Computer engineering (in the CoE) will be an easier admit at Purdue than CS, but as noted by others, won’t get you anywhere close to your needed budget. IMO, it’s not worth going into debt for your intended major as you’ll be highly employable from any school on your list.
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I think I overestimated myself lol, but I was planning on applying to computer engineering to most, that’s why I thought my chances might be higher than their extremely low CS. I’m going to move most up to reaches, but then need to add more target/safties. Probably going to add Upenn and Upitt, but wanted advice on other compSci/compE colleges that would be a better fit both acceptance wise and financially. Look forward to hearing back!
No doubt that CS is a tough major at these schools and many others. I am not a college counselor but started and ran the largest one in the US years back. Anyway, some people on CC have decided that schools that accept a low percentage of applicants are reaches for everyone. That is not the case, from my experience. Nothing more than that. I also think that it’s wrong to imply that Michigan/Vanderbilt have the same admissions standards as UT Austin (a very good school I might add). When I am able, I like to insert my opinions as they are based on real data. I always appreciate when posters come back and say how they did. It will help people here get thinks right going forward, including me.
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I do not think your list was that far off, maybe just a hair ambitious. Smart people here, but there is also a lot of group-think. If I am correct and you have taken the hardest classes offered at your school and have gotten all A’s in them (with 1 A-), please do not sell yourself short. You are a very strong student and competitive applicant. Of course, you need to have solid applications to maximize your admissions odds.
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I know that at the HS my kid attended (not in TX), UT Austin is a very hard admit. A large majority of students with 35-36 ACT are rejected every year.
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Congratulations on your achievements.
Do you prefer Comp Engineering or Comp Sci? Apply to the major you want to study, don’t count on transferring to a CS major if you don’t have direct admit (at schools that operate that way).
Why are you taking the ACT again? You have a lot of apps to complete…your time would be better spent on those than prepping for another ACT.
The $15K budget will mean the following schools have to come off your list: UIUC, UWash, Purdue, GaTech, UT Austin, UF, Penn State (which you mentioned adding) because they won’t get close to that budget.
It doesn’t matter if people here disagree if those schools are reaches or matches, affordable they are not.
Have you run the NPCs along with your parents at the rest of the schools on your list? Is the cost estimate affordable for each?
It is going to be tough to beat UTK for price and outcomes. I second U Cincinnati, but you will need to receive one of their large merit awards to make it affordable. You might also look at Lehigh and U Rochester. Both meet full need, so run the NPCs to see what they estimate for costs.
Here’s Lehigh’s and Rochester’s.
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Ok…my opinion only. Yes I think Duke is possible…not guaranteed but possible.
I would move University of Washington and UVA to the reach category.
The OP should look at the Common Data Sets, Sections C9-C11, for the schools that he is targeting; these sections give objective information for recently matriculated students, so the OP might be able to see how he compares to those students; it might inform his decisions on where to apply.
The OOS students I know who have gotten into Georgia Tech have been the valedictorians/salutatorians of their respective high school classes.
You could do a lot worse than UTK; and you will save yourself (and your parents) a good chunk of money in the process.
While you may have miscategorized some of your application list, I don’t think you have overestimated yourself. I find you a competitive applicant for any of these schools. You should be proud of your accomplishments to date.
I would make the same comment about the schools I consider reaches to any student posting on CC. In your case I do not think they are unreasonable reaches for admission. My point was made to encourage you to concentrate on having enough targets/matches.
Of course, an unaffordable admission is no different than a rejection. This is where I think you need to do more research by running NPCs and understanding what aid is available to OOS students at the publics on your list. For example, the only way I see GaTech being affordable is if you are awarded the Stamps or Gold scholarships. As long as you know that going in, go for it! If there is no chance a school will be affordable, remove it from your list. Good applications take a lot of time.
If you provide feedback here on the results of a couple NPCs that will help us give you appropriate suggestions for targets/matches. IMO you need more schools in that category. Duke should be the first NPC you run since you’re considering ED. Best of luck!!!
ETA: Thank you for clarifying your interest in CE as well as CS. While CE may be a somewhat easier admit, make sure you understand each school’s policies on transferring into CS if you change your mind. At some schools that is next to impossible.
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I think OP is great, but he is trapped. Given that he has Assosiate degree, he completed 2 years. Only public schools will get him credits for some classes but very few OOS will give money. He wants to get out to school better than university in TN, but only at TN public colleges he can guranteed FA to get to cost that is affordable, scholarships and credits.
Can CC help to create
- list of Public schools that he can get merit/FA?
- List of Private where he has a chance for merit/aid.
Unfortinately, it sounds that the best route is to stay in TN. I believe there is some kind of agreement for TN residents to get discount for TN private. Is there any reciprocal agreement for TN residents at other states?
As well as UNCCH.
The trick on both is getting accepted as an OOS student.
This student has some colleges that meet full need for all on their list. If they are eligible for significant need based aid, these could be affordable if this student gets accepted.
UT Austin automatically admits Texas residents with top 6% class rank to fill approximately 3/4 of the class (this does not mean assured admission to competitive majors like CS). So all other applicants are competing for the remaining approximately 1/4 of the class.
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Rice University, a private school in TX, offers very generous aid and would be a good reach school for you. They consider geographic diversity/state residence in admissions so the fact that you are from TN will work in your favor.
Is there any good out of state public schools that offer good merit/financial aid? also, do you know of any good privates that offer substantial aid at reasonable acceptances? Thank you!
Do you know of any good private schools that offer generous financial aid/merit scholarships at reasonable acceptances? I’m just trying to build my target/safety list
With these stats, you would get decent merit aid at University of New Mexico, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, University of Alabama (all campuses), and likely decent merit aid at Miami of Ohio. Maybe SUNY Buffalo.
Actually there are a lot. But these give bigger awards.
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You have to run the NPCs so that we can better help you. If the NPCs at meet full need schools aren’t showing an affordable COA, your list is going to be different than if the COAs are affordable.
Regarding merit, with your budget, you are looking at a minimum of a full tuition award, which is limiting.
Case Western is a private meets need school in Cleveland, OH that has a great maker space for entrepreneurs and would be interested in your profile. Run their npc to see if it is affordable. Many students in Ohio DE, so they have become more generous in accepting transfer credits. They also offer merit, however, merit replaces any need based aid, so won’t necessarily lower your net cost if you qualify for a lot of need based aid.
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I agree about the NPCs. Start with Duke’s NPC and let us know if it is within your family’s budget. While each school has their own calculation, that will give us enough of an idea to give you feedback.
Eventually you will need to run the NPC on all schools on your list, but that’s not necessary at this stage.
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I ran the NPCs on Lehigh and U of Rochester and they came out to be $9,900 for Lehigh and $18,000 for Rochester. I’ll do more research on these and will probably add them to my list, thank you!
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