Class of 2026 college options

[Sneezyone]

I started researching for oldest along the same timeframe and now I have a new kid with different needs and a different admissions profile. Anyone else considering 2026 options?

Kid 2 is sensitive and artsy and enjoys drawing, anime, music-- basically any form of storytelling. Kiddo prefers a colder, northern state. He adores marching band so either college band or DCI is a must. The parental units insist upon affordability so he can graduate debt free. We have four years of tuition saved in a WA GET account and we will cover room and board. He should be scholarship eligible too but we're not hanging our hat on it.

Thoughts on colleges with a similar profile to UDub (with some reaches and some safeties being welcome)? Any suggestions or thoughts on their relative generosity to OOS students? He's considering film/TV and areas of study like audio engineering and filmic writing (with a minor/interdisciplinary study in classics).

Our exploratory visit list for 2023-24 (just to get a feel for the campuses) includes:

• UChicago
• UIUC
• Notre Dame
• UWisc (b/c family is nearby)
• Morehouse (wildcard)

All options welcome.

Edited June 28, 2023 by Sneezyone

[Drama Llama]

If you're going to be in Chicago, I'd look at Northwestern.  Great marching band, great radio/film/TV program, and a great campus, but it's a reach for anyone. 

We're starting with looking at local schools, just because we want to get a sense of what he likes before we travel too far.  Right now my kid wants a music therapy degree with a jazz emphasis which narrows down the list a lot.  

Edited June 27, 2023 by BandH

[Sneezyone]

19 minutes ago, BandH said:

If you're going to be in Chicago, I'd look at Northwestern.  Great marching band, great radio/film/TV program, and a great campus, but it's a reach for anyone. 

We're starting with looking at local schools, just because we want to get a sense of what he likes before we travel too far.  Right now my kid wants a music therapy degree with a jazz emphasis which narrows down the list a lot.  

Thanks, I'll check that out. I have ZERO experience with film/TV/music. I would look local but DS has his heart set on snow for his birthday (in Dec). That's...limiting, lol. I will probably require him to apply to state schools as backups but don't expect him to attend.

Edited June 28, 2023 by Sneezyone

[teachermom2834]

I have a class of 2026! But I can’t even…

My dd doesn’t know what she wants to do. She likes lots of things and hasn’t found anything limiting academically so it’s wide open. She will likely have great stats but we’ll be limited financially. So far I tell her that it will be state schools she will be choosing from. When it is closer to time I will likely find some out of state schools she could afford to give her a few more possibilities. 
 

She has three older siblings that have all gone to college so she has had so much college talk over the years and spent enough time on campuses that I’m not in a hurry for her. 
 

But I don’t have any good ideas for you. All those schools should be fun to visit!

Edited June 28, 2023 by teachermom2834

[ScoutTN]

I have a 2026 kid, but not at all sure he’s college-bound. He is not currently a strong student (in a public charter school) and has no obvious bents or real passions. Hard to see or plan very far ahead with this one, who is unbelievably stubborn and difficult. Just working, college, military….no clue. I suspect he’ll be a late bloomer, but cannot see what the path ahead will be like at all. 

Edited June 28, 2023 by ScoutTN

[teachermom2834]

27 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

I have a 2026 kid, but not at all sure he’s college-bound. He is not currently a strong student (in a public charter school) and has no obvious bents or real passions. Hard to see or plan very far ahead with this one, who is unbelievably stubborn and difficult. Just working, college, military….no clue. I suspect he’ll be a late bloomer, but cannot see what the path ahead will be like at all. 

You have time! Boys change so much. 

[BusyMom5]

I have two-  I cannot even figure out what courses they are doing THIS year!  I have no idea if they will want to fo college or trade school, or one to each.  I've graduated 2 kids, so I have a pretty good idea of our options locally.  I hope I have a better idea of the trajectory by next summer.

[Library Momma]

I think RIT might be a perfect fit.  It is a mix of STEM minded and Artsy Creative types and the film school is highly regarded.  My son will be a second year and he absolutely loves it there.  

[catz]

17 hours ago, Sneezyone said:

UWisc (b/c family is nearby)

So my oldest just graduated from here and was involved with music.  It's not known to be super affordable for OOS students, but comb through scholarship options if you are considering.  Like my kid got a rather unusual and large music scholarship (they have a seperate scholarship hub).  They have some money to fulfill unique needs and demographics.  The students he knows doing marching band there LOVE IT  and the new director is amazing.  My kid is a quiet, nerdy, he is both arty and STEM nerd, still doesn't drink type and had a great experience there.  His best social connections were/are definitely through music connections.  Also, OOS admissions is weird and ever more competitive here.  Spend some time with the why UWisc essay if it's really of interest.  

DePaul in Chicago has a really popular Film program and that would be on the safer end.  DePaul has these niche arts programs that kind of stand on their own (music, theater, film), have really amazing faculty being in a large city like that, and draw a lot of OOS kids.  That isn't a big ten marching band kind of school but they do have a pep band!  They also have other jazz ensembles with open auditions.  My kid attending in the fall got really generous merit money through SOM.  

[Sneezyone]

1 hour ago, Library Momma said:

I think RIT might be a perfect fit.  It is a mix of STEM minded and Artsy Creative types and the film school is highly regarded.  My son will be a second year and he absolutely loves it there.  

I have a friend whose kiddo is majoring in animation there, seems to be thriving.

[Sneezyone]

1 hour ago, catz said:

So my oldest just graduated from here and was involved with music.  It's not known to be super affordable for OOS students, but comb through scholarship options if you are considering.  Like my kid got a rather unusual and large music scholarship (they have a seperate scholarship hub).  They have some money to fulfill unique needs and demographics.  The students he knows doing marching band there LOVE IT  and the new director is amazing.  My kid is a quiet, nerdy, he is both arty and STEM nerd, still doesn't drink type and had a great experience there.  His best social connections were/are definitely through music connections.  Also, OOS admissions is weird and ever more competitive here.  Spend some time with the why UWisc essay if it's really of interest.  

DePaul in Chicago has a really popular Film program and that would be on the safer end.  DePaul has these niche arts programs that kind of stand on their own (music, theater, film), have really amazing faculty being in a large city like that, and draw a lot of OOS kids.  That isn't a big ten marching band kind of school but they do have a pep band!  They also have other jazz ensembles with open auditions.  My kid attending in the fall got really generous merit money through SOM.  

Thanks, I’ll check DePaul out. We can probably squeeze in one more tour.

[Eos]

St. Olaf in MN is renowned for music and band and offers film studies, but it's probably not super affordable.  Their male/female ratio suggests his gender might be a hook though 🙂 

[catz]

6 hours ago, Eos said:

St. Olaf in MN is renowned for music and band and offers film studies, but it's probably not super affordable.  Their male/female ratio suggests his gender might be a hook though 🙂 

Saint Olaf can be generous with need based aid and/or merit, we know lots of kids who apply.   It just depends who you are, what you bring to campus, where you are from.  Both my kids got good but not amazing merit packages there but we are relatively local.  They don’t need to work too hard to get local kids.    They can push pretty hard to get some unique music kids from further away on campus, especially if you might qualify for some need based aid.
 

But a smaller LAC like this is considerably different from anything else listed so far.  If LACs are under consideration that can open up a lot of options.  I mean my own kids applied to schools from 1200 enrolled to 40k+ and we really thought any could be a potential fit at the right price point.  

[Sneezyone]

14 minutes ago, catz said:

Saint Olaf can be generous with need based aid and/or merit, we know lots of kids who apply.   It just depends who you are, what you bring to campus, where you are from.  Both my kids got good but not amazing merit packages there but we are relatively local.  They don’t need to work too hard to get local kids.    They can push pretty hard to get some unique music kids from further away on campus, especially if you might qualify for some need based aid.
 

But a smaller LAC like this is considerably different from anything else listed so far.  If LACs are under consideration that can open up a lot of options.  I mean my own kids applied to schools from 1200 enrolled to 40k+ and we really thought any could be a potential fit at the right price point.  

We’re casting a really wide net at this point and not ruling anything out. For ex, Morehouse could be great because TP Studios are there and ATL has a DCI band and strong music scene.  We are trying to make sure he’s within 4-6 hours of family but that’s not all that limiting either since we have peeps all over. Maybe the hardest piece is ensuring there are good jobs to be had in the area once he graduates? 🤷🏽‍♀️

Edited June 29, 2023 by Sneezyone

[Dmmetler]

University of Iowa or Indiana University would be similar to UIUC. Both are BIG band schools. I know Iowa has some good music scholarships. 

 

Iowa has the RAI calculator. It's for in-state residents, but seems to also give a good picture for OOS. 

[Eos]

10 hours ago, Dmmetler said:

University of Iowa or Indiana University would be similar to UIUC. Both are BIG band schools. I know Iowa has some good music scholarships. 

 

Iowa has the RAI calculator. It's for in-state residents, but seems to also give a good picture for OOS. 

Maybe not enough snow for OP's dc?  

[Sneezyone]

1 hour ago, Eos said:

Maybe not enough snow for OP's dc?  

Lol, probably not.

[Dmmetler]

Atlanta won't be great for that, either :). I think they've gotten a small amount once in the last two years...

 

Although it does have other benefits, especially since ARCHE schools seem to have compatible schedules by design...

[Frances]

20 hours ago, Eos said:

Maybe not enough snow for OP's dc?  

Plenty of snow in Iowa City, very similar to Chicago, Madison, and other places mentioned in the thread. I lived there for one year and nearby for four years. Great university town.

[Sneezyone]

On 7/1/2023 at 2:42 AM, Frances said:

Plenty of snow in Iowa City, very similar to Chicago, Madison, and other places mentioned in the thread. I lived there for one year and nearby for four years. Great university town.

It’s good as far as climate but diversity??? YIKES. I don’t want DS to feel isolated. His unique blend of interests are isolating enough. My brother graduated from Montana State and, just saying, DS is not built like that.

Edited July 3, 2023 by Sneezyone

[JanetC]

Run the net price calculators, and if you're not sure how the WA GET money will affect your financial aid package, be sure to ask on the visit. (Private schools like UChicago use the PROFILE, which means they can ask anything they want on the forms and award money independent of the federal formulas.) Brand-name public universities like UIUC will tend to look at out-of-state students as a "cash cow."  In general, don't expect too much aid from places like that, and never expect that aid will cover the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition.

The normal strategy for "graduating debt free" is to stay in state public, or to look at a little bit smaller school, a little bit lower rankings where financial aid is more generous. But you are less likely to find a big marching band at smaller schools... and the best places to make connections in film/TV are probably in/near big expensive cities like NYC and LA.  Think through your wants/needs carefully: There are lots of affordable places for musicians, broadly speaking, if it doesn't have to be a big marching band, and there are lots of places to go to school and be creative if he is OK with it being a long-shot to get into film/TV industry and can make back-up career plans.

[Lilaclady]

On 6/29/2023 at 12:00 PM, Sneezyone said:

We’re casting a really wide net at this point and not ruling anything out. For ex, Morehouse could be great because TP Studios are there and ATL has a DCI band and strong music scene.  We are trying to make sure he’s within 4-6 hours of family but that’s not all that limiting either since we have peeps all over. Maybe the hardest piece is ensuring there are good jobs to be had in the area once he graduates? 🤷🏽‍♀️

The movie industry is huge in ATL right now. A lot of the colleges are now offering film and media/ entertainment studies and some have direct internships in the industry. For my student doing DE there have been quite a lot of options. 

[Sneezyone]

On 7/4/2023 at 5:08 PM, JanetC said:

Run the net price calculators, and if you're not sure how the WA GET money will affect your financial aid package, be sure to ask on the visit. (Private schools like UChicago use the PROFILE, which means they can ask anything they want on the forms and award money independent of the federal formulas.) Brand-name public universities like UIUC will tend to look at out-of-state students as a "cash cow."  In general, don't expect too much aid from places like that, and never expect that aid will cover the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition.

The normal strategy for "graduating debt free" is to stay in state public, or to look at a little bit smaller school, a little bit lower rankings where financial aid is more generous. But you are less likely to find a big marching band at smaller schools... and the best places to make connections in film/TV are probably in/near big expensive cities like NYC and LA.  Think through your wants/needs carefully: There are lots of affordable places for musicians, broadly speaking, if it doesn't have to be a big marching band, and there are lots of places to go to school and be creative if he is OK with it being a long-shot to get into film/TV industry and can make back-up career plans.

Thanks! We followed that strategy for DD but think we'll be in a marginally better position for DS. My work income is picking up. Somebody messed around and told DS that French horn was one of the harder brass instruments so he checked one out from school to play over the summer. He's the switch hitter of the brass (mostly heavy) section.

[Corraleno]

Ohio State has one of the top marching bands, and also has a smaller athletic band that plays for other sports events. Large music department with lots of ensembles, and a Film & Media Arts department that offers this major: Moving-Image Production (MIP) is an interdisciplinary BA program in animation, experimental, documentary, and narrative filmmaking. The major emphasizes studio practice, the development of critical storytelling skills, and a proficiency in visual literacy. MIP is an interdisciplinary major that combines teaching and research expertise from our partners in art, dance, design, theatre, and the Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design (ACCAD). 

Columbus is a good-sized city, gets plenty of snow in the winter, and OSU offers decent academic scholarships for OOS students — DS got $16K/year for 4 years (athletic scholarships made up the rest and he graduated debt free).

[Sneezyone]

13 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

Ohio State has one of the top marching bands, and also has a smaller athletic band that plays for other sports events. Large music department with lots of ensembles, and a Film & Media Arts department that offers this major: Moving-Image Production (MIP) is an interdisciplinary BA program in animation, experimental, documentary, and narrative filmmaking. The major emphasizes studio practice, the development of critical storytelling skills, and a proficiency in visual literacy. MIP is an interdisciplinary major that combines teaching and research expertise from our partners in art, dance, design, theatre, and the Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design (ACCAD). 

Columbus is a good-sized city, gets plenty of snow in the winter, and OSU offers decent academic scholarships for OOS students — DS got $16K/year for 4 years (athletic scholarships made up the rest and he graduated debt free).

This sounds IDEAL!

[Corraleno]

On 7/13/2023 at 7:48 PM, Sneezyone said:

This sounds IDEAL!

Just saw this today:

"Ohio State also has a policy that may allow family members of those who served, or are serving, to qualify for in-state tuition rates. For more information, please contact Military and Veterans Services at 614-247-VETS or milvets@osu.edu."

https://undergrad.osu.edu/apply/information-for-veterans

https://veterans.osu.edu

[Sneezyone]

1 hour ago, Corraleno said:

Just saw this today:

"Ohio State also has a policy that may allow family members of those who served, or are serving, to qualify for in-state tuition rates. For more information, please contact Military and Veterans Services at 614-247-VETS or milvets@osu.edu."

https://undergrad.osu.edu/apply/information-for-veterans

https://veterans.osu.edu

My father would pitch a COMPLETE fit for the rest of his days if DS ended up there but I love it for DS. Usually these policies apply the those who joined the service from there or are stationed locally but I’ll ask anyway. DSs hook is more visceral…football. lol. Not DS, his granddad. Trust, it would be a story. 🤣

Edited July 30, 2023 by Sneezyone

[Dmmetler]

We used to go to a conference every year at OSU. The acoustics in that stadium are great 🙂. It's also the only football stadium  I've ever been at with a dedication to a former band director. 

[Sneezyone]

15 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

We used to go to a conference every year at OSU. The acoustics in that stadium are great 🙂. It's also the only football stadium  I've ever been at with a dedication to a former band director. 

My dad played in the shoe…and silenced the crowd. Gramps would not be pleased. Fortunately, DSs choice isn’t about Grampa. It’d just make for REALLY fun holiday gatherings. I mean, srsly, not only did we NOT give DS Dad’s name (he has an uncle’s name) but going to OSU might just send him over the rainbow bridge. How could he fail so hard with his favorite kid?? 😂

Edited July 31, 2023 by Sneezyone