Choosing school based on scholarship

Paying for College
1

<p>My goal is to go to a college with a good computer science program and I want to pay as little as possible (I want to max it out at fifteen thousand a year). I don't want to be bogged down by student loans after college and want to be able to start my life right away.</p>

<p>Info about me:
-I am a permanent resident at the moment, but I am able to apply for citizenship. (I had all my schooling in the U.S.)
-Ethnicity: Indian
-I live in Illinois.
-4.0 Unweighted GPA, 4.488 Weighted GPA (Class Rank: 1)
-I got a 35 on ACT, 2200 on SAT
-I took 9 AP tests and got a 5 on all of them. I plan to take another 5 AP tests this year and will most likely average at least a 4 on each one.
Sophomore Year:
-AP World History
-AP Computer Science A (self-study)
-AP Calculus BC
-AP Statistics (self-study)</p>

<p>Junior Year:
-AP U.S. History
-AP Physics C: Mechanics (self-study)
-AP Chemistry
-AP Human Geography (self-study)
-AP English Language & Composition
-Multivariable Caclulus (Online, Private Teacher: Complete with homework and tests.)</p>

<p>My senior year schedule:
-AP U.S. Government & Politics
-AP Physics C (both Mech and E&M)
-AP Psychology
-AP English Literature and Composition
-AP Biology (self-study)
-Genetics
-Linear Algebra (Online, Private Teacher: Complete with homework and tests.)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
-Chicago ARML (American Regional Mathematics League) A Team 2010-2011.
-Math Team (4 years)
--Have gotten 1st place individually at regionals since freshman year.
--Won 1st place in state in a team event to which I contributed and 4th place individually.
--Qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Exam in 2009 and 2011.
-FIRST Robotics Team 111 (3 years)
--Won World Championships in 2009 and 2011. (I contributed to the code)
-Scholastic Bowl (4 years)
--Captain in sophomore year, Co-captain in junior year, and will be captain in senior year.
-Tennis (3 years)
-Speech Team (2 years)</p>

<p>Other tidbits:
-Built my first computer in 5th grade, taught myself to program in 7th grade, and actually programmed an online game that was moderately successful in 8th grade. I stopped programming and pursued an interest in mathematics which has gotten to the point where I read college-level math text books in my free time and comprehend them fairly well (abstract algebra, topology, analysis, number theory, combinatorics). Moreover, I have had ample practice at writing abstract proofs. (I started a math blog here</a>).
-I am a self-directed learner, so I don’t need a college that has amazing teachers (although that would be nice). I am looking for a good research university in computer science that has state-of-the-art facilities.
-My family runs a business and due to the economic times, our income will probably fluctuate drastically. I think our yearly earnings are around fifty to seventy thousand.</p>

<p>Given all this, can someone give me estimates on the amount of money I should be able to receive in general (or point me to a website)? Where can I find out how much students at universities with similar scores/achievements actually ended up paying (without loans)? Would it be financially advantageous for me to apply for citizenship? Finally, what colleges would best suit the criteria I have specified? Thanks for your time!</p>

2

<p>The only criteria I saw were Comp Sci and below $15K.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>If you complete your application to USC [ USNWR # 25] by no later than Dec 1, you’ll be considered for one of their 200+ FULL tuition scholarships / or 450 1/2 tuition scholarships[ and I would be very surprised if you did not receive at least a 1/2 tuition scholarship]. In addition, USC has a very generous FA program and many students receive both merit awards and FA. USC has a terrific CS/ Engineering school and is very interested in bringing in hi stat, tip top students. My son was awarded a full tuition Trustees scholarship[ he was accepted at 2 Ivys and 12 other U’s], loved his time at USC and found many other hyper smart students there too. He is starting his PhD at Cal Tech this month. </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/private/docs/1112/uscScholarships1213.pdf[/url]”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/private/docs/1112/uscScholarships1213.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>[USC</a> - Viterbi School of Engineering - Academic Departments](<a href=“http://viterbi.usc.edu/academics/departments/]USC”>http://viterbi.usc.edu/academics/departments/)</p>

4

<p>You should apply to Vanderbilt (School of Engineering) and apply for the Cornelius Vanderbilt scholarship. It is full tuition at least. When my son got the scholarship, it also included engineering fees and a computer, and he got an additional 2K per year for being NMF, in case that applies to you. Things may have changed; you can look at the web site.</p>

<p>No, the engineering program does not appear in the top 10 or whatever lists. What it did was give my son a chance to do real research throughout undergrad, and funded summer and academic year research starting freshman year. They were very generous with credit for his AP record (about a dozen with fives all around) and the university math (and other) courses he took during high school. He ended up being able to finish undergrad. degrees in computer science and math and a master’s in cs in four years. He has several peer-reviewed publications, spoke at national conferences, and had a very high-paying job lined up before he began his senior year.</p>

<p>No debt, lots of savings in the bank at graduation and is now enjoying a great job in the heart of the computer science world. He may or may not go back to school for a PhD; if he decides to, his options are pretty good.</p>

<p>He would approve of your plan to graduate with no debt. </p>

<p>Competitive merit awards are not guaranteed, but you are probably a candidate for those offered by several universities. Look at Rice and Wash U as well, and look at the permanent threads that discuss merit scholarships.</p>

<p>When you consider a school/program, ask what the school can do for YOU, not how highly it is ranked. Is there real research going on? Who funds the research? Can undergraduates get into research groups? Can I get advanced standing based on my high school record? How flexible is the curriculum? Can I take graduate courses? These are the kinds of questions you should be asking. Getting the answers will require a bit of effort, but if you are trying to save many tens of thousands of dollars, it will be worth your time.</p>

5

<p>Harvard has a good comp sci program and great financial aid. USC and Vanderbilt have good merit scholarship programs.</p>

6

<p>As a financial safety, Alabama would give you the below-listed ASSURED scholarships for your stats if you apply before Dec 1st and fill out the scholarship app. </p>

<p>These are not competitive scholarships like others mentioned above…since you have the stats, you get the scholarships. ASSURED.</p>

<p>And…Bama has a brand new mega-sized Science and Engineering Complex…so state of the art facilities, classrooms, labs, etc.</p>

<p>This video link is of the College of Arts and Sciences, but gives you a view of the school. The Shelby building that is shown here was Phase I of the new Science and Engineering Complex. 3 phases are complete (well, the 3rd phase will complete in about 4 weeks)…and the 4th phase will soon break ground.<br>
[The</a> University of Alabama College of Arts & Sciences “This is How College is Meant to Be” - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube) </p>

<p>Bama now has over 1.25 million square feet of engineering and science facilities. </p>

<p>BTW…there are many Illinois students at Bama. Bama has kids from all 50 states and has about 40% OOS students.</p>

<p>The following scholarships are for OOS residents…</p>

<p>Free tuition…Presidential Scholarship</p>

<p>Students who have a 32-36 ACT or 1400-1600 SAT (critical reading and mathematics scores only) and at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA will receive out-of-state tuition for four years.</p>

<p>(About 500 frosh each year enroll with that Presidential Scholarship of free tuition).</p>

<p>**
Engineering Scholarship (also for Comp Sci majors)**…and additional 2500 per year stacked on top of the free tuition.</p>

<p>Students who have a 32-36 ACT or 1400-1600 SAT (math and verbal scores only) and at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA will receive $2,500 per year for four years.</p>

<p>Your remaining costs would be about $10k per year…or less, depending on your dorm/meal plan choice.</p>

<p>You would also be an excellent candidate for Bama’s elite Computer-Based Honors Program…only 40 students admitted each year. This is a research-based honors program. Sometimes more scholarship money is awarded to CBH students. </p>

<p>BTW…since your family is self-employed, CSS Profile schools may not be as generous as some might think. CSS schools are famous for adding back business deductions which makes income seem higher. And, does your family have assets/savings? </p>

<p>Anyway…the Bama scholarships are a great financial safety since you would get the awards within a few weeks of applying. The app is quick and easy and online now.<br>
[Undergraduate</a> Admissions - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://gobama.ua.edu/]Undergraduate”>http://gobama.ua.edu/) </p>

<p>BTW…are you a likely NMSF/F? What was your PSAT?</p>