Florida state, Texas Tech. Nebraska, Oklahoma state, Oklahoma, Kansas, south Florida, Florida International, Kentucky
WPI
Pitt looks for top 5% not 3% fwiw.
UPitt’s merit is very unpredictable now.
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I'm not sure if Rice/Cornell/Vanderbilt are worth going into ~120k of debt (after my parents' contribution).
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No way would that be worth it. Horrible idea.
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Colorado Mines OOS is pretty expensive (30k), but I've got a decent chance at some scholarships. <<<
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Colorado Mines OOS costs more than $30k. Tuition/Fees alone is $36k. Adding room, board, books, etc, the cost is over $50k per year. How much will you likely get in scholarships?
I am not familiar with the schools you mention. Case Western is a very good school even if you have never heard of it. If you are a USNWR rankings person (I’m not) it is ranked in the top 40 national universities every year.
It is well known for health sciences and engineering. My oldest graduated with a math/economics degree. All of his good friends are either employed or in grad school. It is in Cleveland in a nice neighborhood. It is near a not so nice neighborhood but the area where Case is located is very nice.
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parents willing to contribute ~20k per year, rest is on me).
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Parents have said $20k per year? Or what exact amount have they said?
You can borrow $5,500 as a freshman. To borrow more than that would require parent co-signers, and most parents will not do that. Besides, borrowing more is a bad idea.
So, you have about $25k per year towards college. Would you get another $25k in merit from Mines? I haven’t heard that they’re that generous.
Which schools are you applying to that you know FOR SURE that you have all costs covered with ASSURED large merit?
You seem to be wanting to apply to some programs w/o visiting?
I can tell you about TAMU since I received a degree from there and know current eng student there, keep up with local booster group, etc. DD is a junior eng student at UA.
Friend’s DD is at TAMU as OOS - was NMS, studying ChE. She has another scholarship and will keep instate tuition even falling below 3.5 (which is what they require to keep certain scholarships and in-state tuition rate). You would be dealing with a very high % of TX students there. This gal chose TAMU because parents graduated from there, family in TX, older brother got degree from UA and had wanted to go to TAMU like her parents.
UA has students from all over in engineering programs (as well as other programs) but does have a fair number from in-state too (but in-state AL kids may be from all over too, as our family is a transplant).
TX tends to have the attitude like AK - they are their own state/country practically. My brother lives in AK.
Of course in major cities in TX there are people from all over, but when we first were in TX (from WI) I had to tell people we were INVITED to move to TX as they recruited my engineering H. Never had any issue moving to AL. I understand from my FSIL that TX is still a bit like that (he is a TAMU graduate).
In AL, there is a lot more openness/southern hospitality friendliness. At UA, there are more freshman OOS than in-state. That is due to several factors. A lot of high stat students come because the programs are good and they save $$.
With engineering automatic scholarship and Presidential at UA, you can meet your budget plus have the wiggle room for travel expenses, etc.
Don’t believe for a minute you will have better opportunities at some of the other schools as an UG. UA offers more opportunities with innovative honors programs - a few are fairly sizable programs. UA allows students to declare a major, and those that can’t handle the curriculum change majors - so you can decide whatever field you want w/o ‘making’ the cut incoming. IMHO they offer the best of what a flagship and a smaller school can offer.
Check out Cooper Union and Olin College of Engineering.
Both are highly-regarded engineering schools.
At Cooper Union, all first-time first-year students receive half-tuition scholarships. Additional need-based aid is available for qualified students. Olin has similar financial aid policies.
They are very selective, though, and even half-tuition scholarships may not be enough (on top of your parents’ $20K plus your own “self help”) if you don’t also qualify for n-b aid.
Run their online NPCs.
@SOSConcern thanks for the info about UA! I’ve been looking into it quite a bit, and have already submitted my app, but obviously I would have to go visit before accepting anything. One thing that I’m somewhat worried about is the opportunities I would have there for internships / undergrad research at UA. Since your “DD” (not familiar with that abbreviation) is there, do you have any insight into what that might look like?
Regarding TAMU / UT Austin – yes, you’re right, I haven’t visited these schools at all, and I’ve only been to Texas itself once a while ago. I’d definitely have to visit before going, but I think that given the rankings it’s worthwhile to apply anyways.
@Proudpatriot thanks! Case’s cost might be a little high for me without an additional 10k scholarship (which I’m applying for), but it’s good to know that Case is a reputed engineering school.
Case gives University Scholarships up to $32K per year. The good thing about Case’s University Scholarship is that you only have to remain a student in good standing to keep the scholarship. Some schools have very high GPA requirements. Your chances for University Scholarships is best in the EA round.
@Proudpatriot actually, I talked to an admissions rep who visited my school, and she said that there was no difference between EA and RD as far a scholarships go. Did you find / already know any different info anywhere else?
There is a fairly sizable UG research honors program called Emerging Scholars at UA:
http://emergingscholars.ua.edu/
It is structured, so the accepted honors students who have applied to the program get some training and get into research as UA freshmen.
Another sizable honors program is STEM MBA - again those that have applied and been accepted to the program. DD has been in that program - you have to be accepted and begin first term freshman.
There are other more selective (smaller number) of students as identified in the honors material - like Univ Fellows and CBHP (Computer Based Honors Program).
Have a friend’s DD who is graduating from Cooper Union - she is a senior and in the last class of ‘free tuition’ - but Manhattan costs for housing. Olin is also very small.
OP - visiting various schools will perhaps help you make your final decision. At least you can get some financial safeties applied to, and then visiting to sort it all out. OP, your ACT score is higher than what one might expect with your GPA - maybe you are at a very competitive HS, maybe you are involved in a lot of EC, lots of reasons. Some of the highly competitive scholarships do want high stats from both GPA and ACT/SAT.
Even during a student’s HS senior year, they can have a change of heart on what they want to study, how far from home, what size school, what size city, what all is on the checklist.
Being on a campus during a regular school day can help see what ‘normal’ is like.
Hope this info is helpful to you.
We visited Case quite a while ago (my son graduated in May). At the time of our visit the coach arranged meetings with a rep for each of the players. My information dates back to summer of 2011. I would go with what the current people told you not my 5 year old information.
Edited to add: I would visit if you can. I was pleasantly surprised by Cleveland.
Colorado State is another option with WUE and merit aid.
@Proudpatriot 's comment reminded me that RPI’s scholarships offer the same benefit - good for 4 years without GPA requirements, and extend to your masters if you do a co-term (however the requirements for getting into the co-term, at least in ChemE, are very difficult).
U of Tulsa
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology
U of Dayton
Iowa State University
Clark University
U of Rochester
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Clarkson University