Accepted to Rowan ! Everything else not 100% sure.
1 Like
Thank you.
Rowan is $24-$26K after grants and scholarships. Montclair is $28K after grants and scholarships.
2 Likes
Itās double the costā¦unaffordable. Time for this student to put this one in the rear view mirror. You can tell her that if this is THE only college, she needs to come up with the extra moneyā¦and you wonāt co-sign loans or take them out.
If this is your realityā¦then there will be some tears for sureā¦but if you canāt afford the college, you canāt afford the college. Full stop.
4 Likes
Thank you everyone for these wonderful comments. I will get back to everyone once she makes a decision, etc. Appreciate all of this. I have learned more here in one day than from anyone else.
8 Likes
If her deadline is June 1, she does NOT have a few days to work this out.
1 Like
My daughter couldnāt go to to her #1 college. She went to #2 with great merit. Then transferred to #3 with amazing merit. We have over $25,000 extra for her grad school now. Many of her friends are in debt. She has no debt and never needed us to cosign anything for her.
Plus neither of our kids would put us in that situation. They are greatful they got an amazing education with no debt.
They also wouldnāt be crying about it. I wouldnāt worry about it. She has enough time to digest the financial reality. Give her the payment schedule she will pay for the next 10 years. Then add up rent and her proposed bills. She has probably never paid bills. It might be shocking to I her how little money she might have at the end of the month unless she wants to live at home for a few years.
3 Likes
That suggests that Rowan would be within budget with student federal direct loan or some work earnings, while Montclair would be within budget with student federal direct loan and some work earnings.
1 Like
Just a thought, not really suggestion. Can OPās daughter use the budgeted money for her dream school for two years, then take a gap year to work and save some money, then go back to finish?
Iāve heard of a student (whom I donāt personally know) who went to an expensive college. They studied for two years, took a gap year working from home (not planned but covid happened), went back to college one year, then did part-time college while working. I think they graduated either winter 2023 or last week. I think they majored in computer aided animation or design, and was working part-time before starting college.
You think she can save the full cost of attendance for TWO years by working one gap year? I donāt think that is realisticā¦at all.
6 Likes
Sometimes a parent just has to say no because itās good for them. It happened to us too. We got the financial aid package from the school our college bound daughter wanted to go to. We got a total of $0.00. She wasnāt happy, but it worked out. She opted for community college, which gives us a way to save and pay for her college choice for years 3 and 4.
8 Likes
My daughterās top choice was almost $90,000 a year, it wasnāt a hard discussion except for me to hold in my laughter when she asked if it was doable!
4 Likes
Wow. One year is more than we paid for our first house.
3 Likes
no not full cost but a portion is helpful, depending on how big the portion can be.
Rowan is excellent for science. Montclair is more for B-/B students, itās a bit lightweight for a serious student.
(Not all college courses cover the same content, neither in depth nor breadth, and no one wants a lab partner who wonāt or canāt do the work. Thatās why med schools for instance do not want pre reqs completed in community college or if a student took them at a CC each subject needs a more advanced than pre-req additional class at a 4-year college.)
Rowan must have sent her an invitation to Honors. Of course she would have had to reply and complete the application (essay, letter of rec) and if she thought she was going OOS she may have dismissed it -, if she didnāt, itās too late, but she can always email the honors collegeās dean, perhaps saying sth close to the following
"Dear Dean X,
I thought I was going to X college but it turned out my parents couldnāt afford it and the deadline to reply to your invitation to the honors college had passed. However I am still very interested. I have a ā¦GPA UW, ā¦ weighted, with ā¦AP scores of 4 or 5. I am passionate about biochemistry and research, and would like to start in a lab as a freshman. I would like to be part of an Honors cluster LLC, where Iām hopeful to meet other students who want to talk about science and courses, but - beside Honors Public Speaking, Honors Cell Biology and Honors Chemistry- I am especially interested in taking Honors composition: Climate change, and the Honors Seminar āSongs of Praise, songs of protestā. I hope that there is still a space in these classes and/or in the Honors college.
My formal application is attached.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
ā¦ ā¦ "
(I KNOW the intro line isnāt exactly what happened but itās a good way for her to āsave faceā and itās not a lie.)
If she doesnāt like Rutgers, itās fine - itās huge and the split campus with buses is a deal breaker for many students.
TCNJ is a Rutgers alternative specifically for students strong enough for Rutgers but who would rather attend a smaller college.
She can contact Wooster and Drew before she leaves for her weekend, to see if they still have spots with scholarships. Your odds of being at 35k and under should be decent - worth a try at least.
Other academically strong colleges that still have places&financial aid include Knox in Illinois, Hendrix in Arkansas, Marquette in Wisconsin. I donāt know if any of them would be better than Drew or Wooster or Rowan honors or TCNJ.
As soon as you tell us what the ideal colleges are, we can look for similar colleges.
Note that Hendrix has a flagship match program: if admitted, you donāt pay more than tuition&fees for Rutgers-currently $17,500- to attend Hendrix. With room&board at ~$13,000, itād be guaranteed within budget for your daughter.
https://www.hendrix.edu/tuitionadvantage/
Hendrix students tend to be smart, quirky, and independent. Hendrix has funds for their plans and requires 3 Experiential learning programs/experiences, such as internship, study abroad, research, leadership developmentā¦
https://www.hendrix.edu/odyssey/
8 Likes
Any update?
Nothing as of yet. She was away for her Senior Prom. I should have more answers this week. Until she opens up, no one can help her. UDEL is not a possibility. There is no need to spend $200,000 for a 4-year degree. And she may go there one semester or year and not like the school. There is too much risk here. Itās just not worth it.
7 Likes
We put a $200 deposit towards Rowan University. With her $12,200 merit scholarship, the tuition (out the door) plus minor incidentals is around $25,000 annually. This is perfect.
She has applied to a school in MD. Unless they provide the maximum amount, this is not worth it. The maximum amount will place her at $35,000, which is still a $10,000 per year difference.
However, she has come to her senses and stated that the least expensive school is where she wishes to attend. I feel Rowan will be where she is going. It is 1 hour and 15 minutes away, which makes life easier.
When I look back, I am happy that I stood my ground. UDel is just not worth it. My oldest graduated and found a job starting at $18 and in one month after certification, she goes to $20 per hour. The hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with no lunch, but 2 small breaks and she likes it. It is also within 30 minutes of driving distance.
This is the main reason why spending money on an expensive college is not worth it. Thank you.
3 Likes
On another note. She will have only the government loans, which is perfect.
8 Likes
It may well be too late now but she can apply to the Honors college as soon as she has her 1st semester grades - she could even write now with examples of course rigor and grades + sth she is excited about in the curriculum + her favorite book or experiment (showing academic strength and intellectual curiosity) and see if they may still have a spot (I think I provided a template).
You can sweeten things and highlight that (for example!) thanks to this choice, she will be able to study abroad in a place that matters for her major (Australia is good for marine bio or environmental sciences for instance, she can look up whatever Rowan offers) AND you will be able to help her with rent during her summer internship. Honors colleges often offer opportunities abroad and support for experiences such as research.
What college in MD?
1st salary depends on a lot of things and may vary according to colleges. Some colleges have better advising or career centers and/or tighter alumni networks, which help sophomores&juniors find summer internships (those are often secured as early as October, so for sophomores basically freshman year grades+ leadership+ research or other experience is very important.)
Majors vary in return on investment and some vary in terms of salary right after college vs. 10 years down the road - some start strong and plateau, some start low but increaseā¦
I would say $20/hr for a college graduate is not much, especially in this economy. You could encourage her to use the career center at the college she graduated from and have them review her resume&cover letter (she needs to include key words in relation to the position that an AI can detect), attend further interview workshopsā¦
2 Likes