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Help,

My daughter was accepted to NYU. She received about $12,500 or so in Merit Scholarship with no financial aid. We have another daughter at Vanderbilt with one more year to complete and she is Pre-Med. Although my daughter has worked extremely hard and has amassed an incredible amount of accolades, I feel that $41K is too much for a Film Scoring Major. She has won full-tuition scholarships to another top school but it does not have a strong music program (Washington University in St. Louis.) She also received about $13 K from Boston University and some full rides from some lesser known universities. What do we do? With several scholarships to choose from and her heart set on NYU, what to do? what to do? Are we out of our minds to consider this amount for film scoring. Please advise. Is it worth it? She is incredibly academically and musically gifted and happens to be African American. We must give these universities answers soon as NYU wants to know by April 15.

By Dadster (Dadster) on Monday, April 07, 2003 - 08:09 pm: Edit

As simple as it sounds, this is a really complex question. One might well ask the same thing about Harvard, Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, etc. One thing seems to be generally true: there is not a major economic justification for a higher priced school. Research tends to show financial outcomes that are roughly comparable when the quality of the student is taken into account. Unless you are targeting a very specific area like investment banking (that emphasizes prestige degrees), don't expect an economic argument to work.

Economic arguments are particularly weak, IMO, for arts majors - most people pursue the arts with little expectation of major financial success. Sure, some hit it big, but most don't.

The bigger issues, I think are the "fit" for the student and the overall impact on family finances. With great offers from other schools, I wouldn't recommend putting the family in financial peril for NYU, Harvard, or anywhere else. Ditto if your daughter will need huge loans to graduate. On the other hand, if the tuition is a mere inconvenience, then I'd move on to the "fit" issue.

The match between a student and a college is hard to pin down at times. I guess I'd focus on how well each college seems to meet the currently known needs (expected major, desired ECs, social environment, size, location, etc.) and whether there are good options if those needs change.

An advantage that NYU has (shared by only a few other colleges) is its NYC location. This is probably a plus for arts people, as well as urban wannabes of any major. Of course, some may consider it a big DISadvantage.

I don't know anything about film scoring majors - sounds like a fascinating major. Looking at the vaguely similar area of musical theater, I always make a point to look at the Playbill details whenever I attend a show. Often, the bios for the actors, choreographers, etc. contain the individual's college. I've been amazed at the diversity of where these people went to school. Sure, you'll see the occasional Yale, Carnegie-Mellon, etc., but you also see many, many schools that don't pop to mind as big names in theater. These bios all belong to people actually earning a living in the theater, and they definitely come from all over. My unscientific conclusion is that a lot more depends on individual talent, motivation, and persistence than on the name on the degree.

Having said that, sometimes schools do offer great intangibles, like the chance to study under a legendary talent.

I don't envy your decision, but you can be assured that it is being faced by many familes. If a kid can get into a school of NYU's caliber, she can get great aid at many other schools. Good luck!

By Optimystic (Optimystic) on Monday, April 07, 2003 - 09:09 pm: Edit

Thanks Dadster!

You have provided some very valid arguments. However, what would you do? My husband is willing to make the sacrifice, however, I am not as enthusiastic. Please advise!

Signed,
Concerned Arkansas Mom

By Dadster (Dadster) on Monday, April 07, 2003 - 09:23 pm: Edit

Of course he is willing, it's for his little girl! Seriously, I think it's time to have a family meeting. If you can't pay for NYU easily, I think it would be reasonable to let your daughter share in the process with reasonable loans. This may test her commitment to the school.

Understand that different parents have widely different reactions to this same issue. I've known parents who cashed in their retirement plans to help their kid finish school, and others who refused to pay for anything above the cheapest state school despite ample means. Sometimes it depends on the parent's own experience and family upbringing.

College is a life-altering experience. Your daughter will be forever changed by the next four years. If you feel that one school offers a significantly better potential for a highly positive experience, it may be worth a bit of pain. I wouldn't do it for the name on the degree, though. Good luck!

By Rosarosaef (Rosarosaef) on Tuesday, April 08, 2003 - 03:05 am: Edit

the trouble with you, optimystic, is that you're too damn honest and informative. if you had just said "pay NYU or take WUSTL free?", i'd have said "pay NYU?... you're nuts!". but then you had to go and tell me about her musical talents and her heart set on NYU and wanting specifically to be a film scoring major, etc. i grew up in missouri (can ciddy mizzura). i like the midwest. but honestly, what does st louis have to offer your daughter except a free ride? sure, WUSTL will offer a better class of students than her high school in arkansas... a lot of smart kids from the midwest much like herself. she might even be a fairly big frog in the small pond of its music department. i don't mean to disparage WUSTL at all; but it just cannot compete with the musical advantages of new york city: carnegie hall, lincoln center, new york city ballet, the metropolitan opera, rockefeller center... it just goes on and on. and more to the point, half the films & tv shows in this country are made in nyc. i haven't begun to speak of the artistic influences on your daughter from people in other media which are all centered in nyc, often downtown manhattan nyc, right where NYU is located.

were i you, i'd choose NYU in a heartbeat (easy for me to say, isn't it?... ain't my money). the real problem then would be: how to make my investment pay off? the unfortunate answer to that is spending more money. nyc offers all what i listed above and a whole lot more. if your daughter is going to sit in her room (or her boyfriend's room) most of the time and not take advantage of nyc's offerings, then save your money and send her elsewhere. but if you choose NYU, pay extra to make sure that she goes to the opera, goes to the ballet, goes to film openings (she'll need clothes), goes to... you get the idea. you can't just write her a big check for all that (she'll find other ingenious things to do with the money). you'll have to take a pro-active interest in her/your finances (she won't like that).

all that being said, music (even in a practical subfield such as film scoring) is an overcrowded profession. you can easily end up jobless with a BA in music from NYU, but even more easily with a BA in music from WUSTL. strictly, from a practical viewpoint, NYU has a national reputation that resonates in human resources offices across the country. WUSTL, however unfairly, doesn't have that same pzzaazz.

something tells me that you're not wearing barrels. and even if you were, the good doctor ought to be pulling close to six figures soon. you can't take it with you. given what you've told me, i'd say NYU. i hope that when the decision is made, it's a happy one for all concerned. good luck.

By Optimystic (Optimystic) on Tuesday, April 08, 2003 - 01:45 pm: Edit

Wow, Rosarosaef,

I have a lot of information to digest. I can't believe the incredible amount of sound and "free" advice I am receiving. I have a feeling that we probably will send her to NYU and pray to God that our "investment" brings back dividends. As The Dadster said, "Some hit it big but most don't". NYU is a "good fit" vs all of the others as far as where she geographically needs to be and the networking opportunities that will be afforded her. I failed to mention that NYU appointed her as a "University Scholar" which provides her with an opportunity to participate in all types of cultural events and activities in New York City and travel both domestically and abroad at their expense, so that is a perk. That is why they are pushing for an immediate decision. The decision wouldn't be so difficult if she chose a "real" major using that exceptional brain of hers. Her academics are just unbelievable. During her audition, one of the judges commented on her SAT scores as if he didn't believe it. She is just awesome! we just don't know what to do with exceptional children and it's scary that their fates are in our hands.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Tuesday, April 08, 2003 - 02:02 pm: Edit

Rosarosaef hits many nails on the head. I like his advice.

By Theasrhs (Theasrhs) on Tuesday, April 08, 2003 - 04:20 pm: Edit

If my daughter had been offered those perks, I would have felt quite differently about the low financial aid offer Sarah Lawrence made since a big part of what SL offered my D was its proximity to NYC, in an academic and performing arts college context. The financial aid offer meant realistically, she would not be able to take advantage of the wonderful and unique NYC opportunities and still cover mandatory college costs. It wasn't worth it to her.