Comments | musicmajors: Is an MM from Michigan worth the cost?

shadowboxer524 in musicmajors

Is an MM from Michigan worth the cost?

Apr 27, 2010 21:21

I just found out Friday that I have been accepted in the MM - Music Composition program at the University of Michigan. Unfortunately, since I was waitlisted and a spot didn't open up until so late, they were not able to offer me any scholarship money ( Read more... )

Comments 6

ayanamisama April 28 2010, 02:32:09 UTC

Congrats on your acceptance!

Based on the money alone (and this is just my opinion), I would go to North Texas. I can't fathom taking out $100,000 in loans, and the stress of trying to pay it back someday would kill me. Good luck in whatever you choose, though.

krystalily April 28 2010, 02:34:00 UTC

IAWT.

100k in student loans? No thanks! No program is THAT good imo...

ayanamisama April 28 2010, 02:35:31 UTC

I'm panicking enough about what it's costing me for undergrad, and I go to a relatively cheap state school and qualify for in-state tuition (after one year at a horrendously expensive private school). I would pass out signing the paperwork for borrowing that much money.

matthras April 28 2010, 02:52:53 UTC

I know nothing about either Universities (me being Australian), but I do know that's a huge price gap that would easily turn me off.

I'd take on the suggestion of your teacher.

sleepingcbw April 28 2010, 04:17:00 UTC

Nthing your teacher's advice. If you have your heart set on Michigan, you can always do your doctorate there. (And -- I'm still carrying about $10k in undergrad debt, and even that much stresses me out. I can't fathom $100k. People take out thirty-year mortgages to pay off $100k.)

Anyway, I'm told that unless you and a school are the best match ever, it's better to do your Master's and your Ph.D in different places, so you can absorb a wider variety of influences (and make a wider variety of contacts). Tons of people do their MMs/MAs at smaller schools and then move onto bigger schools for the Ph.D.

swagmonkey April 28 2010, 14:07:47 UTC

There are some fields where you could take out $100K in loans and expect to make the money back with your degree relatively certainly, even if it might take a while. Music composition is not one of them. Although you could turn out to be amazing at it and make a ton of money, I would expect to be financially struggling for a while after graduation. Do yourself a favor and don't give yourself $100K in debt on top of that.

If you really like UMichigan, then you could consider metamorphage's suggestion of applying next year and hoping for more financial aid. However, with the current costs in mind, I'd go to Texas if you want to go this year. I don't know much about their program, but the price is right.