<p>Introducing myself - live in New England, with first-time coll applicants, boy-girl twins. They’re applying to a mix of private and public universities, and my wife and I are wondering how in the world we’re going to make it work and be equitable if one or both gets into a private school. Frankly, it seems most likely they’ll both have to go to UMass no matter where they’re accepted, and even two tuitions in-state is not a day at the beach!
Would like to hear from any other twin parents in similar situation.</p>
<p>Not a parent, but I knew a few twin pairs at MIT.</p>
<p>You may be able to get need-based financial aid - at some schools, your situation would likely increase the amount for which you were eligible. Or merit aid.</p>
<p>If either or both of your kids are eligible for and amenable to military service as an officer, ROTC is also an option for reducing costs. It pays full tuition plus a small stipend, with a guaranteed job after graduation. If either of them wants to be a scientist or engineer, and is willing to work as a civilian scientist/engineer for the DoD for a few years after graduation, the SMART scholarships will fund undergrads (though they are pretty competitive).</p>
<p>Your EFC doesn’t change whether you have one child in college or two, so it’s LIKELY that two private school educations cost about the same as one public one private. And depending on your AGI you may be able to take one of the learning credits AND the tuition deduction for the first two years. Beyond that, you may want to consider schools south and west, where costs are lower. For example, James Madison University has many students from Pennsylvania because it’s sometimes cheaper to be out-of-state at JMU than instate at PSU.</p>
<p>Bottom Line: Find a good application list for each of the kids. Cost issues can be managed.</p>
<p>If it makes you feel any better, I have a friend who currently has a freshman, sophomore and junior in college (all entered right out of high school). And there are two more to come down the line!</p>
<p>Good points, all, and thanks. They haven’t been guided toward Southern schools and the West is too far away, especially if we have to pay for air fares for both of them to visit! I appreciate the advice about EFC and public/private combination - though one is going to be mightily annoyed if he/she ends up public and the other private!
I’m guessing whatever our EFC turns out to be, there will be too big a gap to fill at a private unless they take out crushing loans which I’m becoming more and more opposed to.</p>
<p>Some publics can “feel” like privates, and some students like the big university town experience, even if it is public – focus on what each wants in a college and then see which schools fit the bill.</p>
<p>For example, Massachusetts has Massachusetts College for the Liberal Arts as well as UMass – of course, it doesn’t have a prestige name, so if that is of concern you will need a different strategy.</p>
<p>Hi! Mom of twins here. We are currently going through the process for the first time. Can we have a bit more information on your twins (grades, test scores and activities)? I have received some wonderful advise on cc…but I needed to give more information for the great targeted suggestions.</p>
<p>Dad of twin boys here. My sons are sophomores in Computer Engineering this year. One is at a $54K a year top 30 USNEWS private and the other at a Tier 3 OOS Public for about $28K. They wanted to go to different schools frankly and did not care if it was private or public. The public is well regarded in engineering and in the top 70 or so by USNEWS ranking. I don’t really care much for the ranking numbers overall but it showed me these were two solid engineering schools. Interestingly both schools have about 16K students.</p>
<p>In some ways the Public is better and other ways the Private is better. So far I think the quality of the education is pretty close in terms of professors and rigor in the classes. In engineering I see no stigma to a public at all. The private is a large private though.</p>
<p>My EFC is about 24K and both the private and the public met full EFC needs. Both schools cover all but 12K of the cost of going there. I was very happy with that.</p>
<p>Let me know if I can answer any other questions :)</p>
<p>I am a multiple and also have an sister who is two years older. We didn’t get any need-based financial aid unfortunately (we are not wealthy by any means). We all went to state schools on merit scholarships (not full though). Parents struggled, but made it through paying the leftover. So it is possible…good luck!</p>
A “meets full need” private school with a healthy endowment may limit or eliminate loans, and may end up costing you less than a public school.<br>
Welcome to college confidential. Although this is a wonderful forum and website, it is usually a good idea to provide a little less personal information than you have above…(as in not list your kid’s high school or town) You might consider reregistering with a different user name and posting again. If not, you may find your neighbor reading your posts, and your kid’s friends may find it very easy to identify them from your posts… just a thought. ;)</p>
<p>There are also wonderful threads here on merit based aid schools and scholarships… I do believe that U MA Amherst is part of the 5 school consortium, isn’t it? so you can take courses at Amherst, while paying tuition at U MA Amherst? best of both worlds?</p>
<p>I am the mom of twin girls that are looking at mostly the same colleges. I wondered if it would help or hurt admission with 2 applying. As far a FA, I have read about sibling discounts at some schools (usually around 2,000) and some have 1/2 tuiton for second (George Washington)one link:
[College</a> Lists wiki / Twins - Scholarships For](<a href=“http://collegelists.pbwiki.com/Twins%20-%20Scholarships%20For]College”>College Lists Wiki / Twins - Scholarships For)
It is daunting sometimes and people love to ask me, “How are you going to do it!!” and I just smile and pray.: )</p>
<p>Twin here now Mom of college Jr and HS Sr. Sister and I both started at two different private schools. We both had work study and some subsidized loans. This was back in the 80s when college wasn’t the cost of a new Porsche.
I ended up transferring to a free tuition public (Dad worked at the Uni.)
My advice would be to understand that this is one of those cases where all might not be equitable. The twins may end up one at private and one at public due to their acceptances, money, etc. They will grow to understand this is life.
As has been mentioned, with two in college your EFC does get cut down…</p>