A 5 in Calc AB suggests he’s fairly decent at math. I’d wait and see what the Calc BC score is.
ASU’s cost of attendance estimator tells you upfront what merit he’d get. Top for OOS this year was $15,500 (which my S23 got), putting tuition, room and board in the low $30K range, which is comparable to UCs (but increasing more quickly as the merit is fixed and OOS tuition is going up 4.5% this year, whereas UCs are now fixing tuition for all 4 years). WUE at Utah would make it cheaper than ASU (just below $30K). WUE at Oregon State is unlikely so cost would then be more like $50K. And Arizona could be $40K+.
If NMF comes through, he’d get a full ride at UT-Dallas, which is excellent for CS and quite diverse as well (32% Asian)
What’s he doing for math next year?
If he took a college calc class while still in HS, would the grade(s) replace? There are self-paced options, like the UW-Madison online courses ( https://il.wisconsin.edu/course-catalog/calculus-i/u3600-114-4o/ and on from there), and he could power through the parts he already understands, and fill any gaps along the way. Mitigating those two C’s could potentially open up his options quite a bit. (Maybe it would help him hold onto NMF too? I don’t know their policies on a situation like this.)
Another accessible and affordable WUE school that punches above its weight in CS is Portland State. It’s a commuter school with a lot of nontraditional students, but there’s still a nice community of residential students in the dorms.
Yes, but my usual suggestion is to try the college’s old final exams of courses allowed to be skipped with AP credit before deciding whether to skip or repeat.
However, if he took calculus AB and BC over two years in high school, he should be aware that college math courses will move at a much faster pace, regardless of whether he skips or repeats. College generally also requires more self motivation and time management than high school.
C in course with 5 on AP test is unusual. But if he is a good test taker relative to other academic skills, a college math course that emphasizes tests over homework in grading may be to his advantage.
Thx; with 30% getting it per the website would think that it could be a possibility but I agree not a sure thing. Admissions should be no issue and if not WUE a provosts scholarship would cut the cost by up to $12K.
My son received the WUE at Oregon State, and the cost would still have been slightly more than a UC. The WUE does help a lot, but isn’t as inexpensive as some other WUE schools. Tuition cost is per credit, with increased differential tuition for engineering majors including CS. It was still affordable for us but would have been more expensive than we expected at first.
throwing in my two cents about Northeastern- (i’m an incoming premed frosh there, fyi)
NEU’s really hard to get in- I would absolutely classify it as a reach or even a high reach, but you never know. What’s the general UW GPA? I’m unfamiliar with UC GPAs (Cali schools aren’t my thing, as we’ve seen from my thread )
there are alternate entry programs (Global Scholars- two semesters abroad, each semester different location, then 2nd year and beyond is at Boston campus. NU.in is more popular imo, with 1 semester abroad, and then Boston campus 2nd semester and beyond. if those are of interest to you, know both options are relatively easier ways of getting in, but nothing is guaranteed and I’m sure admission to those programs is equally tough. /honest
in order to have the best chances of getting in, my best advice is apply ED (ONLY if financially feasible and #1 choice) or apply EA- both rounds skew the most amount of acceptances- (this is from my experience of talking to admitted/incoming/current students + their CDS). Note if you do apply ED1/ED2 and DO NOT get into the Boston campus, it’s non-binding. (From what I remember.) /thoughtful
Northeastern offers a wonderful CS major, and in addition to that, those who are NMSF or NMFs and get into Northeastern do get good scholarships- and I put a link below if you would like to take a look into that. /warmly
For NEU, ED has a tremendous advantage over both early action and regular decision. For this past cycle, the ED acceptance rate was @38 %, last year 33%. I haven’t seen the EA/RD numbers broken down this year, but last year there didn’t seem to be much of a difference between the two. ( EA acceptance rate was 6% and 5.8 % RD acceptance rate.) NEU doesn’t require any supp. essays so it’s an easy app and this likely contributes to the 96k +applications this past cycle for just 2600 spots in Boston.
Thank you for the interesting suggestions. My son plans to take AP Stats next year. The option of taking college Calc is a good idea. I will talk to him about it.
He enjoys playing violin as a way to relax. He likes to join a varsity orchestra in college (like UCLA Orchestras), but I am not sure he wants to do it as a career.
Counting all courses from grades 9-11, his UW GPA is 3.5 and Weighted GPA is 3.75. NEU would be a great option for him. We plan to tour NEU Boston campus this summer. If my son loves it, then he may apply ED there.
Please run the NPC before you visit. Yes he/she is your only and you’ll try to support the student. That means, to me, you’ll put yourself out if needed and you don’t need to.
NEU is over $81k and that’s with 17 meals a week so it’s more.
Make sure you’d get aid b4 applying ED unless you’ve got likely $350k. Yes some can defray from co op but not a lot.
That your student gets into the Boston campus - possible but unlikely.
It’s awesome you’ll do anything for your child but don’t overstrain yourself. It’ll cost more than they tell you and you’ll have many fine options.
But run that NPC before you invest in a visit. Maybe you’ll qualify for a grant.
Ohio State just started requiring CS/CSE majors to apply to their major as incoming freshman this past cycle. So there isn’t a lot of data yet about who gets into those programs now. He would have been a match in the previous EA rounds for CoE. You do need to maintain a good gpa to stay in the CS program, too. Applying by the EA deadline is very important.
With his test score he’d probably get the National Buckeye which stacks with the Maximus. You should also read through the more competitive merit scholarships that require a separate application to see if you think he’s a match for those and indicate an interest in honors if he applies.
You say that this is your only child and that you will do everything you can to send him to college. How much per year can you comfortably afford? How much can you afford if you stretch? Regardless of those prices, the board can suggest good schools for him. Knowing that you have a safe and financially secure future is a wonderful gift you can give your son, in addition to being able to graduate from college debt free.
Most of the schools on your original list are large, with the exception of RPI. Is that his preference?
Slightly smaller than RPI is Clarkson in New York that would provide a more intimate experience and would probably give him good merit aid.
My family member with almost identical stats was rejected at northeastern ED, he did a CS summer program there last summer and it was his first choice (full pay).
@tsbna44 , @AustenNut
NEU Cost is very high and it will take a big chunk out of my savings, but we can afford the full pay. If NEU is his really #1 choice after touring the campus, then I will not stop him from his dream.
@Mjkacmom
Thanks for the info. NEU is a high reach for my son and he understands how unlikely he is to get accepted there.
Lots of colleges have optional formalized co-op programs, although relatively few (like Cincinnati, Drexel, and Northeastern) build their curricula around co-ops.
)