While UIUC doesn’t provide much in the way of aid or scholarships, if you would be full-pay at a private and can get in, UIUC CS/engineering at in-state rates is a pretty good deal. Also look here: http://dgs.illinois.edu/current-prep-students
That would tell you what engineering majors at UIUC are relatively easier/tougher to get in to.
I would say Iowa is a safety. Probably Minny, Madison, and Purdue as well. And Madison and PU also have top engineering/CS programs (close to UIUC in rankings). Frankly, I like her chances at UIUC as well (being female and in-state).
Also note that UIUC has CS+X programs that are generally easier to enter than the CS in Engineering program there. If she has an interest in one of those X fields, that should be considered. And various engineering majors are easier to enter there than others.
All the B10 schools play top-level college football. So do Stanford and Duke (and UW, Cal, UCLA, UT-Austin, UMD, and UNC). The Ivies do not. None of the DivIII schools are close. Saying that a DivIII school plays football is kind of like saying that Burlington, VT has a pro baseball team. That’s true, but the atmosphere at a Short-season A league baseball game (or DivIII football, outside of a few powerhouse programs) is nothing like the atmosphere at an MLB/FBS game.
As noted earlier, NU has a much higher admit rate in ED, so if that is her definite first choice, definitely apply ED.
UIUC also has Undeclared Engineering which is probably where she should apply if she is undecided as those folks have priority and an easier path to the engineering major of there choice (UIUC admits by major).
Her stats are great but be careful on the UIUC undeclared. 2 years ago they started it and only had like less then 80 kids picked. They told me it was the hardest major with a act avg of 35. It was intended for high Stat kids that truly didn’t know which way to go. It was not the easier path per se. I was surprised by this information.
^ I’m not surprised. And indeed, that’s why UE gets priority over transferring in to an engineering major over everyone else.
Though these days, I believe CS is tougher to get in to at UIUC than UE.
Instead of arguing numbers back and forth, know this. Entry level jobs are just that…entry level. It’s a job that an experienced professional is overqualified for in the market region. That’s economics 101. Some companies are willing to pay a little over-market value. Some pay a little under-market value. In Austin, $60k is pretty standard out of college, but the cost of living is about 20% higher than Dallas & Houston. ALL of it will equate to a fair market value in the end. If an entry level rate is $60k, then there’s no reason for an employer to recruit a college graduate for $100k a year. The employer can advertise the job and hire an experienced professional.
Going back to my original point. Graduates from a CS program are going to get an entry level salary. Silicon Valley is no exception.
Regardless of location, there in no such thing as a single entry level salary. Even within a given company there is a range offered to new grads based on expertise and experience in any given specialty.
Recruiters go to cities outside their region. Son was recruited by a top player before he decided to apply for those after being at a CS job a couple of years. They paid for his room at the hotel they held interviews in (not sure about transportation because logistically is was easiest for him to drive). No need for him to travel to the coast. Some of the best colleges for CS are public, state flagship universities. Some of those have better CS programs than some old private schools. Son was a math major who added CS as a second major and therefore honed his minimal programming skills at his first job. His ability to think was valued.
Not sure about your technical background claim, but it sounds like an IT job, not CS. Just do your math, sophomore/junior CS internship pays in $40+/hour range in big metros.
Ofc for any discipline, grad student would be getting entry level salary, however those entry level jobs have vast entry salary difference depending on discipline and skills they have learned over a course of time. GPA is just small piece of puzzle, just like how you stand out among high ACT/SAT pool for college admission, same criteria applies when applying for a a dream job, how to stand out among high GPA pool from top colleges.
Are you implying Carnegie Mellon CS and University of Phoenix CS has same entry level value?
Glad to see our conversation back in April helped out here. Major over Undeclared Engineering over DGS-PREP for UIUC.
Also UIUC had committed big time financially, effective 2019 freshman, a guaranteed full tuition ride for instate students as long as meeting financial criteria. This would certainly help Illinois from stopping intellect drain to other states who are offering very good financial aid.
The Illinois Commitment is a great deal/u, but many of the students being tempted by OOS schools belong to “Donut hole” families. They earn too much to qualify for Pell grants, but not enough that UIUC is seen as affordable (or has been in the past).
Lower SES students tend to go to local directional schools and not travel OOS.
Then again, not being accepted by UIUC, and not liking your other in-state options, is another reason for students to go OOS…
How do posters suggest top colleges without knowing more? It won’t just be stats and the AP count. ECs and the thinking she hows in her app/supps will matter. If she isn’t, eg, in math-sci activities now (including collaborative, for engineering,) her chances for top colleges will change.
And “interest” is far more than visiting. It’s in how you know a college, know how you match what they want and express that (not just your interest in them.) That needs to show in the app/supps and in any Why Us? question. You need a solid idea of all that they look for, to self assess and then make the right self presentation.
Don’t forget, the competition will be fierce, lots of kids with high stats. And lots of them also from IL. Geo diversity and the rush for stem can affect things, too.
Before we worry about entry salaries, focus on getting admitted somewhere.
Illinois kids are going out of state for merit and opportunity not given at UIUC. Alabama, Iowa etc seems to be getting a lot of kids. UIUC undeclared two years ago according to them was one of their hardest majors to get accepted into. I think they only took like 70 kids. Avg Act was like 34/35. It was meant for kids that can get into just about any engineering discipline but were truly undecided. This information was from admissions directly. Also the price to go to UIUC for engineering for instate is crazy. Instate $36,000 plus. My son went out of state to Michigan which gave some money and the difference is not that much. I really hope the state starts to appreciate what they have in UIUC. Our last governor didn’t even know they were like a world class engineering program and was caught on TV saying some really stupid things…
“How do posters suggest top colleges without knowing more? It won’t just be stats and the AP count. ECs and the thinking she hows in her app/supps will matter. If she isn’t, eg, in math-sci activities now (including collaborative, for engineering,) her chances for top colleges will change.”
Well the OP suggested the colleges and being a female STEM with 35/1530/3.9uw, what colleges would you suggest if not top ones for CS/Engineering? This is not saying only apply to Stanford, MIT and Northwestern (her top choice), of course, but she should get into the state flagships on her list.
“Before we worry about entry salaries, focus on getting admitted somewhere.”
Sure, but applying for CS/Engineering typically means you’ll need to evaluate the school for job opportunities and so the question of needing to attend an expensive option in a field where prestige is not important is a relevant one.
It takes more than stats and gender, TM. We know zip about what this gal has done otherwise. Plenty of top performing gals will apply to top colleges for stem. What else has this one done?
I beg to differ here. Undeclared is not hardest, rather not publicized compare to declared eng. TBH, even advisor just use that as one liner. Infact I know from last year, 2021 class, kids who were less qualified (yes across the board) ended up in UE, because they choose that at first choice. Kids who were higher qualified opt for CS, ended up in PREP, like my son, transferred to CS last summer, so he started sophomore year as CS.
Major difference between declare major vs. UE is the way UIUC application process designed. If you declare a major, UE is out of option (can’t even have 2nd choice), vice a versa. Most kids declare a major, thus that pool become far competitive then UE.
UE has major advantage, all kids get into engineering discipline of their choice, yes CS, even they have less GPA in 1st semester, less qualified then PREP student (we know this very well as we also know a kid from my son high school who ended up in UE–>CS route).
Key is to select UE as first choice during EA, we learned that hard way.
As far as OP goes, CS has very high demand for female candidates and infact there is a conscious approach by colleges to admit more female in engineering. CS female graduates are tend to join big finance companies as female candidates prefer those companies environment over silicon valley.
Just to put some perspective for skills, my son ended up UIUC PREP to CS, made James Scholar, Dean list, perfect score in freshman year.
He has 6-7 different internship opportunities for sophomore summer, from insurance to machinery to healthcare to defense contractor to silicon valley. What made a big difference for sophomore summer internship is the extra activities he has been involved, 20 hours/week research work at UIUC research park, different CS clubs/activities he has been engaged since first year, robotics internship last summer. So besides GPA, skills-set you developed during college is far valuable.
