Choosing a NM School for Undecided Major

Paying for College National Merit Aid
1

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I'm a national merif SF, who will probably become a finalist. Right now I'm fairly undecided as far as career choice goes. I could go into the computer science field, and I'm fairly strong in math and science, but have other interests in econ/international relations and the like.</p>

<p>I am a california resident.</p>

<p>I've been looking for months about national merit. Various lists are inconsistent. Some provide full tuition, some full ride. Looking at a list I noted that Baylor gives full tuition. As does northeastern. Neither of which I had noticed... In any case this is my full situation.</p>

<p>I may or may not want to do grad work, although it is more likely I do.</p>

<p>I may want to go to law school.</p>

<p>I probably want to minor in something more social if I do a science or engineering major. I have enough AP credits I think I should be able to. Somewhere with a great IR program or existing Korean language program would be nice, but isn't really that big of a decision in comparison to how good the engineering is.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, in some ways if I go to law school it would be better to go to an easier school...</p>

<p>Anyways, what national merit schools are the best per dollar spent for CS, but also have reasonable Econ/IR majors? Geographically I am comfortable anywhere but the deep south (Not Alabama), and it needs to be relatively close-by to good medical care. (due to ongoing health issues) </p>

<p>Right now on my radar are northeastern, baylor, Oklahoma (st), University of Idaho.</p>

<p>Financially I could probably afford 30k per year, but then I would not get help for any grad school. Hence if I keep costs down here, I could be debt free out of grad school, if I choose that route.</p>

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<p>Well, its pretty hard to decide with that many factors, and I really have no idea about national merit, but I wish you good luck, sounds like you have some hard choices.</p>

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<p>I hope I don’t offend anyone, but in my experience it is pretty easy for just about anybody to get into Baylor, so I don’t know if a student of your caliber would want to go there. Just sayin’.</p>

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<p>*but in my experience it is pretty easy for just about anybody to get into Baylor, *</p>

<p>And what is your “experience”? Are you a high school student?</p>

<p>Baylor’s acceptance rate:</p>

<p>Percent applicants admitted: 48%</p>

<p>So everyone does NOT gets admitted. This student would get challenged at Baylor or at virtually any good school.</p>

<p>Baylor is certainly better than Ok State.</p>

<p>*Right now on my radar are northeastern, baylor, Oklahoma (st), University of Idaho.</p>

<p>Geographically I am comfortable anywhere but the deep south (Not Alabama), and it needs to be relatively close-by to good medical care. (due to ongoing health issues)
*</p>

<p>lol…Bama is not a “deep south school”. Over half of the frosh class is from OOS. Bama has over 600 national scholars on campus. Bama is ranked above nearly all the schools that you’ve listed (good heavens, you’re considering Ok St over Bama???). I don’t think you’ve ever been to Bama…if you had, you’d be impressed.</p>

<p><a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube;

<p>At Bama, for being NMF, you’d get free tuition, free housing (including honors), study abroad money, plus other goodies. </p>

<p>:) And, if you major in eng’g or comp sci, you’d get an additional 2500 per year. Essentially, a free ride.</p>

<p>Bama has a brand new mega-sized Science and Engineering Complex. It’s amazing.</p>

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<p>Thanks. I"ve seen OK state highly recommended, same with alabama. </p>

<p>I should have really thought that things have changed at Alabama-Birmingham. I have relatives that attended like twenty years ago and told me to stay clear. I’m not a huge fan of actually LIVING there, but seeing as academically and everything else aside it looks to be very positive, I’ll look into it this weekend.</p>

<p>It’s not like I think that it would be full of rednecks, but it would be a change.</p>

<p>Also, good god. Alabama app is due today. Will apply (looked at app, looks pretty easy)</p>

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<p>Alabama-Birmingham</p>

<p>Alabama is not in Bham. That’s a different school.</p>

<p>Alabama (the flagship) is in Tuscaloosa. Are you looking at the right webpage?
[The</a> University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>http://www.ua.edu/) Be sure to apply to The University of Alabama. That’s the flagship.</p>

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<p>My son applied EA to Northeastern. He’s NMSF too. It’s my understanding that historically NEU has given full tuition scholarships to NMFs. The school has an international business program that sounds pretty great, and they have coops all over the country as well as the world, so that might be an option for you. If you search for Business Week ROI 2010, you’ll see an article with a table that shows NEU in the top ten for ROI for private universities. If you apply there, fax or email your semifinalist letter to the admissions office (and your finalist letter when you get it).</p>

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<p>University of Alabama at Birmingham is an outstanding school for anyone interested in the medical sciences. This school is my S’s National Merit school of choice. I don’t think they are much for football, but they have a great soccer team :-).</p>

<p>The NM package between the two schools is similar, but not identical. </p>

<p>Application to the specialty honors programs is due December 15th. I’m not sure if you need to apply by today in order to receive the Presidential Scholarship (NM full ride scholarship).</p>

<p>I personally attended Oklahoma State. It was a fun school.</p>

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<p>i’ll jump in with UAB also…as mom2ck says …2 different schools…UA is in tuscaloosa, UAB is in birmingham. UAB is about 11K undergrads, urban campus…very strong science or health related majors. Wonderful honors program (sci/tech) very cohesive group. NMF scholarship will give you full tuition, housing and a stipend.</p>

<p>not a party school, not a football school, only about 6% greek.</p>

<p>[UAB</a> - The University of Alabama at Birmingham](<a href=“http://www.uab.edu%5DUAB”>http://www.uab.edu)</p>

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<p>I’m much more of a lurker than a poster, but I have to chime in. I can’t believe how people consider some schools “easy”. My daughter was a NM Scholar (from Maine), and is now a freshman at the University of Maine, starting out in Biological Engineering. She’s buried in work. I doubt any of the “name” schools would be more demanding. It doesn’t matter where you go, if you take tough courses, you’re going to WORK. If you want to goof off, you can do that anywhere. Including the Ivies. By the way, mom2collegekids, I’ve been enjoying your posts since I started coming here. Everyone should listen to every word you say.</p>

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<p>Parents say it would sort of get me stuck in south, whereas I would prefer to be east or west coast</p>

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<p>Have you looked at UT Dallas? Students seem to be strong in the sciences and it’s in a major city.</p>

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<p>I’m a NMSF headed to Tuscaloosa. Don’t let preconceived notions keep you from looking into any school. Roll tide roll.</p>

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<p>I’ve looked into it. Applying right now, and although I’ll probably apply to a couple other NM schools this is certainly on my list.</p>

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<p>forgot to add…re access to hospitals for your own health problems. UAB is surrounded by about 6-7 hospitals. UAB hospital is one of the top hospitals in the country. Birmingham would have alot more access to health care than Tuscaloosa</p>

<p>UAB Hospital also serves as the primary teaching hospital for the UAB School of Medicine. Seven UAB Hospital specialty programs are among the nation’s top 50 — five are in the top 25 — of the 16 categories evaluated at America’s 5,189 hospitals in 2006 by U.S. News & World Report. With its seven ranked programs, UAB Hospital was one of only 176 hospitals, or about 3 percent of U.S. institutions studied —and the only hospital in Alabama — to rank high enough in even one specialty to make the magazine’s national “Best Hospitals” list. The seven specialties are: rheumatology (6th); heart and heart surgery (14th); gynecology (14th); kidney disease (17th); cancer (23rd); and orthopedics (47th).
The 2005-2006 list of “Best Doctors in America” includes 234 UAB physicians, comprising more than two-thirds of all specialists from the Birmingham metropolitan area in the Best Doctors database. Best Doctors is an independent, knowledge-based medical referral service located in Aiken, S.C. Its surveys ask peer physicians, “If you or a loved one needed a doctor in your specialty, to whom would you refer them?” Only about 3 to 5 percent of all specialists worldwide make the list, which currently names 33,000 in the U.S.—including 345 physicians in the Birmingham area.
UAB Hospital received a 2005-2006 Consumer Choice Award from the National Research Corporation (NRC). It is among just 207 of 3,000 hospitals, nationally, to receive the recognition. The award is bestowed upon hospitals that receive highest marks among consumers for their quality and image, based on a nationwide survey of more than 200,000 households representing some 400,000 consumers. UAB Hospital is the only Birmingham-area hospital to receive the award this year. The recognition places UAB Hospital alongside such institutions as Johns Hopkins, Duke University Medical Center, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the Mayo Clinic, and Yale-New Haven Hospital.</p>

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<p>*Parents say it would sort of get me stuck in south, whereas I would prefer to be east or west coast *</p>

<p>That is so not true. You’re not “stuck in the south” if you go to a southern school. Do they think that students are “stuck in the NE” if they go to a NE school or stuck in the west if they go to a school in the west?</p>

<p>If you and your family visit Bama, I think they would be very impressed. :)</p>

<p>Beautiful campus, strong academics, new facilities, full college-life experiences.</p>

<p>* By the way, mom2collegekids, I’ve been enjoying your posts since I started coming here. Everyone should listen to every word you say. *</p>

<p>Looks like one of my sisters is finally on CC. ;)</p>

<p>(thanks)</p>

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<p>Yeah… Pretty much. They think that unless a school is really top tier it will hurt if it’s out of area, so much so it’s not worth it.</p>

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<p>Based on what you’ve shared, I’d suggest you take a look at University of Tulsa. In addition to brand new CS & Eng. buildings which house excellent growing programs, TU also offers great NMF scholarship options.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the catch. Another good school I may have looked past.</p>

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<p>???</p>

<p>If you’ll consider Tulsa (in Oklahoma), there’s no reason not to consider Bama. At least Bama is in the state with the 2nd largest Research Park in the nation (Cummings Research Park) …filled with Fortune 500 and high-tech companies.</p>