Criteria: 1) Have great chances for internships/jobs 2) Good campus placement 3) Direct admission to Computer Science 4) Having fun
Looking for not too stressful school (like GA Tech, I heard/know GA tech is very intensive). We want him to pursue his own growth and have lasting friendships. Though we are in GA, will leave USA once he joined college and travel back and forth, so having them manage independently and being close to a Metro (with International Airport) is very important. The list below is within the acceptable finances.
Desired Major: CS
Stats: 1500 SAT, 3.85+ GPA, STEM Magnet HS Program, not a whole lot of EC but few clubs, From Georgia
If college football is among your keys to fun, Alabama ought to a good choice. It also makes PR’s list of T20 party schools. I don’t think it is significantly less selective than some of the others but it may be much cheaper after merit grants. Between net cost and the fun factor, maybe it deserves to be a top pick.
For academics, UNC-CH would seem to be the strongest. FWIW it has the highest US News ranking (#30, compared to #42 Florida, #52 Penn State, #54 Georgia, #56 Purdue, etc.)
A CS degree from pretty much any state university in the top ~100 should be very marketable. The student’s own efforts are likely to make a bigger difference than the school’s brand or placement mojo. However, if you happen to qualify for need-based aid, with family income less than ~$150K or so, some selective private schools may give you lower net prices than many OOS public schools.
I can’t imagine he wouldn’t be admitted to all of those schools if he applied before any early deadlines.
Is cost a factor at all? Some of these schools out of state are very pricey (e.g., Penn State, Pitt) and they don’t all offer a lot in the way of merit aid.
CS at Alabama is part of the College of Engineering and a direct admit. Not sure about other schools, but that’s an important consideration.
CS is a VERY hot major right now. Assuming your son does well, I can’t imagine he won’t have ample opportunities post graduation. I know of Bama grads who got job offers at Google and Amazon, Lockheed Martin, etc. I’m sure it’s the same with all the schools you listed.