theatrehippie

vanilla ice

war room

Ask School B for an extension first, before you consider backing out. I was in a very similar situation, so I asked for an extension, explaining that I had not yet received decisions from all my schools and needed more time to make an informed choice. It worked out very well, and they gave me until May 1.

I have had similar experiences recently. They all seem to think when I say Columbia I am talking about a school in Missouri or South Carolina.

Well, apparently it was, because she responded with a scholarship offer and a promise to look for more funds! Doesn't quite match the other school, but it is enough to make me feel a lot better.

false eyelashes

I also posted this in The Bank forum, so apologies for double posting. My current top choice has not yet released scholarship information, or any information except for loans. I know they are currently making those decisions, and wanted to send an email to the program letting them know about my other offers, so that maybe they might be swayed to increase my funding/fund me at all. Is this an okay email to send? Dear Head of Program, I am writing to see if there has been any development regarding the decisions for financial aid and scholarships for the coming year. I am very excited by the prospect of attending Amazing University, but somewhat daunted by the cost at the moment. I have been offered scholarships of as much as $11,000 per semester from other institutions, but of course would prefer to undertake my studies at Amazing University. I appreciate being considered for whatever scholarships or departmental assistantships are available, of course. Thank you so much for your time and consideration, and I really do look forward to working with you in the fall! Sincerely, theatrehippie Should I name the specific programs that have offered me funding? Is there a better way to word this? Thank you for your help in advance!

They are only charging resident tuition on your behalf, and your advisor pays for the resident tuition. You don't need to pay any tuition.

My current top choice has not yet released scholarship information, or any information except for loans. I know they are currently making those decisions, and wanted to send an email to the program letting them know about my other offers, so that maybe they might be swayed to increase my funding/fund me at all. Is this an okay email to send? Dear Head of Program, I am writing to see if there has been any development regarding the decisions for financial aid and scholarships for the coming year. I am very excited by the prospect of attending Amazing University, but somewhat daunted by the cost at the moment. I have been offered scholarships of as much as $11,000 per semester from other institutions, but of course would prefer to undertake my studies at Amazing University. I appreciate being considered for whatever scholarships or departmental assistantships are available, of course. Thank you so much for your time and consideration, and I really do look forward to working with you in the fall! Sincerely, theatrehippie Should I name the specific programs that have offered me funding? Is there a better way to word this? Thank you for your help in advance!

gold plated

I just found out yesterday that I am on a wait list. The silver lining is that the other school I will likely choose has a deadline of April 25, and the WL school has a deadline of April 15, so I'm crossing my fingers that I'll hear something from the WL before the deadline for my other school.

Exciting! Overwhelming, but exciting. I'll be moving to the east coast, and this will be the first time that I have such a long drive. My boyfriend has moved back and forth between California and Texas a few times, so I'm definitely glad to have him around. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how I'll move my stuff, or if I'll even bother moving most of it. It depends on how big a place we get, and how much of our furniture will fit. I have a feeling it'll be PODS or just packing the SUV to the gills.

I'm in the same boat, but at TC. I'm still waiting to hear about scholarships, as well. I have been wondering if going to Columbia full time and living in New York without enormous scholarships is even feasible, if you don't happen to be independently wealthy.

I've been really surprised by my reactions to my rejections. The first couple, I was frustrated and a little mad, because I thought I was definitely a strong candidate, and one did not even interview me (even though I was interviewed for several much more competitive programs). Then, when I got the rejections from my top choice (a dual degree program, so two rejections), I was only a little disappointed, but mostly felt okay. I guess it's because they wrote me the nicest rejection letter ever, and encouraged me to apply again in the next year or two, after I had more experience. Since I'd flown out twice and had an interview, and gotten to know them a bit, I really did feel like they would like to have me as a student, but that I just did not fit into the cohort this year. I think I will apply for the MFA/MBA again after completing my MA.

I appreciate your advice! I have been weighing my options. I've declined the schools I'm not really considering anymore, and asked for an extension at my third choice, which also has given me the best scholarship offer. I'm crossing my fingers that they will give me a little more time. I did find out today that I am on the waitlist for the Theatre Management and Producing MFA, so even though it isn't a definitive answer, it's good to know where I stand. I am going to hope that 1) I get a funding offer from TC before April 15 and 2) I hear from SOA before April 30 (assuming the offer at TC is good enough for me to turn down my other offer). If I can get both of those straightened out, I should be able to make an informed decision between my top schools.

COA is $68,000. The loans offered (including a $20,000 plus loan) only add up to $40,500.

Columbia, what is wrong with you? I have applied to two programs at Columbia (one of them is in Teachers College), and both programs are trying to kill me, I think. I've been accepted to the Masters in Arts Administration at Teachers College, which I am really, really excited by. I really like the program director, and I think that it's a great fit for me. Plus, the professional opportunities in New York are amazing for me, since I am planning to go into theatre management/producing. Here's the only problem: I have no idea what kind of financial aid I might get. It's not just me-- no one in the program has received anything yet, except for loan information (which frighteningly enough, even with a ridiculously large grad plus loan, doesn't cover the cost of attendance). There is a scholarship application, but neither the department nor the financial aid office will give me an idea of when I might find out the results. I am not optimistic, particularly since the scholarship application deadline is not until April 20. Yeah. I know. To make up for this, they are not requiring me to make a decision before April 30. How nice. Too bad my other schools still would like an answer by Friday! The other program I have applied to is the MFA in Theatre Management and Producing in Columbia School of the Arts. If it's even possible, I might like this program even better than the one at Teachers College. The only thing is that they are insanely slow. They had the earliest deadline of any of my schools, and yet did not hear a word from them until I received my interview invitation almost two months later. I was supposed to receive a decision by April 1. I called on April 4, asking when I might receive a decision. I was told by the end of the week. I called again today, and was told this morning. Now I'm going crazy just checking Apply Yourself, hoping the application is updated sometime today!! Even if I do get an admissions decision today, I am not holding my breath that they let me know about funding. Obviously, Columbia wants me to die. Or lose my mind. Please excuse my ranting. This process has robbed me of quite a large portion of my sanity. And the prospect of figuring out how to live in New York AND pay really high tuition without funding has robbed me of whatever remains. Seriously, my boyfriend and I have started considering some pretty out-there options.

ING is amazing!!

I've had really good luck with the name your own price thing on travel websites. They let you specify star level, general neighborhood, etc. The only catch is that you have to pay before you see what hotel you get. You might check priceline or travelocity or expedia and see how those work for you.

collectible plate

Haven't done it, but make sure that your alma mater allows it. Mine will not award second bachelor's degrees, though I know others do.

My boyfriend said (in regards to Columbia Teachers College) he was sorry because he knew all along we'd be going to New York. He didn't say anything because he knew I wanted Yale, but he knew we'd go to Columbia because he wanted to be forced to go to New York (where he had thought about moving years ago but never did).

One of my promises to myself if I got into Yale was that I could buy the ridiculously expensive Yale totebag I saw at the bookstore when I was interviewing. I didn't get in, so it's moot now, but you can bet that I'll be purchasing at least a hoodie or a tote bag or something for whatever school I do end up attending.

Thanks for the replies! Good to know. Since that's the case, I'll probably just establish residency there.

I had this problem during my senior year of undergrad while working on my honors thesis. I was confused and frustrated by my advisor, and annoyed that it wasn't going easily for me. I've always been excellent at close reading, explicating, etc, but actual academic research in literature (Shakespeare, specifically), drove me crazy. As I've heard others say, graduate study is about the creation of knowledge, whereas undergrad largely is composed as the consumption of knowledge. Let's just say that I will absorb the knowledge that others produce, but that I am not quite so gifted at producing myself. The process made me realize that as much as I loved being an undergraduate English major, I was not cut out for a masters or PhD in English. Now I'll be starting a program that is primarily professional with some research elements, and I am really excited.