Should he stay on the wait list?

[Jenny in Florida]

My son got a letter yesterday offering him a spot on the wait list for Muhlenberg. After some poking around online, it seems that, if he's going to give this a real shot, he'll need to make his case. He does have some recent dance awards he could let them know about, and his grades this semester are very good. He writes pretty well, so I'm sure he could pull together a nice persuasive letter about why they should take another look at his file.

 

Muhlenberg is the most academically selective of the schools to which he applied, the biggest "reach." There is a little part of my brain that says he should go for it, make the effort to get off the wait list to attend this "better" college. The reasons he chose to apply are still valid. It's a very good LAC with a number of the features that my son has on his list of "wants." They are one of the few campuses we found that has an ensemble dedicated to tap dance, which is a real passion for my kid.

 

But . . . as he's moved through the application process, one of the things he's learned is that he's most attracted to musical theatre BFA programs. And Muhlenberg doesn't have that. Students who want to study musical theatre there tend to put together double majors or some combination of major/minors in dance/theatre/music. Compared to the more structured, formalized programs he's seen at other schools, that just sounds like a lot to juggle. And he would be unlikely to have a cohort of other students going through the same program, which I think he would value.

 

He didn't get a chance to visit Muhlenberg, because they were closed for spring break during the only opening he had in his schedule to travel. However, he did visit other schools and felt especially at home on one campus. At first, it seemed like whatever school he had visited most recently was his top choice, but his affection for that one campus hasn't dimmed over the course of nearly two months and visits to several other colleges. The other school -- not as selective and with less name recognition out in the wide world --- offers exactly the kind of musical theatre program he wants, with an option to minor in dance, too. It's closer to home. He even liked the dining hall.

 

He seems perfectly content to walk away from the wait list possibility, but I can't tell whether it's really because he's happy with his other options or because he's just so tired of the application process that he doesn't want to prolong it.

 

I'm ambivalent about whether to nudge him toward taking his chances on the wait list. (Of course, we know he would need to put down a deposit at the other school, too, since the odds of being admitted off the wait list are pretty tiny.) On the one hand, it seems like no more than an afternoon's worth of effort and a stamp with the possibility of getting an opportunity he won't have at all if he doesn't try. On the other hand, I worry that trying for Muhlenberg and "failing" might make the school that is currently his top choice, about which he's enthusiastic and excited, feel like a consolation prize.

 

I'm inclined to say, "Okay, let's forget it."

 

Is there anything I'm missing? Some reason why I should nudge him toward the wait list?

 

I'd appreciate any thoughts on the topic.

 

 

 

 

[Barbara H]

In addition to the other factors you mentioned in your post one other thing to weigh is the importance of merit and/or financial aid to your family. Being put on the waitlist indicates he's not near the top of the class. Muhlenberg has a surprisingly honest article about how position in the class can influence merit and financial aid offers. http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/admissions/therealdealonfinancialaid/

[creekland]

Since they don't have the major he's particularly interested in, I'd skip the wait list.  There's no reason to go to any "name" school if they don't have the course of study one is looking for IMO.

 

The one thing I'd be concerned about with a "mostly-unrecognized-name-outside-the-local-area" school is where their grads (in that major) go.  If they go places and do things my student wants, they're perfectly worth it. It means those who do the hiring (or admitting to grad/prof schools) approve of the school.  If not, we'd take a big pause.

[Nan in Mass]

Jenny -

Your son is looking at programs that specialize in career training.  So was my oldest.  He went to a school that no one has ever heard of EXCEPT the people who are hiring those trained for that career.  Like your son, people in my son's career often work by gig (although of a vastly different sort lol). My son is finding that his program has a particularly good reputation and that that is making life much easier for him.  People want to hire him because of the program he's from.  Is this going to be true for your son?  If so, then I would move heaven and earth to try to get him into that sort of program.  His career is going to be difficult enough that it might make the difference between "making it" and only sort of making it, struggling mightily and paying an extremely high personal cost throughout his life.  This assumes that you really want him to make it.  If you don't, if you think he would be better served by having a less specialized degree, then this might be your opportunity to push things in that direction.  Were you thinking own dance studio eventually?  If so, then which school would be better for that?  At oldest's school, there is a required business class for the majors which might eventually need it.  Everyone leaves the class with a viable business plan that they can pull out and use later, if need be.  (One of my extra kids went through that program.)  It seems like your big problem might not be which college, but which branch of his career.  But I know so little about the career that I might be making a completely false comparison to my own son's.  Oldest left yesterday morning for a job that he was offered based on program name so we've been discussing that a lot lately in my family. : )

 

Good luck, which ever you decide!

Nan

[Luckymama]

I'd say no.

 

Dd was easily in the top 25% of accepted students at Muhlenberg. They gave her the worst fin aid of all seven schools. She was actually insulted by their offer :lol:

 

We both liked their theatre and English programs----lots of opportunities and passionate faculty and students. And the facilities! Great theatre spaces for a small school! But honestly, the campus itself did not thrill us. I am used to campuses with clearly delineated boundaries with the outside community. I am also used to campuses with an obvious safety/police presence, including blue lights. We would have thought hard about sending a daughter there.

[Jenny in Florida]

The one thing I'd be concerned about with a "mostly-unrecognized-name-outside-the-local-area" school is where their grads (in that major) go.  If they go places and do things my student wants, they're perfectly worth it. It means those who do the hiring (or admitting to grad/prof schools) approve of the school.  If not, we'd take a big pause.

 

 

People want to hire him because of the program he's from.  Is this going to be true for your son? 

 

Since he's aiming -- at first -- at a career as a performer, it likely will matter very little where he went to school (or if he even graduated from college). He will get gigs or not based on talent and training and how well he auditions on a given day.

 

 

Were you thinking own dance studio eventually?  If so, then which school would be better for that? 

 

Down the line, yes, he is also very interested in opening his own studio or starting his own company (or both). He has recently discovered he loves to teach and choreograph. He understands that, at that point, having formal credentials will be helpful. And, as it happens, the smaller local school has a major/minor program especially designed for students who want to teach dance or run studios or companies. So, again, kind of perfect.

[Jenny in Florida]

In addition to the other factors you mentioned in your post one other thing to weigh is the importance of merit and/or financial aid to your family. Being put on the waitlist indicates he's not near the top of the class. Muhlenberg has a surprisingly honest article about how position in the class can influence merit and financial aid offers. http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/admissions/therealdealonfinancialaid/

 

Yes, I've read that article, too. And one of the first things my son said when he got the wait list notice was that he was concerned about whether they would be handing out scholarships to students off the wait list.

 

I've run the net price calculator on Muhlenberg's website, though, and if that estimate is reasonably accurate, he would likely be in line for enough aid to make the out-of-pocket costs comparable to the other schools on his short list. What I don't know is whether all bets are off, aid-wise, when you start talking wait list students.

[Jenny in Florida]

I'd say no.

 

Dd was easily in the top 25% of accepted students at Muhlenberg. They gave her the worst fin aid of all seven schools. She was actually insulted by their offer :lol:

 

We both liked their theatre and English programs----lots of opportunities and passionate faculty and students. And the facilities! Great theatre spaces for a small school! But honestly, the campus itself did not thrill us. I am used to campuses with clearly delineated boundaries with the outside community. I am also used to campuses with an obvious safety/police presence, including blue lights. We would have thought hard about sending a daughter there.

 

Thanks for sharing that info. As I said, we haven't had a chance to visit, but my son does tend to be more attracted to campuses that are set off a bit from the rest of the world.

[FaithManor]

DD was never a waitlisted candidate, but I wouldn't put any of the 12 uni's she applied to in the reach category. But, from other parents that I've talked to, those that were waitlisted and stuck with it found that there was nothing but loans offered. Colleges really only throw the scholarships at the top 10-25% of those they accepted right away.

 

I think If it doesn't offer his major, it is not worth being on hold if there are good offers on the table from institutions with his major and a reasonably good fit as well.

[Jenny in Florida]

Thanks, everyone. After chatting with my son some more this morning and then exchanging a few e-mails with my husband, I think we're going to let this go. My son seems completely comfortable and unconcerned about the whole issue. He's happy with his other options and doesn't feel it's worth his time and effort to go after the wait list.

 

I really appreciate reading everyone's thoughts. You all helped to clarify some issues for us.

 

Now I guess we're back to waiting for the financial packages from the remaining three contenders (and notification about whether he was accepted to that one last program). Assuming there are no big surprises, there should be a clear first choice at that point.

[Barbara H]

 

Dd was easily in the top 25% of accepted students at Muhlenberg. They gave her the worst fin aid of all seven schools. She was actually insulted by their offer :lol:

 

 

 

Ug. What's tricky about the top 25% thing is that it really depends on institutional needs. A student who has scores in the top 25% could be easily trumped by a student who meets some other specific missing need for that class (tuba player and their tuba player is graduating, student from difficult to recruit from state - "we have students from all 50 states," underrepresented minority, etc. etc. etc.)  In other words, even if statistically a student is top 25% there may be other needs that are not visible from the outside. Muhlenberg is being honest about something most schools do which is to use that financial aid strategically to accomplish institutional goals for that class.