<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>