High School Class 2013: Picking Colleges..Check in Here!

[ugadog99]

Bumping us back up and asking for opinions on this situation.

Karen interviewed with Webster at ThesCon in February in GA. The next day she had a follow up interview at a hotel near the airport. (Webster does this every year.) The interviewer was the Directing head and remembered her and her materials. We then put Webster on the back burner knowing that their decisions wouldn't come until April 1. Keep in mind that Karen has an interest in both Stage Mgt and Lighting Design. Fast forward to early March, and we decide to go ahead and set up a visit with Webster for this coming week, our spring break. We knew that our visit date was after they mailed decisions. We have been honest with Webster about not coming if this is a wasted trip. The admissions person remembered her name from ThesCon and knew she had already interviewed in GA. They proceeded to set up a full day of visit, tour, meetings with both the Dean/Stage Mgt head and the Tech head, plus sitting in a Stage Mgt seminar. Shortly after that, we received a very nice FA package then in the same week an envelope of all the programs from this season and a brochure about Webster's conservatory arrived. There was nothing else in it. No letter, no business card, nothing. It was addressed to her "real" name, not her first name (which is how most colleges know her at first) and was from the Dean/Stage Mgt man.

Friday she receives a call from admissions saying that he had found out she had NOT been accepted to Stage Mgt. However, they are still "very interested" in her and want her to still come for a visit Thursday. She will still meet with the Tech head and with the Dean. She is to bring all of her materials for an "unofficial" interview. Friday night after 9:00 the Tech head calls her to express that he is interested in her and there are positions still open. (We have been told this by two admissions people and the tech head.) I think his words were, "I hope you're ready to blow me away with your materials." We were really crushed by the Stage Mgt rejection. Of course, they only take 4 SM kids. The tech dept seems to be more fluid.

What is most disturbing in this is that Webster is the only school that I can absolutely handle the FA package. We had allowed ourselves to get our hopes up about Webster being "it," because of all the positive communications with them in the last few weeks. Now, I don't know what to think. I am going to have to appeal all the other packages and make a trip (that I can't really afford) to Webster and hope they "like" her.

Although some parents think she is on a priority waitlist, I had read in other places that Webster does NOT do a waitlist. The only other situation I could come up with is that the final SM position came down between Karen and another student. The other one was SM only and K had expressed interest in lighting, too. The other schools are so far away from Webster financially. There will be a lot of begging happening in the next week or so.

Thoughts from those outside the "theatre school" world?

 

[Christine]

Wow, I don't even know what advice to give you or could begin to tell you what I would do. This theater school stuff seems VERY, VERY complicated. I commend you for your perseverence in checking it all out! I know I wouldn't have the fortitude for it.

It's really so hard when all these decisions and conditions seem to be very "on the fence." It doesn't really seem like you have any choice but to go to the school. You've gone so far as it is. Hang in there...it really is almost over.

We are going to visit James Madison University on April 12th. This is for accepted students day. My son is still so down about being waitlisted for Virginia Tech that I don't think he's even thinking positively about James Madison. I hope that the visit really turns him around.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Well, I have to agree with Christine, it all seems very complicated for us non-theater types. Honestly, it seems like the best option is for you two to go on the visit and seek some clarity. She (and you also, but this should be led by your DD) should ask them these questions about likelihood of acceptance and all. Or perhaps she could call the admissions office. It seems like they want her, but only for lighting and not stage management? Or maybe they're trying to do an end-run around their own admission policy of 4 students in SM? Perhaps she can start as a Tech major, then switch to SM? But, I would be asking them these questions. Sorry I can't be more help--the best I can figure is, they want her, but don't have a SM slot available for her.

At this end of things, we're heavy into the emotional, "But I WANT to go to my dream school!" mode. I guess I should be grateful DD got into her reach school, so many of her classmates were waitlisted or outright denied. Problem is, the 4-year difference between Dream School and Choice #3 is greater than the purchase price of our first home. I'm really choking on the numbers.

 

[PlutoPony]

At this end of things, we're heavy into the emotional, "But I WANT to go to my dream school!" mode. I guess I should be grateful DD got into her reach school, so many of her classmates were waitlisted or outright denied. Problem is, the 4-year difference between Dream School and Choice #3 is greater than the purchase price of our first home. I'm really choking on the numbers.

That's where I am as well. Dream school/first choice is the most expensive (of course!) and we don't expect much if any financial aid. How much is it worth to go the school he REALLY wants to go to? And yes I do understand why he thinks it's the best fit and I mostly agree, but the other choices are also good schools. Add in he's planning an engineering major i.e. may take more than 4 years (especially if you add in co-ops and internships) and the $$ are dancing around.

Will be glad when the final decision is made.

UGADOG - fwiw I agree with BuzznBelle'smom, your daughter should call and ask some very specific questions to get to the bottom of what's going on before you commit to spending more time and $$ on a visit. I think you have a better chance of getting good info if your daughter calls than if you do. Let them know you're willing to make the trip but only if there's a legitimate chance for a positive outcome and right now you're not understanding where you are in the process. But in the end, if they aren't very forthcoming with info you may need to bite the bullet and go since they're the only school that's come up with $$. I have to say that I am NOT hearing good things about financial aid availability in general this year so good luck in going back to other schools and asking for $$.

 

[ugadog99]

Webster is playing this very close to the vest right now. They have made it clear she is not in the Stage Mgt program, but that they are very interested in her for the tech program. Now, she will be meeting with the Tech head (which she was doing all along). Instead of a SM class, she will sit on a sound (?) class. The Dean/SM guy would "like" to meet up with her at some point, if possible. I have this gut feeling this trip is a waste. However, Webster is absolutely the best choice we have financially. Therefore, I'm really left with no choice but to go and convince my daughter to "put on her show."

I have begun the appeals process with her two next choices. (Well, really one of them is her dream school.) We will see how that goes. One of them is not so far off as to make this possible ($5-8,000), but the "dream" is waaaaay far off. You don't know til you try, I guess.

Please send us all the good wishes and pixie dust you can find. My daughter (and I) are beginning to grow weary from this process.

 

[luvdisney00]

Please send us all the good wishes and pixie dust you can find. My daughter (and I) are beginning to grow weary from this process.

I am late coming in to this but I am going through this process too. My daughter is down to 2 schools and I'm not sure I even know what's best at this point. It is so hard and I can't wait for it to be over and her to be settled.

She is going for Engineering and has to choose between Villanova and Lafayette. So many factors to consider. Back to visiting again.....

I wish you all CONGRATULATIONS and GOOD LUCK!!!!

 

[marcyinPA]

Our taxes were finally processed- after we paid- which we were told we didn't have to in order for them to be processed, but whatever...

We were able to order the transcript we needed, and the FAFSA is finally complete.

I have a question about EFC. Ours has a zero in front of the number. Does yours? I am trying to figure out if the number they gave us is actually what they consider our contribution to be. And how does that end up working anyway? Will the offer of financial aid actually take into consideration our EFC?

This process has been really confusing and very lengthy for us. FTR, we have no received any financial aid packages yet because of the glitch we had with the IRS.

 

[sharbear]

She is going for Engineering and has to choose between Villanova and Lafayette. So many factors to consider. Back to visiting again.....

I wish you all CONGRATULATIONS and GOOD LUCK!!!!

D's boyfriend went to Lafayette. Great school, he loved it. Good luck. My D is an engineer also, she graduated last year and has a great job. Off my payroll lol! It's nice.

 

[sharbear]

Our taxes were finally processed- after we paid- which we were told we didn't have to in order for them to be processed, but whatever...

We were able to order the transcript we needed, and the FAFSA is finally complete.

I have a question about EFC. Ours has a zero in front of the number. Does yours? I am trying to figure out if the number they gave us is actually what they consider our contribution to be. And how does that end up working anyway? Will the offer of financial aid actually take into consideration our EFC?

This process has been really confusing and very lengthy for us. FTR, we have no received any financial aid packages yet because of the glitch we had with the IRS.

Yes, the number they give is what they expect is what you can contribute to paying for college. What you will be expected to pay depends. Most college don't claim to meet your need and so any financial aid you get depends on what the college wants to give you. The only thing the FASFA does is to see if you will qualify for a PELL grant (which is only for very low income families) and you have to file in order to apply for stafford loans.

It's very confusing because it really depends on every school.

 

[marcyinPA]

Yes, the number they give is what they expect is what you can contribute to paying for college. What you will be expected to pay depends. Most college don't claim to meet your need and so any financial aid you get depends on what the college wants to give you. The only thing the FASFA does is to see if you will qualify for a PELL grant (which is only for very low income families) and you have to file in order to apply for stafford loans.

It's very confusing because it really depends on every school.

Idont think I asked that correctly. Is the number they gave us a dollar amount or a code? It was like 04476 or so.ething like that. It also said we may qualify for a Pell grant.

 

[marcyinPA]

Yes, the number they give is what they expect is what you can contribute to paying for college. What you will be expected to pay depends. Most college don't claim to meet your need and so any financial aid you get depends on what the college wants to give you. The only thing the FASFA does is to see if you will qualify for a PELL grant (which is only for very low income families) and you have to file in order to apply for stafford loans.

It's very confusing because it really depends on every school.

Idont think I asked that correctly. Is the number they gave us a dollar amount or a code? It was like 04476 or so.ething like that. It also said we may qualify for a Pell grant.

 

[Christine]

Idont think I asked that correctly. Is the number they gave us a dollar amount or a code? It was like 04476 or so.ething like that. It also said we may qualify for a Pell grant.

My EFC is 26655 is for one of my kids. I think it's the same for #2!. Which is about right because when I had one in college my EFC was 45XXX-something.

 

[ugadog99]

To say that I am a wee bit ticked at Webster is an understatement! When we got to the theatre, the dean came out to meet us. He was very nice and said he hoped we were enjoying the visit, etc. Then, he slides in a comment about my daughter considering the Theatre Studies degree. WTH??????????? That is a BA program, you moron!!!!!!!!!!! If we had desired a BA, we would have applied to those schools. She wants a BFA in a conservatory, preferably. Well, that just set the tone. Why on earth wouldn't they tell me this during the dozen or so phone calls we had prior to the trip?

So, my D regroups and has her "unofficial" meeting with the lighting head. Only, it turns out it was FOUR faculty and my D. Yeah, it was an official interview/portfolio review no matter how they tried to spin it. She felt like they were impressed and positive about her materials. At the end of the "non interview" the lighting head says he's going to take her to meet with the Theatre Studies head since she had expressed interest in the program. Once more, WHAT???????????????? Uh, no, that was your dean that expressed the interest, not us. She didn't want to be rude, so she just listened.

We then cut our visit short and left campus after stopping by the Admissions office to try and speak with a counselor. No one was available, so we left a message to be called. My daughter received a call within 20 minutes. Her counselor was just as dumbfounded by the turn of events as we were. My daughter also called and emailed the dean, the lighting head, and the theatre studies men to say that she is very interested in Webster but only as a BFA lighting major. I'm sure it's going to be a no, and we are okay with that, but really I tried to keep this from happening in the first place. Of course, Webster has the best financial package and being artistically accepted there would make it so much easier on me.

 

[sharbear]

Idont think I asked that correctly. Is the number they gave us a dollar amount or a code? It was like 04476 or so.ething like that. It also said we may qualify for a Pell grant.

Sorry, I knew I'd mess that up. It's a dollar amount. I hope you get a financial aid package soon. Financial Aid is so confusing. I understand it but it really depends on the college and what they have available to offer your child.

 

[sharbear]

To say that I am a wee bit ticked at Webster is an understatement! When we got to the theatre, the dean came out to meet us. He was very nice and said he hoped we were enjoying the visit, etc. Then, he slides in a comment about my daughter considering the Theatre Studies degree. WTH??????????? That is a BA program, you moron!!!!!!!!!!! If we had desired a BA, we would have applied to those schools. She wants a BFA in a conservatory, preferably. Well, that just set the tone. Why on earth wouldn't they tell me this during the dozen or so phone calls we had prior to the trip?

So, my D regroups and has her "unofficial" meeting with the lighting head. Only, it turns out it was FOUR faculty and my D. Yeah, it was an official interview/portfolio review no matter how they tried to spin it. She felt like they were impressed and positive about her materials. At the end of the "non interview" the lighting head says he's going to take her to meet with the Theatre Studies head since she had expressed interest in the program. Once more, WHAT???????????????? Uh, no, that was your dean that expressed the interest, not us. She didn't want to be rude, so she just listened.

We then cut our visit short and left campus after stopping by the Admissions office to try and speak with a counselor. No one was available, so we left a message to be called. My daughter received a call within 20 minutes. Her counselor was just as dumbfounded by the turn of events as we were. My daughter also called and emailed the dean, the lighting head, and the theatre studies men to say that she is very interested in Webster but only as a BFA lighting major. I'm sure it's going to be a no, and we are okay with that, but really I tried to keep this from happening in the first place. Of course, Webster has the best financial package and being artistically accepted there would make it so much easier on me.

Sounds super frustrating. I hope she has other acceptances that are doable.

 

[mom2travel]

Ugh, Ugadog99, that stinks! So sorry to hear they weren't straight with you before you traveled there
I hope it all works itself out for your DD :

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm so sorry I didn't find this thread until today. This would have been a great place to share and learn as we went on our own journey this year.

After many months of anguish and paperwork, my son finally committed today. He had it narrowed down to 2 schools, and today finally said he was ready to commit to the Missouri University of Science and Technology to study engineering.

Now we can start planning toward a known entity instead of him keeping us all guessing! I'm subscribing in hopes you all will share your suggestions and tips for getting your students out the door and moved onto campus.

This is our second child. His older brother is a sophomore at a private university here in town, so he commutes. Having one move away from home will really be a big adjustment for all of us.

Best of luck to everyone still in the nerve wracking final stages of making a decision!

 

[Robinrs]

To say that I am a wee bit ticked at Webster is an understatement! When we got to the theatre, the dean came out to meet us. He was very nice and said he hoped we were enjoying the visit, etc. Then, he slides in a comment about my daughter considering the Theatre Studies degree. WTH??????????? That is a BA program, you moron!!!!!!!!!!! If we had desired a BA, we would have applied to those schools. She wants a BFA in a conservatory, preferably. Well, that just set the tone. Why on earth wouldn't they tell me this during the dozen or so phone calls we had prior to the trip?

So, my D regroups and has her "unofficial" meeting with the lighting head. Only, it turns out it was FOUR faculty and my D. Yeah, it was an official interview/portfolio review no matter how they tried to spin it. She felt like they were impressed and positive about her materials. At the end of the "non interview" the lighting head says he's going to take her to meet with the Theatre Studies head since she had expressed interest in the program. Once more, WHAT???????????????? Uh, no, that was your dean that expressed the interest, not us. She didn't want to be rude, so she just listened.

We then cut our visit short and left campus after stopping by the Admissions office to try and speak with a counselor. No one was available, so we left a message to be called. My daughter received a call within 20 minutes. Her counselor was just as dumbfounded by the turn of events as we were. My daughter also called and emailed the dean, the lighting head, and the theatre studies men to say that she is very interested in Webster but only as a BFA lighting major. I'm sure it's going to be a no, and we are okay with that, but really I tried to keep this from happening in the first place. Of course, Webster has the best financial package and being artistically accepted there would make it so much easier on me.

I'm a little confused. Why is the major a consideration of admission? If the degree is offered at the school why does the declaration before admission matter?

BTW, I have a BFA in theatre and sort of got it accidentally.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm a little confused. Why is the major a consideration of admission? If the degree is offered at the school why does the declaration before admission matter?

BTW, I have a BFA in theatre and sort of got it accidentally.

Don't schools only accept so many into each program? I know when I went away to school, many applied to the College of Arts and Sciences because they had the most slots, then would transfer to other schools. It was sort of a back door into those programs. But that was...... a few years ago.

 

[ugadog99]

Robin, for many of the schools, your admission is two fold. First, you must be academically accepted. Then, you must go through auditions (if you are performance) or portfolio review/interview (if you are tech). After the auditions/interviews, you must be artistically accepted to the Conservatory or Theatre School/Department. There are strict numbers as to how many are accepted each year. Performance is much harder to get in than tech, but Webster is taking only 5 Stage Management majors with this class. The lighting/sound department is a bit more fluid, but still has a cap. It's very frustrating and is a very long process.