<p>Each family needs to consider what Best School means. If you are pursuing an academic degree and Harvard or Princeton or Northwestern or Dartmouth can deliver you a financial package that lets you graduate with little or no debt, then the choice might be easy. But barring a substantial college-savings fund (Congrats, to all the families that were able to accomplish this - what a great gift!) that is not the case with theater.</p>
<p>And so what measure does $80,000-$100,000 loan debt have against reputation or alumni connections or having an in with a casting agent. That question is the most difficult for families - especially since (sorry EmsDad) it cant be quantified. </p>
<p>But when I look at the Acceptance/Background list, it is obvious families are taking this discussion seriously – Penn State over BoCo; Texas State over Carnegie Mellon; Otterbein over Point Park. </p>
<p>Of course other factors come into play, but for the families we know, this discussion is front and center: What are the pros and cons of paying more for a name school?</p>
<p>One dads opinion: tuition at many schools has defied gravity - due to the student-loan racket and supply and demand, most schools are charging way more than their programs are worth. If there is one thing the financial meltdown has taught us is that there is no such thing as a dream school if it leaves you $100,000 in debt.</p>