top national research university–is matched with distinguished professors who actually teach in small classes. That includes the Theater Department. Its proximitiy to Boston is a huge plus as well.</p>
<p>The theater opportunities are tremendous for undergraduates who can participate both in undergraduate-only productions as well as in the Brandeis Theater Company productions along with MFA students. And, as you may know, many working professionals–includng broadway, television and film stars and producers–have graduated from the BA and MFA programs. Here’s an article discussing one student who not only is participating intensively in theater but in science/psychology as well, which is possible in the intimate learning environment that Brandeis offers. </p>
<p>[Not</a> Your Everyday Walk in the Park | Brandeis University](<a href=“BrandeisNOW”>BrandeisNOW)</p>
<p>I know 2 kids who got significant merit aid at Brandeis this year-- both were FA applicants and both ended up at Brandeis partly because they got the most FA there, though they were accepted at several other great schools. I don’t think Brandeis has ended merit aid, I just think it puts merit based assistance and need based assistance together by a different formula than some others.</p>
<p>There is very darn little merit aid at Brandeis nowadays for students who do not also qualify for need-based aid. Honestly, I think it’s misleading to call it “merit aid” at all. But search the Brandeis web site for “merit” or “scholarship,” and I think you’ll see what I mean.</p>
<p>first off, to B77: thanks for the great link! I love the message-- that kids can study unrelated disciplines and still have the opportunity to perform.</p>
<p>it’s interesting to read all this about Brandeis. let me put it out there that my parents’ income will probably yield a high EFC. but that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy for us to afford the 40k+ per year that many of my favorite schools cost. thus, I’m avoiding schools where aid is strictly need-based. </p>
<p>GwenFairfax, B77-- I just checked the site, and indeed there is a “Scholarships” page… 6 are available. BUT unless I’m a junior at Brandeis, a student from Waltham High School in MA, a student from the Chicago area, or a “Russian-speaking student who wishes to be of service to the Jewish community” (I lol’ed, it was so specific), I’m only eligible for 2 of the 6. </p>
<p>One is for National Merit Scholarship Finalists and guarantees $500 - $2000… based on financial need. it also doesn’t say whether it’s renewable (and even if it was, other schools offer much better money for NMFs). The other scholarship is based on a number of things, including financial need. like I said earlier, I don’t think I’ll qualify for much financial need.</p>
<p>Conclusion: Brandeis will probably be expensive.</p>
<p>I’m really am interested in Brandeis–and if I visit and like it, I’ll probably apply–but as far as merit aid goes, it doesn’t seem like the best financial option.</p>