So things are slowly coalescing. I got an IM a few days ago from Mr. Eddy saying that I'm in with him at Mannes. We both wrote a letter to the scholarship committee requesting more aid for me . . . I really hope they come through.
I finally called Stony Brook, as Mannes is giving me like one millisecond to either commit to go there next year with Eddy, because apparently the waitlist for his studio is light-years long. And Stony Brook told me that I got in but they weren't giving me any financial aid. So that's out. I must admit I'm a little . . . surprised at that. Although I can't blame them. Their tuition is so cheap already . . . still, it wasn't hard at all to eliminate it as an option at that point.
And I finally got an E-Mail confirming that I HAVE been assigned to a studio at Juilliard (should i decide to go), and it happens to be Richard Aaron's, which is good, because he's definitely the best of my remaining options there.
So if Mannes comes through with more money, the problem is solved . . . if not, I'll have to ask myself whether it's worth it to pay an extra $12,000 over two years to study with a teacher who's a better fit for me. Tough question, and honestly, one I really hope I won't have to answer.