Background:
ACT: 34C (36E, 35M, 33R, 31S)
UWGPA: 4.0
WGPA: 4.81
Decent EC’s, nothing spectacular
My parents can pay roughly $27K a year
I prefer large state universities, and roughly 10,000-12,000 students is my minimum.
Also, nothing far west.
I live in Kentucky so my potential safeties are:
- Univ. of Kentucky
- Univ. of Louisville
- Univ. of Cincinnati
- Univ. of Alabama
Which of those has the best CS/Engineering program?
Also, if anyone knows of other potential safeties please list them.
For Matches, so far I have:
What are a few more matches I could look at?
For Reaches, so far I have:
- Univ. of Illinois (visited and loved it, if I get in and receive at least the $8k Univ. Achi. Scholarship, this is my top choice)
-Cornell University
What are a few more reaches I could look at?
If your parents can pay $27,000 per year, then your price limit is approximately:
$27,000 per year with no work or loans
$32,000 per year with work or federal direct loans
$37,000 per year with work and federal direct loans
Out of state public universities are unlikely to give good financial aid (other than University of Virginia and University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill), but some may have merit scholarships (e.g. University of Alabama automatic for your stats, Ohio State University competitive, others). Try the net price calculators on various school web sites, and check for merit scholarships (such as those listed in the threads linked from http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html ). University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign is about $50,000 per year for non-residents, so you need a lot more than $8,000 per year of scholarships to make it affordable.
Lower list price schools (even for out-of-state students) include University of Minnesota, Stony Brook University, North Carolina State University.
@ucbalumnus Here is my logic regarding an institution such as UIUC:
CoA: ~50,000
Parents pay: ~27,000
Left: ~23,000
Scholarship of 8,000: ~15,000 remaining
Fed loan: 5,000
Parent PLUS Cosign: 10,000
That would be a total of 60,000 debt for the 4 years.
Considering UIUC average CS starting salary is ~$89,000 (20,000-25,000 higher than national average), my father and I have deemed this large amount of debt worth the investment.
Parental loans or parent-cosigned student loans are generally a bad idea for both you and your parents.
Also, the CS job market will not necessarily be as good 4-5 years from now as it is now, since there are economic and industry cycles. Students who entered in 1999 during the .com boom as CS majors graduated in 2003 into the unemployment line in the depths of the .com bust.
@ucbalumnus How are they a bad idea?
Also, in regards to a growing (and potentially busting) market, I’m not speculating that the current technology is a bull market. It will eventually have to go down. However, that unemployment was partially the result of overspeculation at the beginning of what could be referred to as the digital age. Now, as the technology and its market is more acclimated to society and not touted around like a new shiny toy, a recession like the one you mentioned is unlikely to happen, at least for a little while longer.
Post #4, if there is a bust, most likely the senior people will go first, not the young and inexpensive.
OP do apply to CS+X major with CS in Eng to UIUC. WRITE THE EXTRA ESSAY. I made the mistake out of pure laziness I regret it to this day. 
@Bored1997 What essay are you referring to?
Post #7, my kid didn’t apply and do not regret. As long as you are in top 20 CS program you are ok.
@mandias09 for a second major another essay is there to explain your interest in that major (I think 200 words).
Also-
CMU as a high reach could be good they really like demonstrated interest.
Gtech as match/reach
UW as a low match
UCSD as a match
Also look into Duke, Pratt is moving up fast as a great school in Engineering.
OP doesn’t want to go out west. So UCSD and UW are out I think.