Out of state, UF could be a reach.
Your background is terrific and you will end up somewhere great.
Thank you all for your help. I appreciate the time spent reviewing my stats. It has really helped me to refine my list.
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Are there any other computer science programs that I should look at considering my stats? Some programs where I would have a 70% chance or greater of being accepted? Thanks.
Roger Williams University in Rhode Island comes to mind. Believe they are fairly generous with
merit $ and the bayside location is amazing.
Except for William & Mary and Northeastern, the main pattern I see in your school choices is big state schools. Are there any other considerations that you have?
I donât know much about its CS department, but if you like the coops of Northeastern, you may want to take a look at U. of Cincinnati which also has a strong coop culture.
Not sure
My parents want me to attend a state school, if possible, to avoid the higher price of a private school. They will consider paying for a private school depending on the price and quality of the program.
You and your parents should not only look at the sticker price of private schools. Many private schools are very generous with merit aid, regardless of whether your family has any financial need. Thus, a private school can often be less expensive than an out-of-state public, as many OOS publics tend not to be as generous with merit aid (though there are exceptions). This website may be helpful for you to get an idea of the type of aid that is frequently given out at schools (private & public): Merit Aid by Institution â College Transitions.
What is your budget? Whether a school is private or public shouldnât matter so long as it is within the budget your family is willing to pay.
I thought that merit aid was only for the highest stat applicants and as my stats are decent but not exceptional I felt that private schools would not consider me for merit aid. My parents tell me I will not qualify for need-based FA but they are willing to pay for a good state school. They are not willing to pay the the full price of a typical private college and they assumed that would be the case as we do not qualify for FA. I crossed Northeastern off the list because of the expense (probably $82-83k/ year by next fall when I would enter as a freshman) and it would probably be a reach anyway. Are you saying target schools on my list may possibly give me merit aid even though my stats may not be at the upper tier in their group of accepted students? That would really open up some new options. I never considered it. Thank you.
If that is possible I will definitely include other schools. Iâm thinking of adding RIT and WPI. I would even add back Northeastern to the list if I thought there was a decent chance of merit aid. Are there any other private schools I should include with my stats that would be targets for CS?
Your stats are fine. CS is a marketable degree from any decent school. You donât have to go to a top school to do well.
Northeastern is a reach and your stats probably wouldnât get any scholarships. Thatâs OK.
Start with your in-state schools first. Several UMass locations. Then build outward. What does your counselor think?
From your list I would say most of your targets are reaches because itâs CS and youâre OOS. Even your safety of UCF accepts less than 50% of applicants so I wouldnât call that a safety. George Mason is almost guaranteed. Do you like GMU?
Your stats can get scholarship money. It will probably be from schools outside the T40. That still leaves you an excellent list. Some private schools will offer merit that will make it competitive with public schools. CS is typically a more competitive admit than other majors. Lots of applicants for CS.
If youâre looking at OOS public schools then your budget will probably be around $50k/year unless you look south. UCF, USF, FSU could be nice options in Florida. UCF has a very good CS program. These would probably be considered target schools.
Some other ideas for safety and target schools might be Pitt, Delaware, Ohio State, Michigan State, or South Carolina. They offer some merit that might make it affordable. Pitt might not give you any merit but still admit. What about UConn or Vermont if you want to stay north?
You could look at less expensive options like Alabama, WVU, UT Dallas or Mississippi.
Schools like NC State, Virginia Tech or Maryland would be reaches but you would be competitive. Just realize that the acceptance rates are low for everyone.
Some private schools that might give some merit could be Drexel or Case. Rochester or RIT? DePaul in Chicago would probably offer some nice merit and they have a good CS program.
What type of school are you looking for? Close to home, big, small, urban, rural, lots of sports etc.?
Maybe look at this list for ideas.
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Per the link I shared above which used data from October 2021:
Northeastern: 59% of students without need received merit aid averaging $19,927. If one received the average merit award, then costs might be more around $57k for cost-of-attendance (COA).
RIT: 79% of freshmen without need receive awards averaging $13,450. That would bring the COA down to about $55k, if you received one.
WPI: 98% of freshmen without need received an award, with an average amount of $18,347. That would make the COA about $56k.
There are no guarantees you would receive merit aid at any of these (though WPI is practically a guarantee). And the average merit award means that an award could be more or less. Obviously, the greater the percentage who receive an award, the greater your chances are of getting one. But as you can see, a lot of colleges are giving merit awards to more than just the top 5% of applicants.
If your family runs the Net Price Calculator and it asks for GPA and standardized test scores, it is likely to tell you the minimum amount of merit aid you can expect.
CS is one of those fields where people can find success from a lot of different schools. The question is, what kind of school are you interested in? Are there special experiences you want to have? Big emphasis on intercollegiate sports or Greek life? Quirky kids? Preppy kids? Big, medium, or large school? And, whatâs the budget? Given that information, posters will be able to make much better-informed recommendations that might work for you.
GMU would be very likely for you. Itâs CS department is well-respected in the area of DC with good job prospects in government or defense work. The downside is that the CS classes are so overcrowded that students take years getting to enrolled.
Thank you for all of your comments which have been very helpful. Iâm looking to stay on the east coast but Iâm ok with the midwest as well. COA needs to be less than $60k. My parents are concerned about crime in Philadelphia and NYC so Iâm not looking at Temple or Drexel which I think would have been possible safeties based on what some have said on this forum. GMU is on my list but I have not visited and probably wonât get a chance to.
Alternative CS ranking list with options. computer science open rankings
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