The numbers should be fairly clear from the docs FAid provided. Additional funds from FAid at UR are being requested but no responses to date.
I am confused as to how there is a FA package at all from UR for the other twin as they have missing paperwork.
Sometimes tentative financial aid awards are issued contingent on receiving paperwork. In this case the school is aware that these students are twins and they have the appropriate paperwork on file for one twin, so the financial aid officer probably knows that the relevant documentation exists, but needs a copy with twin 2’s name on it for the file.
@Sybylla (#659), see original post.
Sorry everyone, had a couple tests today and was working after school.
Okay I’ll be sure to not take CC classes if it affects my FA. There are probably other ways to review calc on my own.
I will also make sure to lay out the finances with with family ASAP, and I’ll be sure to update here 
UR requested that we send in my sister’s non custodial parent waiver before appealing the FA, but my school’s college and career center moves rather slow and has delayed faxing that for a few days, should be in by tomorrow though.
And again I’m just going to say this for all the parents/future applicants lurking on this thread. Seriously, communicate about finances before applicantions. Like, I asked my mom if I should not apply to Cal because it was really expensive, and she said “If it’s a good school and you like it you can apply”
So uh, getting stuck in this situation is quite unpleasant, since you have to scramble around to find back up plans or stretch finances, and the kid had probably gotten excited about the schools they already applied to…
@jql2017 - No one is saying that you need to review calculus before starting college. The point was simply that if you attend UW, you can’t reasonably expect to graduate in 3 years, in part because you won’t be able to place out of basic calculus with AP credit. And I suggested that if you end up having to attend UH for financial reasons, you might take calc & physic there both to assure a challenging college experience and to improve your prospects for transfer to an affordable college if you don’t want to spend 3 or 4 years at UH.
But if your parents scrape together enough to send you to Rochester & UW, then you don’t need CC courses. You’ll take the courses you need fall semester. In that setting, you and your sister need summer jobs so that you can be contributing as much as possible to the high college costs your parents would be taking on.
Yes, for any student that has good stats and for whom finances MAY be an issue, look at Us that award generous merit aid for students with similar stats (generally NO out of state public Us, since they have to give most of their merit awards to residents). Look for programs that allow reduced tuition, like WUE to get a discount if you want to go out of state.
College costs are a huge shock for many parents AND students. It’s best to have these discoveries and conversations as early as possible, well before apps go out in SR year.
I think the problem is worse for high stats kids that both assume they will get into top schools and get merit. Even the little merit at UW is a minor miracle and I am not sure how UR is giving any FA to the family based on all that income. Does the retirement income not get counted in?
Any one would want to go UCB as OOS without any FA ?
Actually there are lots of universities that have merit scholarships for oos students but their deadlines are November 1st.
OP would have possibilities at various honors colleges where a 34 is very valuable.
Our kids didn’t even apply to most OOS public Us because the prices were high and merit awards are generally VERY limited. We did have S apply to one OOS U where his stats offered him a full ride, just so he had a safety.
@grtd2010 I know of many people who would go to Berkeley without aid. Many classmates are going to UCD UCI etc without aid. Many classmates are still congraulating me on Cal and urging me to go: “just take out loans and get a good job to pay back later”. Recently, a substitute: “You’re gonna be in debt anyway might as well just go”
Plenty of parents are willing and happy to pay full freight, that is NOT the same as taking loans. If I had 1 kid with high stats, my kid could choose the moon (I don't LOL). I suspect you have friends whose parents are legitimately wealthy (probably have less children, have no divorces, have no mortgage at 62). Your friends are not a great barometer when they have a different financial status.
@sybylla oh no haha I know my parents land on the wealthier end of the spectrum (most people who make 150k+ send their kids to private school here) But it’s okay I tell them I’m not going to Cal because it’s too expensive.
That sounds wise.
Business is largely about allocating scarce resources to achieve a goal. Taking debt when it is not absolutely needed is a better and faster way than most to wreck a business.
Had two kids overlapping in college; DH is a federal employee, I was working 15 hrs/week. At the time, we were in our early 50s. No freaking way we’d borrow $200k for college, even with a small mortgage and lots of equity. No. No. No.
You are not guaranteed to get enough hours to actually use all of your work study award.
Most engineering/STEM majors are highly sequential; you can’t double up on classes to get out in three because you’ve got to complete pre-requisites. Starting a math/eng progeam w/o calc puts you way behind the eight ball. Your classmates will have BTDT already.
And if you come to the conclusion that this program isn’t for you, what would you major in, and could you pay loans with that income? Will your dad take out loans for a humanities degres, or will his support be conditional on a STEM-related major?
I’m sorry the adults in your life gave dropped the ball on this one. I was in that boat, too.
Sometimes, the question isn’t, can I take on the debt, but, “How will I pay it back?” How long, what compromises, along the way?
Some poster responses may feel harsh here. But it’s because they/we have this perspective. There’s a thread now about expenses that would have to sit, if we had 80k in student debt. It’s even simple things like fixing the toilet. Or, holding off fixing a car that needs new brakes.
Reality.
If your parents can swing this, fine by me. But we want you to look at more than his high income, what your friends do. The “facts” have wobbled over 650+ posts.
Any update since dad came home from. Alaska?
He hasn’t had the chance to sit down and figure out his net income and such because it was a busy weekend, but he came with me to the UW and Cal receptions. I think he wants to send us to UW. My parents are still not open to the idea of a gap year or having us attend UH…