Applying to UC Colleges - OOS for CS/Data Science

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - GENERAL
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Not necessarily! I’d just count the UC app as one school in that case - adding more campuses requires minimal effort. But if the cost isn’t in budget, I’m not sure it’s worth the effort to apply to any. The “Personal Insight Question” format requires a whole different strategy from the schools with one longer personal statement and perhaps a few supplemental questions. It’s only worth bothering if you’d really pay the OOS rate for a UC. Cal Poly is excellent, but much more affordable, and an easy application too (albeit not an easy admit, especially for CS).

For a WUE bargain with an excellent School of Computing that offers both CS and Data Science majors, consider U of Utah. Undergraduate Academic Program Overview – Kahlert School of Computing It has an Honors College with robust programming and great Honors housing (unlike any of the UC campuses!) https://www.honors.utah.edu/ Western States students can either take the WUE rate, or pay the normal OOS rate for one year and then attain residency for years 2-4. It’s also an easy flight to SLC from most western cities.

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CS and Data Science are related but different. Is there a preference? CS developers don’t always make the best data scientists. There are many paths to a career in data science. I like this program. You also get a nice selection of CS classes.

https://www.isye.gatech.edu/academics/undergraduate/degrees/analytics-data-science

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There are three Cal Polys (Humboldt, Pomona, and San Luis Obispo) which are part of the CSU system. The CSUs including Cal Polys have lower list price tuition than UCs and have a more pre-professional focus (versus more research focus at UCs). Humboldt and Pomona do have WUE tuition for CS. For CS, Pomona and San Luis Obispo are highly competitive for admission.

The CSU application is separate from the UC application, but one CSU application can be used for any number of CSUs.

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An additional college on a shared application that does not require extra stuff like college-specific essays would not really count as an additional application’s worth of effort.

For example, applying to one UC means considerable effort writing some unique essays. But adding additional UCs beyond one is almost no additional effort.

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So let’s address a couple things:

  1. 12 schools - is that the right #. I’d say that depends - if you’re applying to any affordable safeties that she’ll definitely be glad to attend - i.e. I won’t be bitter if forced to go there, then 12 is fine.

  2. If chasing merit, and with a 4.0 she can, then yes and no. Yes, if you have that assured school to hit a price point you desire and again they’d be happy with that school. No, for someone who absolutely needs a rock bottom price.

In your case, 12 seems like it’d be fine but again, the UCs are the same work for one or more and there are plenty of schools that are a 10 minute common app - i.e. there’s no extra essays, etc. And then you have some schools that have identical essays - so my daughter applied to 21, but I remember one essay was used for 7 or 8 schools. So that’s up to you.

So your budget is $50-60K but do you really want to spend that? With a data science/CS degree, you can go much work and likely with as strong an outcome.

Does she have a test score - SAT/ACT?

So when I look at your list, here’s what I think:

  1. You need to look at each school to determine if a double major is possible (but likely at least a minor is). If you are in CS, the course sequence might not allow for it, even if you come in with credits.

UCs - no reason to apply - can’t hit the price target.

UW - the obvious as you are in-state.

UMD - great - but it’s over $60K, so you’ll need aid - which may or may not happen.

U. Pitt - this is a safety if you apply early. Will be high 50s.

ASU - safety and easily within budget.

WSU - I get it cost/safety/in-state - but it’s far from cosmopolitan and if you’re really willing to spend, you don’t need it.

U. Minnesota - Twin Cities - will come under budget and added merit.

Rice - if you get merit, but no issue since you have affordable safeties.

Tufts = no merit aid - only need aid.- so check the NPC - if you’re full pay, no reason to apply. COA is $88.3 for next year. So you can probably safely remove.

Northeastern - like Rice - you can apply but don’t expect to afford.

U Chicago - same

BU - same

WUSTL - same

Your list is fine if you’ll be ok with Pitt, ASU, and UMN.

For other “urban” schools and looking at affordability, because there’s no reason to spend $50-60K, I’d look at Arizona (Tucson) - to me a better choice than ASU - just a bit smaller, more controlled with a gorgeous Honors dorm - both CS and Eller B School are well thought of and the 4.0 brings you down to about $8K tuition - so you’re out at $25K all in. It’s a couple miles from downtown - with a street car.

Utah

To match your private schools like Tufts, Rice, etc. and a surefire admit at budget would be U Denver.

Not “urban” but would be a great combo school with business if possible - Indiana

To me, if you have a “favorite” amongst the OOS that you’re likely to and they are likely affordable - i.e. if you know you’d prefer ASU over UMN, you can probably cull the list…definitely no need to apply to WSU or Tufts and maybe not even the UMDs of the world.

Best of luck.

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You can apply to all 5-6 UCs you mentioned. Just count it as 1 school out of the 12. Since they have similar cost, reputation and academics it is not does make sense to use 5-6 slots out of 12.

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I agree that it’s important for a student to limit college applications to a number that they can manage. However, colleges are extremely variable in how much work is required to apply to them. Some don’t require any extra work, some require TONS of unique supplemental essays that will take a lot of work. In addition to looking at what essays are required for the core application to the college, also be sure to check whether supplemental essays are required for honors programs and scholarships.

On your list, I can’t comment on all of them since my son didn’t apply to every one… but UMN has some very short, optional essays. That is an easy application that a student can do right away in the fall. Northeastern and Pitt don’t have supplemental essays (although Pitt Honors requires an essay), etc. Colleges without supplemental essays are much easier than those that have them.

On the other extreme, it would be more effort to add the UC system to her list, because the PIQs are very different in style from typical college essays, and you must write four of them, and on top of that, you must put together another version of your activities list in a different format. From the amount of work my son expended on the UC app, I would say it’s equivalent to adding another 2 colleges (at least) that have a typical number of supplemental essays.

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But if $60K is your top budget, applying to 6 would be $420 wasted.

If you truly have a $60K budget, there’s zero reason to apply to any UCs.

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Is this a hard budget? Do you qualify for need based aid? (check NPCs if you aren’t sure)

If you don’t qualify, and $60k is the hard upper limit, the private schools on your list might not be affordable.

  • Tufts: only provides $500/semester for NMS.
  • Chicago: does have a few merit scholarship but these typically go to Chicago public school URM or FGLI applicants from what I’ve seen.
  • Rice, NEU, BU and WUSTL do provide merit aid but they’re getting harder to get, and may not bring your COA under $60k.

As others have mentioned, the UCs will not be affordable so take them off your list.

Luckily, all the other OOS publics on your list have a COA at $60k or less.

WUSTL, UMD, Minnesota and ASU all have undergraduate programs that are rated in the top 25 for business.

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If you are considering Rice, I wonder if UT Austin might be an option. It checks the urban box, well regarded Data Science and CS programs. To get it within budget, you would need to look at the paths to obtain residency for year 2, 3, 4. It’s definitely a reach but is possibly a better fit than the UC’s.

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Throwing in my two cents on Northeastern (as someone who is an incoming frosh at NEU this fall)- apply ED or EA for your best shot at getting in- I found more students got in EA than ED just from talking to students or maybe there’s an equal distribution, I’m slightly unsure on how far skewed the acceptances are to ED/EA applicants. /thinking, musing

Northeastern is a bigg(er) school, around 15k undergrads in total population. Comp Sci also has combined majors if you’re into that type of stuff- I think there might be one with Data Analysis? Not sure. /thinking

Not sure if they’d give you merit aid, but your best bet would be in ED/EA for merit aid. You can check on their websites for specifics on merit aid awards. /musing, unsure myself
It’s been stupid hard to get in recently and if you pick Global Scholars (2 semesters abroad, each semester a different location before then settling into the Boston campus sophomore year)- or NU.in, which is 1 semester abroad and entering the Boston campus the next semester- you have an easier chance- not guaranteed, of course, but they do place students there if indicated (and in my case, even if it’s not indicated on the application.) /musing

It’s in the city, if you’re into that- green line takes you to Prudential and other places. If you want a city-area school, NEU’s great for that. /warmly

if you have more thoughts on NEU, send me a PM! /warmly

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FYI–UMD OOS comes in just under 60k with the possibility of some merit.

https://financialaid.umd.edu/resources-policies/cost-attendance

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$59.7 on campus, $61.7 off campus - think 2nd year. Annual inflation. And tough to get merit. My son got $5k. My daughter none. But that’s why I said over. If kids go greek etc then way over. As we know, College costs more than schools publish. I personally tell people assume $3-5k more but of course it could be more or less.

Also while they show a tad under $60k, this student will be a 24-25 - so it will be over for their first year.

Thx

https://financialaid.umd.edu/resources-policies/cost-attendance

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Data Science professional here. The degree can help somewhat, but any IT/Comp Sci degree will do fine as long as there is some proficiency in SQL. Specialty is always determined by what job opportunities are accepted. That’s true with any IT profession. This is a good specialty, but I usually recommend getting a broader degree. Data is like accounting. It’s dry, unglamorous, and not for everyone. And it’s not something you want to get “pigeon-holed” in if you don’t enjoy it.

My recommendation…it’s NOT worth spending $$$$$$$$$$ to send your kid to California for a data science degree. PLEASE DON’T do that! It’s not worth sending her out of state for any IT/comp sci degree. Your state university should be more than adequate to get her an entry level job. After about 3 years experience, employers don’t even ask where they went to school, or what their major was. Save that extra money to buy a Ferrari.

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Same here. I’m not a fan of Data Science degrees. I’ve always recommended a degree in something that’s a known like CS, math or stats. Some of the best DS people I’ve worked with majored in Physics.

The problem with a DS degree is lack of standards. Depending on the school they might focus on CS. Another school might house it in the business school.

S20 is at GT for Industrial Engineering. They offer an Analytics track but you graduate with an ISyE degree. I’ve been very impressed with the offerings.

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thanks… Will check out - Arizona (Tucson) and U. of Utah.
We won’t qualify for any need based aid. I have been told that private colleges can be cheaper than OOS public hence the presence of private colleges in the list. I would be willing to go beyond $60k if my daughter was super keen on a place needing that but fortunately, she is not fixated on any such college.

Her SAT super score is 1540

We had considered UT Austin as a reach school but dropped to reduce the number of reach schools to apply to.

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Private can if you go to the right school.

But schools with no merit - Tufts on your list - are a no go.

And the Rice, BUs, Chicago’s of the world, have limited merit and even if you get may not hit price. So you can apply as extras - but again you need that safety within budget which is UMN or ASU.

Now you can say maybe we’d spend more but then you really don’t have a budget. And already I can promise you college will cost more than they tell you. There’s another chat where people are off put by orientation costs. It’s started adding up b4 stepping foot on campus. Go Greek, go abroad (travel), weekend trips, private medical visits, Ubers, summer school…etc. it adds up.

When you say keen - that’s up to you.

Tufts is showing $88.3k for this year. Will be more next. If you take her she might become keen on it. So guess what, you don’t take her. You find a suitable sub. Denver will definitely hit $60k. Brandeis - not a definite - but could. Maybe an American. Elon. Your pac Nw privates/jesuits and small LACs would likely hit - the Puget Sounds, Willamettes, Seattle U etc. Colorado School of Mines could work for a well regarded mid size public.

You need to comprise your list of the safety - both admit and financial.

Than the match and reach -may make budget . That’s like a UMD.

What you don’t need are schools like Tufts that 100% can’t make budget Or the UCs. So you don’t even visit !!

What you also need to do is to imagine stroking a check for $30k twice a year. Could you comfortably do that? Not just financially but emotionally ?

We are full pay. Set a budget of $50k. Both my kids chose cheap - their choice. And it seems to have worked ok so far. One had many job offers - maybe I spent $65 or 70k over 4 years. The other got an internship and let’s hope the good luck continues. She’ll be $80k or so - mainly due to location. Her tuition is free. Both had other options I supported but they chose where they are.

Your student can go for $20k if you wanted …or private at $35-50j but likely not at the big names. But you find some 2nd tier LACs like Kalamazoo, Depauw, and more - and she’s be money I’m the bank.

Just make sure you construct your visit list with budget in mind. You can’t get keen on a place that you can’t visit !! And if it’s out of budget you can’t visit.

Once you take them to those, expect to spend more !!

Ps - you didn’t drop UT Austin because it’s a reach and another app. You dropped it because there was near zero chance of going under $60k. That’s the mindset. UMN is the sub. Or UNM. Or U of SC, another affordable urban who along with ASU has the most reputed Honors College in the country. UT Austin could never be considered because your budget isn’t $70k.

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