It might improve chances but you have a budget. So the answers above hold.
I would run their NPCs again though. It seems odd Lehigh would best BU by $33k.
The SAT doesn’t change your cost.
And you can still go down south for $20k or less.
Budget is your issue.
my parents ran it again and same result a few weeks ago. some of these results dont make much sense for some reason
You might reach out to an aid counselor at each to validate with them.
If they don’t hit budget, don’t waste the time.
Where you go for the major won’t matter and if the job market is ok, you’ll be able to get back. My Alabama kid had offers in Mass and Ohio. Ended our West but you can apply and get jobs anywhere.
Congrats - that’s a nice improvement!
I don’t think it moves the needle in terms of changing your application strategy, but it gives you a bit more cushion in terms of admission/merit/honors odds. I’d be surprised if you didn’t get into Rutgers now, although of course surprises happen and you need fallback options, but you have Rowan so you are in good shape.
Have you identified any reachy private U’s where the need-based aid is generous enough to make budget?
My sense is that even with a 1500+ SAT, the schools that are realistic are going to be not-quite-generous-enough. It would probably take a school like Rice, for example, to get enough need-based aid. And probably even an ED application won’t be quite enough to get you into a school that competitive. But then again, the odds aren’t zero. If you run NPC’s for some big reaches and find one or two that would give you great aid, there’s no harm in taking your shot and lobbing an ED application, as long as you’d be happy with a binding offer. But if the projected costs are comparable and you prefer a large public anyway, then your existing list (minus the ones that don’t make budget) is completely fine.
If I had to bet at this point, my money is on your ending up at Rutgers. I think you’ll get in, and I think it will emerge as the best value among your affordable acceptances. (Yes, you could go to a big-merit southern flagship for a bit less, but not a lot less than Rutgers… so it’s a matter of whether you prefer to go farther from home and/or prefer the big-southern-school culture to the big-mid-Atlantic-school culture. Academically, you’re not going to get more reputational or experiential bang for your buck by going to any OOS school that will beat Rutgers on price.)
Have you run the NPC for Syracuse? Just wondering because 1) obviously the SU classes you’ve taken in high school would count seamlessly and 2) it is more large-public-like than most private u’s. My guess is the aid probably won’t be enough, but it’s worth checking just in case, as it might be an appealing option if it could make budget. Likewise U of Miami (FL). I wouldn’t say either has a stronger MechE reputation than Rutgers, but they’re in the same ballpark so they could be worth considering if the NPC were favorable. I don’t think the odds of their coming in cheaper than BU are very high but it doesn’t hurt to check.
As for reachy private schools. i ran vandy which came out to 10k net price. But lthe odds of getting in are very very very low obviously
Well, that’s a pretty great price! Odds are indeed low, but better in ED than RD (around 13% vs. 6%, a differential that is inflated by recruited athletes but shows that unhooked ED applicants do get a “bump” as well). The ED/RD numbers are similar at Rice, where the aid is typically even more generous than at Vandy. Your stats are a hair below median for admitted students at both schools, so the odds are against you, but you’re solidly in their mid-range so your application wouldn’t be tossed without a closer review. If your essays are stellar, it’s not impossible. Rice and Vandy both have ED1 and ED2, as does WashU, which is another with a strong ED advantage and potentially generous aid.
You definitely shouldn’t apply ED anywhere that isn’t clearly in budget. (So, not BU or Northeastern or Lehigh!) But if a school is a long shot but definitely affordable if you get in, it’s just a matter of whether it’s worth investing the additional time on the supplemental essays. If you like one or two long-shot schools enough to take on the extra work in spite of long odds, then there would be no harm in an ED application, or ED1 at one school with ED2 queued up at another. Worst that can happen is you don’t get in and end up at one of your excellent NJ publics; best case, you get into a great school for less than half the price of Rutgers. Only you can say whether it’s worth the time and the emotional rollercoaster… but IMHO it’s a better use of time than applying to schools where an acceptance won’t be affordable anyway.
Honestly - you are going for MechE.
Truly, it doesn’t matter. Vandy is a fine school - but it’s not better than Rutgers or the Southern Schools or name your other state school or anywhere else.
It’s just rated higher by US News in their ranking - which is meaningless to real life, especially for ME. Example - my son was at trivia night in Utah. He works for an aero company. A Columbia grad works for a different aero company. Both first years - my son and the other person talk…turns out my son made more $$ more coming from Bama….it’s just his company pays better than the other. It’s MechE…Columbia, Alabama, Michigan, W Michigan…they all mix.
But because it meets need and you have a budget, it’s good.
But there are other schools that you don’t have to “hope” for - they’re already going to make budget - period, end of story, due to automerit. So make sure you have 1-2 of these on your final list.
You are going to be a MechE…think about UAH - $20K-ish. It’s already Rocket City, with tons of jobs - but now they’re moving Space Command there from Colorado (another hotspot) - think about how many companies and jobs that are going to relocate there.
Living in Nashville, Vandy engineering - isn’t all that.
If it hits your need, not saying don’t apply - but there are other schools - and not just the South - KU for example - whatever it is you prefer - make sure one is on your list. These schools buy smart kids like you in - that’s how you hit the price. You will be surrounded by brilliance.
If it’s Rowan that’s your safety, it’s great. It’s not a flagship if that’s what you want - but it’s fine. I actually think Rutgers is safe for you. as well…great school.
Good luck.
I would never tell any student to struggle financially and/or take on debt to get an engineering degree from Vandy or Rice or WashU (or Northeastern, BU, Lehigh, etc) over Rutgers.
But at 10K/year for Vandy vs. 23K/year for Rutgers, well… that’s an amazing deal for a very well-resourced school. It’s not the be-all and end-all for engineering, but well-endowed private U’s can offer a lot of support to lower-income students that the large publics can’t. We don’t have to put them on a pedestal because of rank, but there’s also no need to pretend that there aren’t advantages to such a school, even at cost parity, and even more so when it’s the best financial deal available. Personally I’d choose Rice over Vandy for MechE (Oshman Design Kitchen and all of the associated project-based learning - terrific program) but regardless, I don’t think the OP is so far out of the running for such schools that they shouldn’t be considered, so long as he can take his shot without getting too emotionally invested.
UAH is great for the right student (I suggest it pretty often as well), but even with the auto-merit, it’s not that much cheaper than Rutgers for this student. You already lobbied for it up-thread, and OP didn’t seem interested. Some students would rather attend their own highly-regarded in-state flagship than go bargain-hunting in Alabama to save <5K/year. Both paths are fine and we need to respect the student’s preferences.
I agree - but it’s a reach (Vandy).
I’m simply noting have an assured to meet budget safety -because you need a landing spot. Lehigh, Vandy are great schools. But they’re not assured or even likely. Rutgers is but the OP needs safe.
I can’t imagine Rutgers doesn’t work but if it doesn’t, there’d still be time to find another.
I’m only advocating for an assured below budget. It doesn’t matter which. If that’s Rowan, then great.
Honestly I’m guessing Rutgers happens - but it’s 90%, not 99%.
Good luck to OP
Rowan offered both of my kids great merit. $12500 (24) and $9200 (25), very generous for a state school in NJ. They ended up elsewhere, but both really liked Rowan. I believe it is a school on an upward trajectory, and its reputation will only grow over time.