I wished I had spent the early years of the college process understanding the financial aid part, learning about FAFSA, estimated family contribution (EFC), net price calculators (NPC). As a family we stepped back, considered the sibling, retirement, and determined how much we could spend per year per kid. Decided we would not cosign any loans beyond the federal limit for student loans. Once we had that number, we than decided that for us, a combination of need based and merit based aid would be needed, my kid has a strong theater background so talent money as well. Use the net price calculator for determining if a school is a financial fit as well as academic. Some schools are test optional, so the SAT/ACT prep for us wasn’t that important. Our son has a good GPA, but is not a good test taker, and it doesn’t reflect his abilities, so we needed a school that was good with that philosophy. You’ll hear a lot about “fit” and after more colleges visits you’ll feel the differences in vibes. I think the best place to start is a financial plan, and then look at schools that fit that plan.
Junior year grades are the last ones seen on the college application. An improvement will be in his favor. I would find time next fall (now is too soon- let him finish the school year and enjoy his summer) to sit down with him and discuss this fact. Getting better grades will mean he has more options, not that he needs to apply to more rigorous schools. It will mean he has better study habits- those are necessary to succeed at any post HS school. It will also mean he has a better knowledge and skills foundation to be better prepared for any college.
Now is the time to sit down and discuss various futures with him. Let him tell you what types of things he likes/dislikes. As above, it may be that a technical education better suits his future job. Be sure he gets to take the classes that may be most to his liking. HS is not just college-bound academics. Exploring shop classes et al could be more to his liking. You can also point out that math and English skills are important for every occupation. It is also a good time for him to read books on various occupations that you can get from the local library. I know today’s world is computer driven but paging through a book has advantages.
bjkmom Thank you and best wishes to your son with the fire department! We have a fireman in the family and he moved up the ranks and makes a very nice living and with the time off her gets he has enough time for family life and a second career (he went back to school) and has learned so many trades plus cooking from his fellow firefighters! I don’t think I have ever met an unhappy firefighter.
I just wanted to thank everyone again for their thoughts and suggestions–I have read them all. I am rethinking whether I should have my son take a practice SAT next month as I mentioned or hold off a while They offer some trade-type classes at his school and we’ve had some frustrations with the school counselor getting him into those but that’s another story. Next year he will be taking one.
Thanks again!
I would hold off on the practice SAT. He will take the PSAT as a junior and that should help him know what he needs to work on for the SAT. If he’s a diligent student, his grades may come up a bit. Lots of kids coast their freshman year!
Thank you for saying that, massmom. He really is responsible, the kind of kid who never protests going to practice, sincerely likes to help and volunteer, and genuinely works hard. So I am hopeful the upswing in grades continues next year!
Here’s my few cents: 1)Do not waste time even looking at out of state schools and even considering paying out of state tuition as you will unnecessarily strain your budget 2)Do not waste time even looking at or applying to Rutgers as your sons low gpa makes Rutgers a reach and the size of the campus and having to ride buses will just take away time that can be used for study 3) A lot depends on his SAT score so stay cool until you get those scores but as long as he breaks 1000 combined you’ll have some good choices 4) Forget TCNJ He’s not getting in with a c+ to b gpa. 5) Boy Scouts is a great activity to have and will help compensate a little for the low gpa 6) His target schools are easy to identify at this point—— Montclair State, Stockton, Rowan and Ramapo, safety schools William Paterson and Kean. 7) limit debt at all costs!!! And MOST of all—— your son needs to pick a major that will afford job opportunities. Depending on his choice of major, Ramapo, Rowan and Stockton I would put at the top of the list for a number of reasons. I would put Ramapo and Stockton 1 and 2, Rowan to a lesser degree because there is more potential for distraction and partying.
If your son is really going to bust his hump then I elevate Rowan over Stockton. Also a huge thing to consider——- if you are within 10-15 miles of Rowan, Stockton or Ramapo then your choice is even easier —— have him commute and save big bucks
Ramapo is an outstanding school to attend if they have your intended major. Small classes, safe beautiful campus in Bergen County, best dorms in the state hands down, great business, nursing, computer science and education majors
I am prof at an NJ college and came here to post something very similar to post 25 by @njdadjets - totally agree. Ramapo is a hidden gem in NJ. Worth a look, definitely. There are a lot b,c+ kids in NJ going to regional universities in PA and MD for reasons I do not fully understand. They are certainly not worth taking out loans for.
The NJ state colleges, Montclair and Rowan and Ramapo are academically sound and accessible to midrange students.
@Allmychildren Your son sounds a bit like mine. He is also good with his hands, likes the outdoors and easy to get along with. His hs grades were b,b+ and test scores were slightly above average, but never reflected the high level of effort he put in. We did have him tested by a neuropsych late in high school and he is eligible for accommodations in college. The extra time gives him more focus on tests. So something to look into because college grades are all tests all the time, especially the gen ed classes.
To amplify: a student like your son needs to identify a major that will provide job opportunities. Rowan and very soon Ramapo are being targeted for investment and development as Rutgers campus has gotten overgrown. State legislators and education leaders have caught on to the TCNJ formula and want to develop Rowan and Ramapo as the southern and northern NJ alternatives to TCNJ. Rowan is full speed ahead and soon Ramapo will be as it offers an unmatched location and potential to attract many great middle and upper middle and affluent students away from TCNJ. If your son majors in business or computer science at Rowan or Ramapo—— he’s placing himself in a position to compete for jobs that a history or psychology major at Rutgers or some expensive private school will not be able to despite whatever added “prestige” they may carry.
Thank you again!
Njdadjets I was interested in your perspective that OOS schools aren’t even worth looking at. Your list certainly helped me focus. I didn’t even know about Ramapo or Stockton and I’ve spent some time looking them up. Unfortunately we are at least an hour to the top few small state schools you noted, so I guess we’re looking at a $30k annual bill best-case scenario for college.
Momprof9904 thank you also for reiterating to keep our eye on NJ state schools. Did the college know your son might need special accommodations and may I ask did that factor into his acceptance any way? Thanks again.
@Njdadjets meant my son would likely dorm. Thanks again!
TCNJ is still by far the top school in NJ other than the obvious Princeton.
@stones3 Yes, certainly! I should have clarified what I meant by “top”: top NJ state college contenders mentioned in this thread for my kid or perhaps kids like him. 
A lot will depend on your son’s interests. “Top” can be relative. Other than Princeton which is in a class by itself, NJ schools vary in terms of their relative value based on what one is looking for. Am sure Stevens Institute and NJIT would take issue with categorizing TCNJ as “by far the top school in NJ”. These schools offer incredible engineering, computer, and other tech programs not even dreamed of at a regional college such as TCNJ. A large national university such as Rutgers offers resources and an alumni contact base that dwarfs TCNJ. It sounds as if you have a lot of questions, but it also sounds as if you are truly open to suggestions and shared wisdom. Choose what best suits your child academically, socially, and psychologically. If you target his happiness and well being, you will not fail him.
@Allmychildren You asked "Did the college know your son might need special accommodations and may I ask did that factor into his acceptance any way? " No,he did not state so on the Common App. However, it was a factor in deciding where to finally go to school once the acceptances came in. He is just finishing up his first year and is thriving.
@momprof9904 Thank you for answering. That’s wonderful that your son has had a great first year!
@BrooklynRye Thank you! I fear “top” was a poor choice of word on my part in a college forum. Definitely not looking for the “top” schools or top ranked or top anything. Just keeping a mental list of some options to explore for our son specifically. Yes, open! I do have a lot of questions and this site is such a help. I really do appreciate people taking the time to offer their own experience and advice. Target his happinesss… Going to keep that firmly in mind!
It’s great that you are thinking about colleges, but I wonder if you could help your son figure out what really excites him. He doesn’t sound like a kid who is going to be motivated by the prospect of a good grade for its own sake, but if you could help him figure out what matters to him, maybe he’d really apply himself in classes related to that. He clearly has that oomph in him or he wouldn’t be running and doing the Eagle Scout project.
A lot of kids are not interested in college when they are not quite (or just) halfway done with high school. Some are actively resistant at that point.
I would definitely run the NPC for some of the Eastern PA schools that might fit the bill (Moravian, Ursinus, Arcadia, Scranton ) to see if any work for you. All seem to do a good job of engaging students who needed a little encouragement.
Thank you, @gardenstategal! I do think he has some time to figure out what he likes and agree that’s the first step! I really appreciate the note of encouragement, and this list of other schools to check out when the time comes. Thanks!