I apologize for the lame title. :)
However, I am yet to hear about any scholarship awards for academics or vocal ability, which is really what is going to make the decision for me at the moment, meaning that CSU is still in first for my heart and future.
I know that a lot of people will be shocked that I would choose CSU over NYU or Miami... or even DU, considering the great scholarship package they offered me. But really, as far as undergrad goes, the cheapest university is going to win. I'm already definitely going into a graduate program to get my Masters in Music, and that's when I'll be going for the big name schools. Especially considering that grad students also get great consideration in scholarships. Let's look at Eric's life as it stands right now:
Eric goes to CSU for four years and gets his BM in Vocal Performance in a program that is excellent, if not as well known. He's had a great experience at CSU and has beefed up his resumé considerably (especially when one understands that CSU is one of a handful of universities in the world that has been known to grant Freshmen leading roles in productions- something that's really winning me over at the moment.) Four years have passed, and it's time to apply to grad school. Eric has decided that while Colorado is a wonderful place, it's time to maybe break the mold and go out of state to a conservatory. If things go as planned, Eric will apply to the Manhattan School of Music and the San Francisco Music Conservatory, on top of some other possible schools for a two-year program to get his Masters. In addition, he will reapply to NYU and Miami's graduate programs in hopes that he'll get a good scholarship and then spend the next two years studying his butt off and hopefully starting to establish a career. Once he gets his MM, he leaves school forever and starts pursuing an operatic career. He might start out in the Denver Opera (which, for all intents and purposes, is a fairly well-respected program) or start in some other smaller opera companies before finally making his debut at the New York Metropolitan Opera. After Eric sings opera for a few years and fully matures his voice, he will then transition to Broadway, singing the bass roles that are really only offered to older people (because young characters in shows are almost always tenors because the world is unfair.) After Eric makes his transition to Broadway, he eventually gets the part of the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera (which I'm assuming will still be running at that point) and then dies happily shortly thereafter.
Well, I'm hoping I don't die that quickly as I'm hoping to live to be like 105, but you get the point. I basically have my life mapped out.
The reason why I don't want to go to NYU for undergrad (unless I am offered significant financial aid) is because I don't want to be in debt for the rest of my life. College loans are hard enough to come by anyway in this tragically sucky economy, and paying them off at the same time as waiting for a performance career to spark would be suicidal (both literally and figuratively). My parents are, thankfully, helping me with college, but they have also told me that if I want to go to a private university (which happens to be 8 out of the 9 colleges I've applied to) and I'm not offered significant scholarships to cover a majority of the costs, I'm out of luck. And, unfortunately, federal grants are very difficult to come by and those that do exist will go to people less fortunate than I. I'm not guaranteed a performance career, and I don't want to pay off loans for undergrad. I might be willing to take loans for graduate school, but that's four years down the line.
So, the moral of this blog entry is that if I'm going for a big name, I'll save it until grad school. I am fully confident that CSU's program is just as good as any of the "big-name" schools' programs are- it just comes at a fraction of the price. Another bonus about CSU is, of course, that it's close to home and I've familiarized myself with the program quite nicely. I know the instructors there fairly well, and I have done a lot of research and found that the opera program is very well-respected across the state. I'm not making any commitments yet, of course (I imagine I'll be doing that all the night of April 30th... :P), and I tend to change my mind every two minutes as far as college is concerned, but, at the moment, this is my mindset.
Back in September, I would have jumped instantly when I found out that I was admitted to NYU. And now, though it's fairly painful to let this opportunity slide, I think I'm making a great decision in the long run. And NYU isn't going anywhere. Neither is Miami, or any other opportunity. I've proven to myself now that I can get into both schools and their respective music programs. Transferring is always an option, and so are graduate studies. I've waited 18 years to go to these schools.
Certainly four more won't be too difficult.
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