<p>Our S (a HS jr) was told he had a great chance at getting into The College of NJ (SATs were not at the typcial level for TCNJ, but he has done some unique public speaking on his disability and that impressed them) He was going to apply ED. But he visted Monmouth Univ this weekend and fell in love (the beach was all too tempting) and now TCNJ (which we loved) is way down on his list. Thoughts?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t be too concerned: the main thing is that it is at least still ON his list, and, his interests and first choices may very well change dramatically in the next 10 months. He may well end up back with TCNJ as his first choice, or perhaps there is some yet-to-be discovered school that he will really, really fall in love with, etc. </p>
<p>Is he in the process of developing a list of schools, if he does not plan to apply anywhere ED?</p>
<p>I was afraid HE was heartbroken. You can get over it…and he might change his mind…but maybe he knows something you don’t about fit.</p>
<p>Oh my…Is this a junior? If so, it’s WAY too early for heartbreak. ;)</p>
<p>He has visted a lot of schools and liked most of them. At this point I think these are the only 2 he wants to apply to. He SHOULD get into Monmouth (we looked at it as a safety school) He liked Rowan, and Temple as options. I think we are going to pass on visiting Rider. None of these are a stretch except for TCNJ. We were so excited that they were so positive with him (told him not to worry that his SAT scores were a bit lower than their average)</p>
<p>I agree. It’s tough for us to keep in mind what our kids want–we start picturing them where we think is right. I was just down at Monmouth for a conference a couple weeks ago, and i met some really dynamic, motivated students there. And the setting can’t be beat (I grew up nearby, and I adore the area.)</p>
<p>We don’t do summer college visits and are trying to wrap up options for fall applications. He LOVED TCNJ until he saw the beach near Monmouth. We feel TCNJ is a better match for him academically and have made a great connection with an advisor there. Just don’t want to see him go to a college because it is near the beach</p>
<p>Probably right that it is too early to worry. Monmouth is beautiful, has small classes and freindly students. We definitly liked it as a safety school for him</p>
<p>One of our state universities is located 10 minutes from the beach. I’m sure the academics are fine there but have never heard anything outstanding abut them. Nevertheless, ever year they have tons of applications from kids all over the state who want to go to school at the beach!</p>
<p>Consider too that kids can change A LOT in the year between April of junior year, and April of senior year. </p>
<p>If he seems uncertain in the fall, just don’t apply ED. Let him apply to several schools and sort it out later. </p>
<p>Don’t feel rushed. You have more time than you think.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Regarding Monmouth, they seem to have a on campus housing problem which may mean off campus housing required after freshman year, and needing to drive a car to get to classes. Does he really think that he will enjoy the beach a lot between Sept.-May? Sept. should still be nice, but after that it will be pretty but windy and freezing!</p>
<p>He loves the beach any time of year! We think that is his motivating factor and nto a good reason to give up an opportunity to go to a school in the league of TCNJ. We are trying to remind him that he can spend summers at the beach (and work there) once he gets into college. The car is not a huge problem (he has one that he shares with his sister) but high off campus rents could be. Though we looked into that a bit and they did nto seem terribly unreasonable. They sound like they will give him some nice merit $</p>
<p>How about Stockton? One of my D’s best friends went there, got into a great grad program (all paid for) and seems to have loved her experience there. ANd of course also near the beach!</p>
<p>why are you heartbroken? he is alive, doing well, and exploring his options…he is a good student, has a lot going for him…heartbroken seems a strange word to use</p>
<p>he needs to feel that if he goes elsewhere, you won’t be disappointed</p>
<p>Heartbroken was a joke. He is a great kid, works hard and deserves the good options he has. Just was not prepared for this sudden turn of first choice. We are sticking to schools that have business schools with AACSB certification (Stockton does not have that)</p>
<p>oh I see, okay</p>
<p>djsmom, I don’t know anything about the specificity of your son’s needs and interests so take this with a grain of salt, but, it may help to think of this thing as a marathon, not a sprint. During this time your son may have a rapidly changing list of favorites; his final “list” may be entirely different than how it looks right now. Also, I would caution against putting too much weight on how encouraging - or for that matter discouraging - any specific advisor sounds, at least this early out. Many things that sound awesome and perfect at first actually can turn out to be quite different later, and those opportunities that appear mediocre or even undesirable at first glance can often end up at the top of a list later…</p>
<p>We need to make an appt to meet with business school staff at Monmouth and see if we get the same freindly, student-supportive feel we got from TCNJ. If not, it will be a no-brainer. My S has a mild disability (Tourettes with anxiety disorder) and needs strong connections with his profs. Just to share some info, I can’t tell you how impressed we were with TCNJ. The advisor told him they automaitcally pull in any student who has a 2.5 GPA for meetings (to turn grades around). He said “If a student fails, we don’t see that as the student’s fault, it is our fault.” The campus is gorgeous, even if it is in a really sleepy, quiet town. The students can easily get a bus to Princeton (10 min. away) or trains to NY and Phila. I highly recommend others look at this U, keeping in mind it is pretty selective. They are one of the few state schools that don’t only look at SAT scores and GPA. Our D is at Penn State and loves it there, but, as a freshman, we can clearly see that she is no more than a number. She was a top student in HS and did very poorly her 1st semester in engineering. We know that our S needs something much different</p>
<p>My daughter applied to Monmouth as a match. She received a very generous financial aid package from them. She has made a different decision, but the school was lovely, we were impressed with its use of technology, and the financial aid folks were generous.</p>
<p>djsmom-</p>
<p>Monmouth’s proximity to the beach CAN be overly enticing…I had a nice scholarship to Monmouth many years ago but remember that the beach was what may have clinched it for me! No matter, it was a great 4 years and I’ve used my degree well.</p>
<p>Our son spent two years at TCNJ, transferred to Rutgers, New Brunswick.
Academics at TCNJ are quite a few levels above Monmouth and the campus is gorgeous. The small classes and caring profs are a plus for many therer. Our son needed a bigger pond, ultimately.</p>
<p>Best of luck to your son.</p>