Hi, I’m an immigrant and don’t really have a ton of information about which colleges are good. I am going to be a senior next school year and I need to find some good schools to apply to. It’d be ideal if it’s in Michigan or close enough for a drive or a short flight. I’m also okay with any colleges in the neighboring states.
I’m not so certain about my major either. It’ll be something along the lines of programming. If I can’t decide, it’ll be a plain CS major.
So, which colleges might be good for me as a student interested in computer science/programming? Any recommendations?
SAT Score - 1300 (As of now. It might improve with future tests) GPA - 4.07 (Junior Year)
Unweighted GPA - 4.0
Budget - I’m not sure… but I’d like to keep it around 10-15k (maybe a bit above too) with financial aids and other scholarships.
(note: my family income isn’t that high, so there’s a chance that I’ll get some financial aid based on that)
Grand Valley State University offered me a really good financial aid package and they have a lot of computer science/cybersecurity/IT options. The schools of computing and of engineering are both in Grand Rapids, so lots of internship options. They also offer several BS/MS options for computer science.
I don’t think any of the schools will meet your financial need. But check out Wayne State University and Oakland University as well as the above. Kettering might be worth a look since they have like a coop on /off system so you cs can make money for school while going to school. Worth looking into.
You’re saying that you’re a Michigan resident for tuition purposes, right?
If that’s the case, then you have great in-state schools to apply to. Run the Net Price Calculators for to see how affordability stacks up. (For example: Net-Price Calculator | Michigan Tech Admissions Every college has one.) Do you live within commuting distance of a public university?
Also run net price calculators for some smaller private colleges and universities that have CS and related majors. Some possibilities within your radius would include:
In MI: Kalamazoo College, Kettering
In Ohio: College of Wooster, Denison University, Case Western Reserve U (reach but meets full need)
In Indiana: Earlham College, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Valparaiso U, Wabash College (if you’re male - it’s male-only)
In Illinois: DePaul University, Beloit College, Knox College
In Wisconsin: Milwaukee School of Engineering, Lawrence University, Marquette U
In Western NY: Syracuse U, RIT, URochester (reach but meets need)
Minnesota may be a little far, but St. Olaf College has excellent CS and meets need.
It’s possible none of these will be affordable, but then again some might be in range if your family’s financial profile is truly low-income according to their formulae. It’s worth running the numbers to see which, if any, are worth considering. If some of them work, you’ll want to consider whether you’re interested in liberal arts colleges that have CS but not engineering, or if you want a more STEM-oriented school with engineering programs.
There are a few guaranteed-affordable OOS publics: Truman State in Missouri, for example, and South Dakota School of Mines. U of Minnesota Morris might also work. But you already have great in-state options in MI.
well idk why no one has said this yet but the university of michigan is the best choice here. it’s not as selective for in state applicants, so you’ve got a solid shot.
In this case, I’d encourage OP to apply to the suggestions here, but still shoot an application to UM test optional. Apply to LSA and hopefully it works out favorably.
At many schools, certain majors are more competitive. I believe engineering/CS are that way at Michigan. @sushiritto and @Knowsstuff would know for sure. I agree though, it can’t hurt to throw in an application.
At UMich, a CS degree can be obtained in LSA or CoE. And of course, CoE is a more competitive admit than LSA. The degrees are almost, almost, the same. Michigan makes you prioritize your interest in majors, but they don’t admit by major, since most change majors anyway. You select your major in the Spring of Sophomore year.
There are some minor differences in classes to be taken and I believe CoE requires 128 units versus 120 units to graduate. That’s off the top of my head, so obviously double check that.
In terms of in-state acceptance rate, the link above provides info from 2021-2022, where Michigan admitted 7,200-7,300 freshman. Michigan planned to admit more in that cycle, because of the uncertainty of the pandemic and a lot of classes were still remote. However, this past cycle, 2022-2023, Michigan planned a freshman class of around 6,700-ish. And IIRC, apps are at an all time high at 84,000 this cycle. So admit rates will come WAY down, IMO.
If you review the 2022-2023 thread, you will see some stunned in-state parents and applicants who thought Michigan would admit them or their children. So, I’ll be very interested to see the next CDS.
FWIW, the SAT score of 1,300 would be on the low side for LSA and CoE. But the chances are better with LSA and then if really want, you can transfer to CoE. OTOH, grades are most important, so that uwGPA of 4.0 is awesome. Congrats on that.
As far as financial and merit aid, I’d let someone else answers those questions, since we’re an OOS family. But Michigan does have a program called “Go Blue.”
Yep, changes are occurring. I didn’t mention Michigan on purpose due to being international with the 1300 and he won’t her aid at Michigan if I am reading it correctly.
