<p>I'm thinking about going into computer science and am applying for colleges right now. I live in Illinois so of course UIUC is on my list. I'm wondering though, since UIUC is so highly ranked in CS, is it even worth applying to any of the "better" schools? Like UCB or Stanford. I probably won't get into any of the better schools anyways. Or should I try to go for scholarships in smaller schools? basically, is UIUC my best bet or if not, which schools are?</p>
<p>Since you are from Illinois, it’s doubtful there’s going to be a better bang for the buck. </p>
<p>That doesn’t mean it’s the best option. Take price out of it, how’s the “fit”? Is UIUC “you”? Or would you prefer a smaller school? Maybe you want to go to a different part of the country. Maybe money’s not an object, so you want to explore your options. Those are the type of questions you should be asking. Answer those, then you can come up with other options, if you need them.</p>
<p>My son and daughter both got into UIUC, but it was cheaper for them to go to NU. Not enough grant money at UIUC.</p>
<p>Try net price calculators at each school. UIUC is not very good with need-based financial aid. UCs won’t cover the $23,000 out-of-state additional tuition with need-based financial aid, so they are almost certainly more expensive than UIUC for an Illinois resident. But Stanford need-based financial aid is generally very good, so it may be less expensive than UIUC for some students.</p>