It’s also weird because the school is ranked quite low compared to what people think of UTD. Is it because its more of a commuter school? Many people have told me UTD is a great school for CS, however rankings don’t reflect that, what could be the reason?
@compscy i don’t have any stats, sorry. Just going off word of mouth from friends, what I’ve read on CC and other college counselor pages. Not to mention the number of NM scholars that attend-that’s impressive!
UTD reputation isn’t like getting CAPped and going to UTSA, UTArlington, UTPB, UTRGV etc. UTD is a solid, stand alone institution.
You have a great resume, solid gpa, but low(ish) test score and no Calculus is going to keep you out of schools like UT Austin, GA Tech (I think).
And the mom in me is concerned you haven’t already submitted all your applications 
Deadlines approaching, dorm deposits need to be made, don’t be the last one to apply for scholarships, etc. Get them all submitted and enjoy your senior year.
No worries. I appreciate the generous help and advice. It means a lot. I do need to apply for scholarships though. Where do you think is best to find them?
Do you think it’s worth getting a dorm deposit at UTD considering I live 30 minutes away? It’s possible to commute but that’s gonna be a very repetitive drive haha
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I can’t stress enough, it is not all about where you go but what you do while you are there, especially in stem fields. My youngest son will graduate CS from UTD this May and already has an amazing job waiting for him and they even gave him a signing bonus!
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Oh wow. Good for you guys! That makes me feel a lot better
Dorming is a luxury if you can afford it great, if not driving 30 minutes each way is nothing, many people commute much longer each day for work.
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Fair enough. I’m super used to driving a few minutes from HS and back so that’ll definitely be something I need to adapt to if I commute
If you can find the funds, I’d definitely say live ON campus, especially freshman year. You only have 1 chance to be a true freshman-best way to meet friends, join clubs, be ALL IN.
Some people have great luck with local scholarships, others have better luck with university scholarships. Apply to any & all you can! Every university does things differently, so make sure you read the fine print carefully.
Also meet with your guidance counselor and ask her about local scholarships. They usually post them on a bulletin board or website.
I’d also suggest taking a formal tour at UTD, tour the Comp Sci dept, meet with Financial Aid office, show demonstrated interest. If a UTD recruiter comes to your high school, or there’s a local college fair, be sure to introduce yourself, show interest…but also let them know you need funds.
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For scholarships, you’ll automatically be considered for UTD’s AES scholarship when you apply but you’ll need to improve your SAT scores. Your first stop should be your high school’s GC office, they should have a list of local scholarships. Also look at places you have any sort of association with clubs, civic groups, credit unions, church, you parents employers … my daughter even got a scholarship from our local electric company. These are usually smaller, one time scholarships but they can add up but be aware that merit based aid and out side scholarship can often reduce you need based aid.
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Agree 
!
@compscy think-your banking institution, parent employer, local dentists & orthodontist, Knights of Columbus, Rotary, county specific, athletic booster club & PTA/PTSA at school, etc. Google! Many have early deadlines, so don’t miss them. Even $250-500 add up.
Unfortunately you’re in an urban area/large school, which will make it harder, but apply apply apply!
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If you need an automatic full ride super safety, here is one: University Scholarships - Office of Scholarship Services
I believe OP stated he was Asian.
PVAM is HBCU. As in, very much African American-campus & town.
It’s a great scholarship for sure, but an Asian male coming from a very large, urban Dallas area 6A school would definitely have a hard time fitting in.
If you’re from one of the large, high performing DFW high schools you have no shot at UT. Especially since you didn’t take calculus. This also precludes TAMU since you’ll be competing with kids who “previewed” calculus as juniors and seniors and will eat you for lunch in the competition to gain a spot in CS 
However, luckily for you, UTD is a terrific choice - it was founded for CS with support from Texas Instruments, and CS, data science, math… are all extremely strong there. The reason it’s not ranked high is that it’s super duper strong in these fields but not so much in the others. (Think of the ranking as the GPA of someone getting straight As in the hardest math possible but B- in English.)
Make sure you get everything done in order well before the deadline for Comet’s promise, AES, and Honors.
If you can afford to live on campus, do so. College is much more than just taking classes. It’s like a full time job-attending office hours and study groups, building leadership skills through clubs, on campus job, possibly working for a professor in a lab… Honors students have their own dorm and community on campus. A lot is built during the hours around class.
Your successful game will help but large public universities handle tens of thousands of applications so stats are the key factor; this achievement will matter more at smaller, private colleges that have a more personalized admission review.
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The key is IF you can AFFORD to live on campus. Freshmen living on campus are required to live in the dorms which do not have kitchens so they require you to have a food plan. This is about $15,000 a year.
The Comet Promise does not include housing. Outside scholarships (other than PELL) that go above tuition books and required fees (including room and board) are taxable to you at a 30% tax rate. Also, depending on how the school handles Financial Aid, they my REDUCE the amount of their need based aid by the amount of your outside scholarships.
Many students commute to college and it’s certainly not unusual at UTD, just because you aren’t living on campus doesn’t mean you can’t hang out with friends between classes, and participate in campus clubs and activities.
Right now your priority should be making sure you study to get your SAT score up and making sure you parents have completed all the required financial aid paperwork. You really need to have everything complete and sent in no later than Dec. 1st. Worry about outside scholarships and if you’re going to live on campus later and be thankful you have the option of commuting if needed.
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Would it also be smart to take the November SAT as well if I don’t do as well as I want for tomorrow’s SAT?
Also, by financial aid paperwork, you mean the FAFSA paperwork we can do right now prior to it opening right?
If I were to get accepted to both UTD and TAMU, which would you recommend more for a CS major?
I’ve heard really good things about both.
Both great schools, but you won’t get $$ from A&M, and Comp Sci isn’t direct admit at A&M.
UTD, definitely- no secondary competition, Honors college, internship proximity, AES scholarship that would help with room&board costs…
Universities like Rice or Lafayette would be a really long shot, especially without calculus, but run the NPC-they meet full need so should be as if not more affordable than UTD.
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yes, I’d advise taking both but you need to really prep between the two tests just taking the test again without serious prep isn’t likely to increase your score much. Even though FAFSA opens late this year you should have a serious talk with both parents about $$ asap. Find out if you custodial parent makes less than $65K (including any child support they receive) to see if you are eligible for the Comet Promise. To be considered for any AES you must have a completed application submitted by Dec. 1st - your Nov SAT scores should get there in time but just in case you can go ahead and send your Oct scores as they will only look at your highest scores.
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Depends on the net price… if both similar and affordable, UTD is likely preferable versus the need to compete for a 3.75 college GPA at TAMU to get into the CS major.
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