Sars –

I got into a good graduate school for drama, but I’m financially confused.I don’t have any undergraduate loans because my parents were kind enough to fork over the tuition, so I was shocked to see the numbers add up when my financial aid package came.

It’s always been expected that we were pay for our own graduate school (and it is expected that we get our finishing degrees).My little sister is a scientist, so she is basically being paid to get her Ph.D.But drama school has no TAing and not much financial aid.Should I go into lots and lots of debt for a profession that will earn me little money?

I’ve always wanted to get my MFA, but it seems crazy to end up penniless in NYC with ashitload of debt trying to make my way in the theater.What do you think?

Yours,
Wish I Wanted To Be An Investment Banker

Dear Wish,

Yes, it seems crazy.On the other hand, if you really want to do it – if you really want to eat and sleep and breathe theater and make it your life – it seems even crazier not to.

But you don’t say anything about that in your letter, about what you would do if money were no object, about your dreams; you only talk about the financial aspects.Maybe that’s your way of trying to talk yourself out of doing something that you want to do, but don’t think you should want to do, and that’s understandable; maybe it’s your way of trying to justify not doing something you don’t really want to do, but think you should want to do, and that’s understandable too.But you have to decide for yourself which one it is, and act accordingly.

An MFA costs a pretty penny and doesn’t do much for your salary prospects on the other side, and if you don’t know for sure that you want to go, maybe you should wait.But if you really want it, go for it.Trust that you’ll work something out with the money, that you’ll learn to like Ramen and beans from the can and waiting tables at Sunday brunch and walking everywhere to save on bus fare – and that, if you don’t want to do it after all, you can always change your mind and join the training program at Bear Stearns.

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