You are right. Especially now, as they are changing FAFSA. I am completely confused about changes they are making.
I know that this can be a hard sell. However, their excellent results from high school really will help them a lot at Rutgers, or TCNJ, or NJIT, or any other âtop 200â university (Rutgers is ranked a lot higher than 200, of course). There will be engineering and math and CS classes that quite a few university students struggle with at any good university. This is not high school.
I am not sure how much to bore you with personal experiences. I have seen exams with class average in the mid 40âs. I remember two university math classes where at least half the students needed to drop the class. I remember another where out of a class of 200, only 2 even tried to answer the last question on the final. The students who come in very well prepared are the ones who have the best chance to do well in these classes. Being near the top of the class in university can help a student get internships, and internships can help a lot with getting a good job after graduation.
You might think of university as sort of like the Boston marathon. A lot of people can enter. The ones who are very well prepared are the ones who are are most likely to finish, and who are likely to finish near the front.
Also, your sonâs excellent results from high school are likely to help them to get merit based aid that can help the three of you to avoid or minimize debt. Through their excellent results in high school, they are likely to be helping your family financially in a big way even while getting a good education and while still being teenagers.
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@DadTwoGirls, thank you very much for your prospective. I canât imagine them working even harder than now - yesterday they went to bed at 2 am, right now they are still up studying for physics and calc tests. It is my understanding that going to Rutgers or other state college will help them by getting credits for APs and that is a big help of course.
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In addition to what many of us have said above about Rutgers being a very good school, let me add an employerâs perspective. I work in tech and my firm hires a lot of CS grads each year. We are based in NYC and hire plenty of Rutgers grads. They are some of our best, and have very successful careers.
I am aware that many high achieving NJ high school kids think of Rutgers only as an option of last resort, but thatâs an inaccurate and unfair perception of the school.
You have several options to explore, but if Rutgers turns out to be the best option for your boys I am confident they will thrive and enjoy their time there.
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Not sure what you are asking here. The FAFSA gives a family contribution. Thatâs it. Itâs a financial aid application form not a money awarding agency.
The family contribution is what the FAFSA calculates you can pay for the full cost of attending college. BUT most colleges do NOT meet full need at all for everyone so that number should be viewed as the MINIMUM you will be paying per student.
The net price calculators are a better bet, but as a divorced parent, these might not be accurate, especially for colleges that also require either the Profile, or their own form.
And the CA publics do NOT meet full need for all accepted students.
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It sounds like schools that require CSS Profile and NCP financials are likely to be unaffordable. Schools are unlikely to approve an NCP waiver as dad is paying child support. If dadâs new spouse works, their income and assets would also be included on CSS Profile (but again, I understand dad wonât fill this out/contribute $ to the twins education).
OP is also correct about coming FAFSA changes. OP can do FAFSA manually to figure out each twinâs EFC. This is just a draft document, so could change: https://fsapartners.ed.gov/sites/default/files/2022-11/202425DraftStudentAidIndexSAIandPellGrantEligibilityGuide.pdf
There are plenty of schools in between Rutgers and Princeton. My son and his friends were high achieving so I understand.
Iâd have them look for schools that offer vex or general robotics scholarships. You can help research this.
Look up the list of css schools and which ones require the non-custodial parent info. Keep it handy.
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It can be a bitter pill to swallow, my high stats kids (from NJ) realized that since we arenât eligible for FA, but canât afford full freight OOS or private, that reach schools really didnât work. My daughter accepted to Villanova honors ended up at UDel with merit. My Clemson honors sophomore is paying more than Rutgers (she only had a 33 act and 3.98 UWGPA) because her twin was going to Rutgers (30/3.7), and she worked so much more than he did, and didnât want to attend the same college. Both couldâve been accepted at higher ranked schools, but we had no way to pay for them. My kids also had ridiculous schedules with work and athletics, which prepared them well for time management in college, a plus.
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Good idea!
Here it is, second column from right is sortable by schools that do/donât require CSS, but as always double check this information with each institution that makes it to the twinsâ lists. CSS Profile Participating Institutions and Programs
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Itâs a big help, my daughter with 9 APâs plus DE graduated an entire year early, my daughter with 7 is in track for early graduation as well. My oldest graduated from Rutgers with her masters in accounting in 4 1/2 years, she always took 18 credits every semester to save $ (plus worked).
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Because you will do better in college, even if it is the same college that âeverybody elseâ is going to.
At colleges that offer merit scholarships (including Rutgers), doing better in high school also increases the chance of getting them.
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You might try to call the financial aid department (not admissions) at a UC other than UCLA or Berkeley. Those schools are big and, depending on when you call, you might not get the most knowledgeable or helpful person.
Iâm going to tag @AAJ724 because they are trying to go through the process of applying via Condit this year. They might be able to share some of the information they have found and struggles they are encountering.
Finally, if your sons are considering applying to California public schools, make sure they take a year of visual and performing arts while in high school.
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Given the financial situation and high stats for your kids, here are some suggestions:
Twin applications are generally considered together by admissions. Typically theyâll both be accepted or both rejected. Moreso in your case because your kids have similar stats.
Have a solid plan in place for ED. Also consider ED2 schools. The choices of Chicago and Vanderbilt are both solid. An ED application boosts chances by at least 50%. A nonbinding EA doesnât change the odds that much.
Rutgers is a great fallback option. Its a large school, but plenty of opportunities in the CS/Tech area.
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Happy to share. We have now been asked by one UC (UCSD) to submit a bunch of paperwork to support that our sonâs father is a CA resident (and has been for longer than 3 years). We were a bit surprised to have received this request from UCSD so early, since most schools donât ask for these records until after admission is offered because it only relates to possible Condit status under the residency for tuition purposes, not residency for admissions purposes, which is a different standard.
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@thumper1, now I understand what x% meet full need means. I had no idea it is related to FAFSA. Thank you for pointing that out.
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@AAJ724, that should not be problem for us. My ex-husband moved to CA in 2017 for the job. Thank you for this information.
Also be aware that what FAFSA/the colleges think you can afford is often much higher than what we parents think we can afford.
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I would be hesitant to recommend EDing at a school where finances are an issue unless very low income. Even schools that meet full need may expect much more of you financially then you feel like you can afford
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Many colleges define âEFCâ and âneedâ in ways different from the FAFSA calculation for SAI (EFC). An obvious example is that FAFSA considers only the custodial parent finances, but many colleges that claim to âmeet full needâ define âEFCâ based on both parent finances for divorced parents. When the non-custodial parent has significant income or assets, the collegeâs EFC will likely be significantly higher than the SAI (EFC) calculated from FAFSA, so the collegeâs definition of âneedâ will be lower than if it just used FAFSA SAI (EFC) as the EFC to determine âneedâ.
Non-California residents generally wonât get any need-based financial aid at California publics.
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Very interesting. In addition to UChicago, Vandy, and UNC, several CC favorites do not require non-custodial parent info: Ga Tech, Wm & Mary, Drexel, Elon, Trinity U, Santa Clara, Oberlin, Wooster, Rhodes.
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