Without knowing your price point, I’m not sure if this is an option…but what bout University of Massachusetts (main campus).
They have a great classics program, and math too.
2 Likes
Not need to retake the SAT, just submit your ACT score.
Seconding Ohio University and St Olaf.
McGill: apply for the Math major (you would have 2/3 math/math related courses, 1/3 left for classics, no gen eds for the B.sc, not sure for the BA). They strictly go by GPA×testscores (+ rigor for major).
Most universities that “meet need” consider income from each divorced parent as well as any income from their new spouse to calculate need, regardless of whether they intend to pay or not.
Would your mother’s income qualify you for a Pell grant? Do you know your SAI? Any other indication (reduced lunch at school?)
AT Rutgers and Njit, apply for the Honors college. Add TCNJ /Honors too. Check the deadlines and apply ASAP.
The Math/classics combination would work well at Holy Cross (a Catholic university but welcoming to all faiths).
At all the private colleges, show interest: get on their mailing list and click on at least one link of interest in everything they send (they’ll track it to gauge your interest).
I believe you could benefit from researching more colleges with acceptance rates greater than 5%. However, I do not believe you need to add many schools with acceptance rates greater than 30%, unless some such schools appeal to you based on their broader aspects. As suggestions of colleges with low acceptance rates at which you may gain acceptance, look into Amherst, Hamilton and Haverford. All would be excellent for your dual academic interests, with Amherst and Hamilton offering especially flexible curricula.
1 Like
I know what you’re saying but for the benefit of the OP who might not . . .
FAFSA requires the student to report the income of only one parent, i.e. the one who paid most of the expenses in the previous 12 months. Some schools use the CSS profile, which requires a student to report the income of both parents.
2 Likes
Yes, thanks 
CSS= very detailed/ lots of questions but often generous need based aid
FAFSA= only parent with whom student spends the most time “counts” but very little aid available.
2 Likes
CSS Profile using schools have the option of requiring the noncustodial parent information. Some do, but others do not.
This needs to be checked for each school. There is a CSS Profile list that includes whether noncustodial parent is needed, but some entries have been found to be incorrect or out of date, so information needs to be verified on the college web site.
3 Likes
W&M sounds like a good match. Strong math, not sports- or party-dominant, I’d also list SUNY-Stony Brook, Univ Rochester, Drexel, SUNY-Binghamton. UMass and their lousy football team over the other state flagships (they do add hockey, though). Holy Cross, Lafayette.
I’ve seen a lot of Catholic colleges with classics programs.
Stony Brook doesn’t have Classics. Neither does Drexel. Just sayin’.
1 Like
There is a classics minor (not major) at Stony Brook: Classics | Languages and Cultural Studies
Stony Brook is far from ideal for an OOS student since its students either commute or go home on weekends.
SUNY Binghamton would be perfectly good for OPs goals. More compact campus than Rutgers, strong academics. SUNY Geneseo would be small and academicky.
Not true any longer.
It’s the parent who provides the most support…and that might NOT be the parent with whom the student resides the most.
Yes, this is correct. The definition of parent has changed. It’s now Parent Contributor: Federal Student Aid. If the parents are not married to each other (divorced or separated from each other):
Provide information about the parent who provided more financial support during the last 12 months. If both parents provided an exact equal amount of financial support or if they don’t support you financially, provide information for the parent with the greater income and assets.
2 Likes
Good find!
Sounds like OP’s father is not contributing at all so FAFSA-only colleges would only consider their mother’s income but it’s going to really mess kids with a deadbeat wealthy dad who is paying court-enforced child support.
CSS used to (still? @kelsmom ) ask for evidence an applicant wasn’t in contact with their “other” parent (often the dad) - zero contact for years not even a bday card, prison ..
Unless that too has changed, UChicago and Vanderbilt meet financial need based on the custodial parent only (and don’t take the other parent and their potential new spouse into account).
The CSS Profile waiver form for non-custodial parent finances is at https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/css-profile-waiver-request-non-custodial-parent.pdf . “Each institution will make its own decision” on whether or not to grant a waiver.
2 Likes
Unfortunately OP has put geographic restrictions on their search that impact the # of possible schools and which excludes these.
Does the father not contribute to the support of this child at all? That is what matters. Not wanting to contribute to college costs is not a factor.
This sounds like the father doesn’t plan to contribute to college costs.
The key thing is…does the mother contribute the most in terms of supporting this student? Not just for college…but now? If yes, then the mother is the custodial parent.
But as noted, a lot of Profile schools require the financials from the non-custodial parent as well. And it doesn’t matter how long ago the parents divorced.
2 Likes
I would agree most of the time. But they have a few programs with national reputations, mostly in the hard sciences, that have attracted larger numbers of out-of-state and international students. Math and physics at the top.
No idea what international student visa restrictions have done here.
Dorms at Stony Brook are so overfilled that they now ban students from within 30 miles of campus from living there. And the ban did not help. Something to consider when looking there.
Yeah, fair enough, the ~30% I guess I am just a little nervous about not getting into anything, which is probabaly a little silly considering my great stats and my in state applications to rutgers and NJIT. Maybe I should apply to another safety to ease my anxieties about that. But yeah, thanks for the suggestions.
1 Like
As far as I know, my father doesn’t pay my mother child support or the like, so for the FAFSA I’m going to be getting my mom’s info. I love my dad but convincing him to actually do the CSS thing is going to be such a nightmare. Alas… I’m sure I’ll be able to do it, it will just be rather annoying.