@merething, I can only hope that my twins (a year behind you) are as sensible about the college search as you are. Best of luck to you!
@ClassicRockerDad Thank you for your response! It’s probably trivial, but I’m not sure if I’d do well at Canadian schools just because it’s so cold. I don’t know how the Midwest compares, but I would hesitate to go colder than Boston (which is obviously not in the Midwest–just a reference point.) 
Weather isn’t the #1 criteria in my search by any means, but I’d likely be happier in a warmer climate. Your four categories are really helpful! Hoping for the best but preparing for the worst is exactly my strategy.
@twinsmama Thank you! Good luck to your kids as well!
Not all of Canada is colder than Boston. Vancouver (UBC) is warmer. Toronto is warmer and less snowy than the midwest, and less snowy than New England, including Boston.
This is exactly the situation we faced with our son a couple years ago. Private schools consider us a full pay family, but we can really afford 25K/year/child. I encouraged DS to apply everywhere he wanted with understanding that merit aid should bring the cost of attendance to this level. We were hoping for merit aid but did not know how much he may get. The result: accepted everywhere except ivy, the merit aid 15K/year from academic safeties. Lesson learned: to get a good merit aid (half- to full ride) you have to go way-way-way below your safeties. The choice and outcome: very happy at our state school with a fantastic fit and a scholarship. The fit is really important; we have seen his friends drop out of great schools and come home. Bottom line: learn about each school as much as you can before applying. Stuff you don’t find out on a college tour. Read CC posts, get vibes on school culture and environment, administration, student body, location, etc., everything that is important to you…apply where you are likely to be happy and is financially doable. Good luck!
@bouders I didn’t know that! Thank you!
@LoveMyPuppies Thank you so much for responding! Anecdotal evidence is always helpful. I haven’t visited my safety yet (no weekends visits, and that’s difficult to swing given my parents’ work schedules,) but from what I’ve read and heard from current attendees, I would fit in well there. I’m a little concerned about the size, but I’m hoping the honors program would make things a little smaller.
If you and your twin both chose schools that were 65,000 per year (each) are you saying your family would qualify for 0 aid?
If it helps, I can talk a little bit about my impressions of schools I’ve visited/schools I’d be considering if money weren’t an issue.
I haven’t visited many schools, but out of those I’ve toured I was incredibly impressed with Tufts. They gave off a “we don’t take ourselves seriously, but we take what we do seriously” and that resonated with me.
Northeastern was beautiful, and there’s really no rational reason for me to dislike it as I did when I visited. It just felt like a place I could very easily get lost in. Again, not really rational. Also, I’m not sure I like the co-op idea, but that’s probably only because I have no idea what I want to do career-wise and I feel like the co-op program would force me to confront that sooner rather than later. How can I tell if that’s an issue of fit or if I just need to get over my fears and face the music? I don’t know.
Anyway, I’m worried that I might run into the opposite problem at a small LAC, especially if its fairly rural. Is it possible to outgrow a school? After three years with a relatively small group of peers I feel like I may be looking for people to befriend that don’t attend my school, and that’s likely easier to do in Boston or D.C. than, say, Gambier. I could be totally off, though. It’s too far from now for me to try to imagine who I’ll be at twenty two.
If I could, I’d likely look at Swarthmore (as a high reach, naturally), Vassar, and maybe Pitzer. There’s a part of me that wishes I could be at one of the Claremont Colleges (again, Pitzer makes the most sense with regards to fit), but I don’t think there’s enough merit aid offered, so that’s more like a pipe dream.
Not sure if any of this helps with regards to suggestions/advice. Thank you all for your patience and words of wisdom! I really do appreciate it.
@ClarinetDad16 I think so. I know that my parents put down that there’d be another kid in college when I would be attending. I’m not sure if the NPC then assumes that the other kid’s school also costs 65k/yr or if there’s any other way to account for that. I wasn’t allowed to look beyond the student section of it, though.
McGill currently charges international tuition on a cohort basis, The tuition rate when you enter is guaranteed for 4 years.
That’s one school of out a hundred universities.
I’m not particularly interested in going to school outside of the United States, but thank you for the input!
Not much to talk about in terms of the college search. I found out a while ago that I received a gold key and an honorable mention from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards; it was super exciting, but I’m not holding my breath for national recognition (a medal, in this case). I was also notified that I’m a semifinalist for the New Jersey Scholars Program, which was incredibly surprising and flattering. There are 100 semifinalists, however, and 39 spots.
Things are coming together, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself or be too optimistic about my chances. I have a lot to focus on in the present.
I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!
We are a full pay family very much in your parent’s boat of not wanting to pay more than 25 but will consider more if it is the right fit for the child, topping out in the low/mid 30’s.
While I can’t speak to your parents EFC, I will say that for us, having 2 in college made zero difference in our EFC. My understanding is that there is zero impact until you hit 3 though I don’t know that for a fact. We’ve not had 3 in at once but had 2 for the 2014-15 school year, and in running the numbers for #3 who is also a HS junior (sister currently a sophomore in college), it does not seem to have any impact. We will be looking at 2 in college for, ugh, at least 5 years with overlap, potentially more if #2 goes to grad school which is likely. Of course if she does that, or doesn’t graduate on time, then we will see if having 3 in at once really does impact the EFC.
I realize this is completely outside of the geographical focus but have you considered Reed at all? They can be quite generous with grants. It will not show as merit but they have been known to be quite generous with “need” based grants that make up the difference between EFC and full pay. There are other lovely West Coast LAC’s that would be a good fit for you but again, outside of the geographical focus. Run the Net price calculators when you can as it will give you an idea of “need” based grants at LAC’s that you might not realize you could get. Need is relative…
I can appreciate both sides of this but really commend you on your approach, it is impressive and just lovely to see. I expect you to have some nice choices as a result of your research and approach and general maturity. Your stats don’t hurt either
@eandesmom Thank you so much for your response! I think we’re in the exact same place financially. We’re twins, so we’re guaranteed to be in college together for all four years. I have a little sister who will graduate high school when we (ideally) finish undergrad, so we’re not supposed to have three in at once, but it will come to that if one of us doesn’t graduate on time.
Actually, I can’t say I have much of a geographical focus at this point. I live in New Jersey, and I wasn’t even really considering schools outside of the east coast until a few months ago. Now that I’ve branched out a little, I feel like I’m open to at least considering anything geographically.
I’ve looked at Reed briefly and then lamented that it wouldn’t be affordable because it says it doesn’t offer any merit aid. I’m really fond of it on paper. Are you saying that they offer non-need based aid for students they want, but refer to it as “grants”? Or that they calculate need a little differently and may give more aid to families that would be full pay? For reference, we’ve run NPCs at both Brown and Vassar, and came up as full pay for both.
If you can’t tell, I’d be really excited to have Reed as an option.
That is exactly what I am saying about Reed. Run their NPC and see what it comes up with. It will depend on your family’s EFC. For example in our case, while from a Pell, etc standpoint we do not qualify, the total cost of Reed is higher than our EFC. The NPC spits out the difference as a 20k grant (as they see it as “need” versus merit), bringing the total cost down to something more palatable for us and in that 36 ish range (assuming of course that S17 got in). I’d also say, since it’s a common app school, you have little to lose by applying. It is a wonderful wonderful school. The essay is weighted very very (very) heavily fyi.
If you look at their CDS the “need” dollar amounts are quite substantial.
You never know. I know folks that have been offered a lot there and folks offered little, and similar $ situations.
@eandesmom That’s so exciting, thank you! I’ll run the NPC with my parents when I get the chance! The essay being weighted heavily definitely works in my favor, imo.
You’re full pay according to other institutions, but Reed came through with 20k?
I take it back. In looking at another calculator it does adjust for 2 in school, it takes our total EFC and divides it in half. This is why our S11 received more in grant money his senior year than all previous, because we then had 2 in school. It did not impact D15 at all as in both scenarios her total cost fell below our EFC whether it was a single child in school, or there were 2. His had a higher price tag.
We are full pay…depending on the price tag of the school as it compares to our EFC. If the price tag is higher than our EFC, it is considered need.
I wouldn’t say Reed “came through”. I would say their own NPC estimates that is what we would qualify for, as it sees the differential between what our EFC is and their total price tag as need. If your familys EFC isat or above 50K with 2 in school (50k per child or 100k total) then you would have no need at Reed. Grants in general are not considered a merit item.
So in our case, Reed could be affordable year one for our S17 but if D15 does graduate on time, his sophomore year would be brutal. Costs would theoretically go back down for years 3&4 when D19 starts. In your case, as twins, your EFC will not change much.
For you, all you really need to know is that magic EFC number as it will be the same at all schools. Any differential in your favor may have the potential of grant money based on “need”. That does not mean such grants will be offered, just that the potential is there. Merit is separate.
Hi again!
Just a general life/college search update:
-I’m definitely visiting Grinnell, Kenyon, and Oberlin over April break, and I’m interviewing at the first two. If anyone has interview tips they could send my way, it’d be much appreciated.
-We just finished the spring musical (Les Miserables) and I’m directing a one act play, but that won’t be nearly as hectic as musical rehearsal so hopefully I’ll be able to buckle down and pull my grades up a little. I’m hoping to avoid a downward trend entirely, though that may be too lofty a goal.
-I’m officially going to be the president of my school’s Gay-Straight Alliance! I’m also working on founding a GSA for the middle school, and I’m excited because that was definitely something I needed when I was that age.
-I’m considering Clark and American, maybe. I don’t know much about either school.
-I plan on signing up for subject tests soon. I think I’m taking Literature (minimal prep needed), US History (aligns with APUSH), Math II, and Spanish. The last two will require more prep, but I’m up to the challenge.
Good luck to anyone hearing back from colleges (for their kid, I assume)! And a Happy (early) Easter to all who celebrate!
If you are in Ohio for Kenyon and Oberlin – consider stopping at Denison and Wooster which both give significant merit aid (up to half tuition, and there are additional merit awards for musicians/vocalists, though I cannot recall if that would be relevant to your skill set).
If you are going to Grinnell, consider stopping at Knox College, a few hours away in Illinois, which also gives substantial merit.
@Midwestmomofboys It’s also likely we’ll stop at Wooster, and we’ll take a look at Denison if time allows. Knox might be a little harder to get to, though.
Thank you!
I do know that American does offer some nice merit. Good friends daughter graduated last year (gainfully employed immediately) and American came in significantly less than attending her flagship (CU) would have been.