<p>Hello, </p>
<p>My son, a Jr., is getting ready for college application in Fall. He likes to study CS in college.
We are from California. So, besides Cal Tech, Cal, UCLA, Stanford, can someone give some suggestion, how the following schools will rank among themselves for CS program:</p>
<p>UCSD
UCSB,
UCD,
UCI,
Cal Ploy SLO
USC
Harvey Mudd</p>
<p>Appreciate a feedback.</p>
<p>You may want to add San Jose State to the list for a safety; its location attracts Silicon Valley computer company recruiters due to convenience. But even San Jose State is getting quite competitive for admissions, so it may not be a safety any more for many students (but if is not a safety, those other schools are not either).</p>
<p>[SJSU</a> Admission](<a href=“http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/admission/rec-1327.html]SJSU”>http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/admission/rec-1327.html)</p>
<p>To be admitted to CS at SJSU for fall 2012 as a freshman, one needed a CSU eligibility index of 4000. This index is calculated as GPA * 800 + SAT-CR + SAT-M (GPA for CSU purposes is calculated very similar to GPA for UC purposes). For example, a 3.5 GPA with 1200 SAT CR+M score just barely made it this year.</p>
<p>However, the similar software engineering major, and the more hardware oriented computer engineering major, were less popular, needing an eligibility index of 3200.</p>
<p>Other schools worth considering are Minnesota, Virginia Tech, and Stony Brook, which have out-of-state costs similar to UC in state costs (CSUs including Cal Poly and SJSU are cheaper), though if you are financial aid eligible, the UCs and CSUs will be more generous than the out of state publics.</p>
<p>I would say:</p>
<p>UCSD, USC [some rankings put one ahead of the other, but they’re about equal]
UCSB, UCI, UCD [same]
Cal Poly</p>
<p>Not sure about Harvey Mudd. This also depends on what your son is interested in studying within computer science, which is a very diverse field. Since no university is the best for all sub-areas of CS, it’d be a good idea for him to think about what he’s most interested in. If he isn’t sure, he should check out intro CS texts (many available online, like the classic Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs used at MIT and Berkeley).</p>
<p>UCSC is also worth adding for possible safety purposes (it is relatively local to Silicon Valley).</p>
<p>The classic introductory CS book:
[Structure</a> and Interpretation of Computer Programs](<a href=“http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/full-text/book/book.html]Structure”>http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/full-text/book/book.html)</p>
<p>Derived version using Python instead of Scheme programming language:
[CS61A</a>, Spring 2012 Online Textbook](<a href=“http://www-inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~cs61a/sp12/book/index.html]CS61A”>CS61A, Spring 2012 Online Textbook)</p>
<p>Both Scheme and Python interpreters are free on the web to install on home computer to do the examples and exercises in the books.</p>
<p>Is he only looking at Calif schools?</p>
<p>What about Santa Clara?</p>
<p>All of those schools would be fine for CS. </p>
<p>What is your budget? Can you pay for any school? Privates can cost $55k per year?</p>
<p>What are your son’s stats? GPA and test scores?</p>
<p>If you’ll need Financial Aid, do you know if you’d qualify for the amount that you’d need? You can estimate that your EFC will be about 25%-33% of your gross income (could be more if you have assets). So, if your gross income is about $150k, then your EFC could be about $50k.</p>
<p>Those are all fine schools. Have you also looked into Chapman? The question is, does your son plan to graduate in 4 years or, 5 years or maybe 6 years? From what I’ve heard, the public university’s route in California may take longer than 4 years. If your son qualifies for merit-aid, maybe the private university’s route may end up a better deal. Good luck in your search.</p>
<p>His GPA is around 4.35, His PSAT is 224, SAT II (Biology 800, Math-II 740, Chemistry 710).
He plans to take ACT/SAT and SAT-II Physics in coming months, God willing.
He will complete 7 AP classes end of Jr. year. He is a club president, Lead Designer of Robots for his school Robotics club, 200+ hrs. of volunteer works, did fund raising about $2500 for children shelter home, tutor 1st-3rd grades 2-hr a week. He will work in a high tech company in silicon valley as Java programmer this summer, as an intern. He is building his portfolio, God willing. Wondering what are his chances to get into good colleges to study in CS, California or outside California, Public or Private. We can dole out around $35K/year for his college expenses. So, for private we will need some kind of scholarship. Any feedback, appreciate very much.</p>
<p>We can dole out around $35K/year for his college expenses. So, for private we will need some kind of scholarship. Any feedback, appreciate very much.</p>
<p>==================</p>
<p>It looks like you’ll have a very high EFC, so yes, you may need big merit to bridge the costs for a pricey private (which can cost up to 60k these days.)</p>
<p>Your son will be a NMSF, so he should look at USC which gives NMFs a “half tuition scholarship” …which is about 20k. </p>
<p>Santa Clara will likely give him about a $28k merit scholarship.</p>
<p>Don’t know what HMU gives…if there are merit awards, they might be highly competitive.</p>
<p>Stanford doesn’t give merit scholarships…don’t think Cal Tech does either.</p>
<p>If he were to go outside of Calif, he’d likely need to get merit to make those schools affordable. He’d likely get some merit at Purdue (but it seems like their merit is about 10k). </p>
<p>What about “male heavy” schools like RPI? </p>
<p>What does he want in a school outside of academics? </p>
<p>Has he visited any schools? If not, you might try visiting a variety of schools…big, small, rural, city, quiet, spirited …to see what vibe he likes.</p>
<p>Based on your son’s stats currently, he may be eligible for the $25,000 Presidential Scholarship at Chapman University. Here is their Net Cost Calculator.
[Chapman</a> University - Financial Aid - Undergrads](<a href=“Financial Aid | Chapman University”>Financial Aid | Chapman University)</p>
<p>UC and CSU in-state list prices are under $35,000 per year. Minnesota, Virginia Tech, and Stony Brook out-of-state list prices also fit into that range.</p>
<p>Stanford does give generous need-based aid – free tuition for those from family income under $100,000, for example.</p>
<p>Try the “net price calculators” at each school.</p>
<p>Note that Santa Clara is Catholic, and Chapman is Disciples of Christ. Santa Clara has a three course religious studies requirement, but some of the courses that fulfill it are non-devotional and/or focused on non-Christian religions or comparative study of several religions.</p>
<p>[Santa</a> Clara University - College of Arts and Sciences - Religious Studies - Academic Programs -Course Information](<a href=“http://www.scu.edu/cas/religiousstudies/academics/courses/courseinformation.cfm]Santa”>http://www.scu.edu/cas/religiousstudies/academics/courses/courseinformation.cfm)
[Santa</a> Clara University - College of Arts and Sciences - Religious Studies - Academic Programs -Other Courses That Fulfill RTC Requirements (New Core)](<a href=“http://www.scu.edu/cas/religiousstudies/academics/corecurr/newrsreqs.cfm]Santa”>http://www.scu.edu/cas/religiousstudies/academics/corecurr/newrsreqs.cfm)</p>
<p>Note that at Berkeley, a student may study CS in either the College of Engineering (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) major) or the College of Letters and Science (Computer Science (L&S CS) major).</p>
<p>As a freshman applicant, he may apply to the EECS major or to L&S undeclared. EECS is generally considered harder to get admitted to; a student in L&S would take the freshman and sophomore level courses and then declare the L&S CS major. Currently, L&S CS does not limit students declaring the major, although it once did (before the early 2000s tech bubble crash), requiring the students to apply and have a high GPA.</p>
<p>Both majors choose from the same CS courses; the EECS major does have additional required physics and EE courses (optional for L&S CS), and more latitude in choosing upper division EE courses. The breadth requirements for Engineering and L&S differ. L&S CS may be more flexible for a student considering a double major with another L&S major (math is probably a relatively common additional major, though completely unrelated double majors can be done).</p>
<p>We are considering colleges like Rose-Hullman, Rice, Harvey-Mudd, RPI, Olin, USC, Purdue(may be). Safety net Santa Clara, Cal Poly SLO. We plan to apply to Standford, Cal Tech, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon etc. also since they are all on common application system. Of course he will apply to all the UCs but our preference is for smaller to medium sized technical schools. Currently he goes to private Catholic high school and he likes the smaller, private school environment. And we, parents, also like this private small school environment, where he will have full access to the professors, will get a chance to do research with professors, have good internship program.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Remember, though, that employer recruiting for both interns and graduating seniors tends to favor larger schools, at least for non-local employers. If a company is flying a recruiter to a campus career center, it may decide that flying to a larger school is likely to bring more recruits per trip than flying to a smaller school.</p>
<p>Being local helps; Berkeley, Stanford, SJSU, UCSC, and SCU have a strong location advantage with respect to computer companies. Additionally, Berkeley and Stanford are prominent enough in CS to attract plenty of non-local recruiters.</p>
<p>Hello ucbalumnus, </p>
<p>For Stanford, we won’t qualify for need-basis scholarship, as our family income is almost twice the family income limit set by the school. So, we are looking for merit-based scholarship for him.</p>
<p>Rose-Hulman claims they have very good internship program, of course most of the companies are from mid-west area. For Seniors getting jobs, according to their website, 99% of their graduates got employed within 5 months of graduation, of course most of the employers are mid-west based and around that region, companies like, Ford, GM, 3M, Rockwell, TI etc. In fact my son’s preference is to get a job either in mid-west or south, 'cause he wants to live in an area where cost of living is low, quality of life is good, good schools, cheaper housing etc. We have been living in Silicon Valley for last 25 yrs and I think the quality of life, standard of education in schools are way below than some of the other regions of the country.</p>
<p>my son is also looking at CS. his list includes Berkeley, Stanford, UDub, UCSD, UCLA, UT Austin, PENN. we took off Carnegie Mellon and Caltech for lack of girls. Olin was impressive. and so was UIUC. just too cold. when we visited Berkeley, the rep told us to take a good look at UDub, which sends students to Berkeley’s grad school</p>
<p>Since your family won’t qualify for need-based aid even at the most generous schools, I would not apply to many of the schools that only give need-based aid, unless you’re willing to pay the full cost. Apps take time, even with the common app…many schools have supplementals and essays, so ithey can take time.</p>
<p>The following will all likely give merit (Purdue’s may not be a lot)
Rose
Santa Clara
Purdue
USC
URoch
RPI
Fordham (full tuition for NMF status)</p>
<p>I would also look at the various other Catholic univs that have good CS programs since you like the smaller school feel. I wouldn’t worry that much about USnews rankings, because many schools have good CS programs. I would look at SLU, Gonzaga, Fordham, LMU, USD and UDayton.).</p>
<p>As you know, all the Calif publics would be affordable for you since their costs are below your budget. However, they won’t give you that more intimate feel that you want. I understand the transition from small Catholic K-12 and then going to college. My kids and many of my nieces and nephews have gone thru that. </p>
<p>I don’t think the Calif publics provide that intimate feel…however, other larger schools can and do so don’t dismiss them all. College isn’t like when we went to school…many profs are very “student-oriented” and are very involved with helping their students.</p>
<p>Hello PizzaFatFace, </p>
<p>UDub(you mean Univ of Washignton, rite??) is also on our outlier list, since it’s in Seattle, near Microsoft, Amazon and Boeing, Intel and many other high tech companies, he will have a chance to do internship, and get a job there too. In fact I went to Grad school in Washington State, went to Washington State Univ. I spent almost 3 yrs there and I know Seattle area very well, visited so many times. I really like that area if you can live with rain, but otherwise, one of the best regions to live in USA.</p>
<p>Hello Mom2Collegekids, </p>
<p>Yes, I kind of agree with your list also. If we have to select outside California, Rice, Rose, Purdue will be out top choices. In California, USC, Harvey-Mudd will be our top choices, even over UCs ; SCU and Cal Poly be our safety-net choices, God willing. You are right, in UCs you won’t get that ‘initimate’ feelings, basically every kid be on their ‘own’, survival of the fittest motto. That’s why I find such a strong ALUMNI community of USC, Stanford in Silicon Valley than Cal or UCLA. Even in private high school that my son is going to, when we go to their home games, Football, Basketball etc., I see a strong contingent of Alumni show up in school support gallery, people who still donate money to the school, who still care for the school, send their kids to the school.</p>
<p>Hello mom2collegekids,
Regading NMSF to NMF, do you know how the selection happen? When I read their website, they say in Sept, they will announce the NMSF list of 16000 top students. Then within a month they will announce NMF list of 15000. So, seems like about 1000 kids will be dropped out. How do they do that, based-on what criteria. Then these 15000 kids will apply and write essays to get selected in top 8000 list who will qualify for merit-based scholarships from colleges etc. But I am still not sure how that transition happen between NMSF to NMF??</p>