You may want to research further but I thought neither your school nor you is required to disclose a legally protected disability. Also not sure an IEP or Learning Profile is required to be disclosed on the Counselor’s form.
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This forum always has posts from students and parents who have no viable options when April comes around. The truth is, none of us like to see those. Your SIL tried to warn you that things are different now than they were 20-25 years ago. Having bright students isn’t enough to get admitted to top schools anymore. Those schools can completely fill their seats multiple times with the number of qualified applicants they get every year. It takes time to craft a good list of schools for each student (“a good list of schools” is not the same thing as “a list of good schools”) and stepping in with the hopes of using a magic wand to finesse apps at the last minute is not likely to bring about your desired outcome.
You have gotten good advice about looking at schools with later deadlines, taking a gap year, taking classes at a CC. I know you think your kids “deserve” better - we all think our kids do. Maybe your kids will get lucky and receive a lottery acceptance but the reality is you need to also come up with a backup plan. Part of that is really understanding a school’s policies in regards to accommodating students with learning differences. They all have info on their websites but in many cases, the on the ground experience is quite different. You may need extra time to research and find the best fit because it may not be schools at the top of any ranking list.
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You really ought to conisder RPI for the reasons mentioned above. Seems like a strong fit in all respects, including your prestige focus on which I will let others here fight you.
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I am very sorry 
Youhave several problems here, which you’ll need to tackle separately.
First, do you want your kids to attend college Fall 2022 and do THEY want to attend college this Fall? Or is attending highly ranked universities more important than attending college in the Fall?
(Because odds are very high it’s either one).
Second, if taking a gap year is possible, you need to find gap year ideas (CS jobs/internships near home would make sense and boost their credentials).
If not, you need to find safeties, ie., colleges where they’re still taking apps, where the CS program is broad/deep with advanced classes, and where their odds are better than 25%. Pitt, Penn State, Indiana Bloomington, Iowa, Iowa State, ASU, UAlabama, UArizona are all taking apps although the priority deadlines have passed. I’d get your kids to send an app to Pitt, Indiana, ASU, and one more.
https://www.eecs.psu.edu/departments/EECS-Departments-Computer-Science-Engineering3.aspx
Third, you need to find match colleges with a good fit: do they offer a techie environment? A CS/informatics LLC (living learning community)?
Accommodations for ASD?
The admission rate needs to be 30-45%, roughly, college-wide.
Colleges like RPI or WPI may fit the bill although they’re more selective.
UIUC is a reach. Georgia Tech is a reach, as is Purdue.
Fourth, you cannot judge other kids’ applications because you haven’t seen them. SAT scores are de emphasized and 1500 v. 1540 isn’t a differentiator, except perhaps at Vanderbilt (?) and large State schools.
Top 20 universities and top CS programs have 20 applications like your kids’ for one spot. No one but the adcoms know what they saw, or didn’t see, in the app.
If your kid has ASD, then a flat-affect essay is expected.
There were a lot of wrong assumptions in your first post, which I understand was written in a panic. I can develop, but some of the corrections you made may not have helped so taking it as calmly as possible and step by step (and all of us here can help) will be essential.
Basically, you need to send the “easy apps” above then focus on one college that’s a good fit, apply ED2, and work on that app only. I suggest looking for a college with a Jan 2 or Jan 3 deadline rather than Jan 1 (and it’s 11:59pm Jan 1, not Dec 31).
In January, focus on the colleges with Jan 15 deadlines.
Btw, Northwestern’s CS, especially CS+X, is terrific, but it’s a huge reach no matter what, even with the legacy hook. NU doesn’t have ED2 and for the legacy boost ED is often expected so odds are perhaps 1 in 15 or 1 in 20 for CS.
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Another vote for RPI, Iowa State, Dayton, Pitt and ASU.
Focus on where they have a shot first. The reaches will be super reachy without a well put together application and that just isn’t going to happen in one day.
I’d also be concerned about how prepared your students are to succeed in college. Sloppy applications, and butting up against deadlines would be red flags for me as a parent, especially for a school like NU which operates on a quarter system and is faster paced than most.
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I’m thinking gap year. Maybe their apathy for applying is also a sign. Another year to mature and craft better applications?
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I might add RIT to the list. Good CS with lots of support. You really want to focus on where your kids will thrive. If you want another shot at an MIT like school, check out Caltech and CMU.
I believe there is a list out there of schools that have no additional essays. See if any fit. There are schools like Colby on there which could provide an interesting crossover between CS and save the planet. That one is decidedly different from what you’re looking for, but intended as an illustration.
Btw, don’t overweight the denial at MIT. It’s exceptionally competitive. And know that every year there are tons of really excellent students who do not gain admission to the tippy tops, even with a huge investment in their apps. One of the most valuable things that a good CC would have provided was guidance on which schools would be a good fit and insight into the odds. Yes, some polishing of the app to position your kids well. But mostly, don’t beat yourself up on this.
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A gap year is a possibility, but the reality is there’s not all that much time to craft a better app. If the students want to take time to mature for another year it could make sense, but they shouldn’t be thinking a gap year will make them more competitive for elite college candidates.
They will be in HS until late May, completing rigorous course work, and maybe taking AP tests. Then it’s the summer, when many applicants start working on essays and apps.
Even if they take the summer to do something app-enhancing it might not move the needle enough. By September, apps/essays need to be in full swing….they likely won’t be materially different applicants at that point.
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Case Western has a Jan 15 deadline and no supplemental essay. Great option for CS/robotics folks.
Eta: I think Williams is later, too, and a very good, elite even, CS option.
Also, common wisdom applies to your kids - a couple of safeties, a couple of matches and some reaches. All of the elites are reachier than people think (the admissions landscape has changed a lot since you went through it); they are more like lottery tickets. So banish the notion that your kids’ stats help their odds. Bc of special needs considerations: big schools probably have better-developed support, but small liberal arts may have more individualized attention overall. Which makes more sense depends on your kids. Good luck- you can do this!
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Yes. CS. I don’t know if there’s a second. Everyone thought they were a shoo-in, themselves including. They were so busy working, they did not do a deep research on how competitive that dept. is.
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They might not be able to add any EC’s but a gap year would certainly help their chances at top schools at this point. Their net could be cast wider for schools. Better odds for EA. If there’s one they love they could ED.
A day to write meaningful essays is a recipe for failure.
Option 2 could be pick 3 good schools. Try to craft good applications in a short time. If they don’t like the outcomes move on to a gap year.
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Not so much apathy but the crushing burden of course work plus athletics and one due to his disability.
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I don’t disagree with any of that, there are many moving parts including what would they do during a gap year that is meaningful, which allows for growth/maturity rather than increase potential for negative effects due to loss of structure for a year. Even more complicated if the pandemic is still going on.
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The way the app is worded asks access to the all academic records. I’ll have to check with the counselor. Maybe you’re right.
Please let us know what counselor says; will be helpful for others.
Are you saying transfer? Then that would just be the CC just outside of UIUC. I had no idea how competitive the environment is these days that less than 1% is not enough for RD at a state school. Less than 1% ranking.
No one is a shoo in at top colleges, even with perfect scores, straight A’s in all AP/honors classes, impressive EC’s and fantastic LOR’s and essays. There aren’t enough spots.
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UIUC would be a highly likely admit if they applied to a major in the liberal arts school, that’s why I had asked what they put down for their second choice major.
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Have you filled out the FAFSA for each child? What is the EFC of each twin and is this possible? How much can you reasonably afford per year for each twin? I think you seriously need to figure this out first. If you/your kids didn’t realize how tough a CS admission is… then you may be shocked at how much college costs, how much you’ll be expected to contribute, and how limited amount of loans are available.
And please realistically pick the schools they apply to. They are exceptionally smart, but they will need guidance. Many of the reach schools known for CS are super intense. MIT environment is not for everyone who is smart. Purdue is a good reach school. Iowa state is a very good likely school. Iowa state will give good money. Purdue probably won’t.
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I think there’s time to fix the apps until Jan. 5 (the one for UIUC), but remember I will be on a ski trip. My mind would be elsewhere (as is my physical presence). I just thought that with UIUC it was a matter of mere numbers. If so, they’re shoo-ins. Here I was thinking Stanford was still a possibility for the no. 1 ranked student in RD. He has all the goods. I just need to help craft a thoughtful essay, responses and pad up the ECs and Honors in the application. He already has them, I think. 