Is it worth the money to go to berklee college of music without any scholarship?

7497 Views 4 Replies 5 Participants Last post by danarsenault, May 25, 2007

Monkish

Discussion Starter · May 24, 2007

Hi I was recently accepted to Berklee College of Music and received an email who told me this year was very competitive at berklee. At the beginning I did not want to go to Berklee without scholarship but now with all the prestige of the Berklee Jazz program and all this great jazzmen who pursue some wonderfull carrer after going to Berklee I don't know if I am not missing a great opportunity. What are your advice? Do it really mean something to be accepted at berklee and pay for that 22 000$ a year? Does succesfull studies at berklee could change a musician carrer? Thank you really for your advice and to share your experience for those who had been or are in the currently in the college.

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JSaxMiller

· #2 · May 24, 2007

Hi Monkish,

My son is a graduate of Berklee. The year he entered, the school I taught in sent 6 students to Berklee. Of those students, one is a record label exec. One is doing film scoring in LA. One is an assistant dean of a music school in Thailand.

You may pay more for Berklee, but the contacts you make there should be helpfull in your career. It's all about networking.

Jsax

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rabbit

· #3 · May 25, 2007

Monkish,

Almost all the big stuff in this world is made possible
by borrowed money. Go ahead, borrow the money & do it.

By the way, congratulations!

rabbit

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NU2SAX

· #4 · May 25, 2007

I don't teach music, and in fact I'm even new to sax playing, but I teach in a University, at the graduate level. It's extremely expensive ($35, 000/year tuition ONLY so + another $30,000 for living, books, etc). I invested heavily in my career by taking out loans. It has paid off. If it's what you love, it will pay off if you are diligent, and if you really love it. So go for it. But let me add this. When I decided to make the investment to go for that degree I didn't bargain with the school for extra financial help. Then I got in and found out that other people, who didn't have as much to offer (prior grade-wise and experience-wise) had bargained and gotten a lot of money! Have you really talked with them about what they can offer you? If you're confident that you have a lot to offer, and if you have a sense that they really want you there, see if you can push the envelop a little bit. It might not work but you have nothing to lose right?
And if they offer nothing, still go for it. If you don't, won't you be sitting around a year from now wondering what you would have learned there? And you can always pull a Miles Davis and go back to learning in the real world from the playing for a living artists...

Good luck!

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danarsenault

· #5 · May 25, 2007

I'm an alum, and I thought it was worth it. Of course, 30 some odd years ago it was a lot less money. They have always held the line on tuition, and are apparently still doing so. If you just want to be a player it might still make sense to study privately.

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