If you are going into computer science, go to the least expensive good school you find. You will get a job and a good one, so why go into debt?
I work in the Internet space, dealing with these companies. There are lots of smart people that go to great schools, and I even run into a good number of people that didn’t go to college or went to U of Phoenix or DeVry.
GT is a great option for the OP, but I would also look at ASU, Alabama, and Univ of Arizona, or similar schools that throw money around. If you are in CA, even San Jose St supplies a lot of grads to Google, etc.
I too work in IT and many smart people come from schools outside the top 20. Never said they didn’t. Schools like Seattle U do well not because they’re T20 but because Microsoft is right there. You can do well coming from any school but reread my post. I called out places like Google or Bain specifically because they do only recruit from a select list of schools. If you broaden the search to SV then yes…many other fine schools on the list. Tomato…tomahto.
Google appears to recruit at a select list of hundreds of colleges. Plus, everyone knows who it is and can apply directly to it.
On the other hand, its technical interview process is rather difficult, so that one may have to be a relatively elite applicant (not necessarily at an elite college, although they may be found in greater densities there) to pass it and get hired.
Honestly, I don’t see my DD in the corporate world long-term. She has a strong philanthropic pull, and my gut tells me she will end up in a career that serves others (whether it’s working on improving medical devices, developing new medicines, or starting a non-profit with an educational focus). Helping others is her passion.
As an aside, her ability to network as a 16 year old amazes me. Whenever she comes up with a new idea, she has numerous adults lined up to help her, and she has had some amazing opportunities drop in her lap. Others often seek her advice. While she’s smart and competent, she has a keen awareness and appreciation of the role others play in her success. And she’s always the first one to heap praise on others (in a genuine, not phony, way). That’s a valuable lesson to learn at any age, and I think it will serve her very well in the coming years.
"whether it’s working on improving medical devices, developing new medicines, or starting a non-profit with an educational focus "
It goes without saying that both medical devices and developing new medicines are likely to be part of the corporate world. Even if someone ends up in a research lab doing these things, their funding will either come from a corporation or the federal government. So you may not see her in the corporate world- but that’s indeed where she may end up. Not every corporate job is an evil, soul sucking one.
I get it; D20 was a high stat engineering (Biomedical at the time) kid looking for merit at OOS state schools. Our in-state schools (NC) were not good fits, no matter the cost. We heard a lot of “how could you turn down UNC…” Schools in larger cities and schools that were cut-throat competitive wouldn’t have been good environments for her either. She was looking for a truly collaborative environment that was a good social, emotional and academic fit. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to find it at $20/year, but she was able to use AP/DE credits to knock off almost a year. That, mixed with merit, summer jobs, cheap apartments, etc gets her close to the total cost of 4 years in-state; she’s loving her choice and thriving. Good luck with your search; I hope you come up with a list for the fall that works for both of you.
That’s great and it sounds like she’s on the right path.
That said, a lot of those philanthropic start-ups to help mankind are started by VC. That money flows to the Stanfords, MIT’s and CMU’s of the world (I have worked for CMU startups and wanted to work at others). There is a pecking order to getting your foot in the door and having access to VC and startups, as well as jobs at these companies.
Again, plenty of successful grads from other schools but it is certainly easier with the right degree from the right school for some opportunities.
Is there a chance OP’s daughter will be NMF? If so, that opens up a lot of schools at free to under $20k. Alabama, most of the Florida schools with Benacquisto, Arizona. One she might be interested in is Embry-Riddle for engineering. It’s no Georgia Tech (or MIT) but it would be close to free with Benacquisto and all the ERAU merit awards, especial for a woman (they stack them on). Smaller school, smaller town, at the beach, not that far from Atlanta.
I don’t know how NMF is going to work in the next cycle, but in my kid’s class, currently junior now, all PSAT, SAT, ACT tests have been canceled. We have tried for almost a year, sometimes driving hundreds of miles, only to find out they were canceled at the last minute. So far, we have had zero success in getting a standardized test at any place out of six registrations.
This makes us think that there is no such thing as top 1% students anymore this year in terms of applicants pool because standard measures of comparing them have gone out of the window.
The PSAT is given during the school day in all CT high schools. We haven’t had the issue of cancelations. The day the PSAT is given, that’s the only thing happening for the day so there is ample room to spread everyone out. I believe all 10th and 11th grade students take this test which is required by our state.
Yes, we are in Ca and there seems a trend here of eliminating standardized tests; all UCs have gone test blind.
Its not just a matter replacing PSAT with something else for eligibility; its the lack of availability for these tests in some areas of the country and the psychological toll it takes on the kids who are dealing with 6+ false starts, with no end in sight. I think many families here had already given up on trying.
The big merit based full rides like USC’s which was based mostly on PSAT will certainly have a different formula next year. It will be interesting to see what they replaced it with.
Note that the Florida state system did NOT change Benaquisto qualification criteria this year for 2021s (NMF full ride)…a test score is still required.
So, I hear you that in CA it is really hard to get a test. OTOH, I wouldn’t count on changes for NMF at all schools.
It’s been while, but I have small update. We have definitely eliminated a few schools from the running (mostly FL schools due to the uncertainty surrounding Benacquisto). We will be visiting Alabama, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss next week. Alabama has set up a few extra meetings for us, and my daughter is really excited that her campus tour feels “personalized” just for her!
Due to the rising crime in Atlanta, I think that Georgia Tech is pretty much off the table at this point. DD will probably still apply, but it’s probably her last choice at the moment.
I also think that we will be taking a campus tour trip to Texas as some point. There are several schools that appeal to us.
Just out of curiosity, are any of the schools mentioned above known for having nice, well-rounded students? Thinking Midwest values (kind, honest, hard-working, smart but involved in activities, etc.)…
Many students are going to be using their SAT’s scores for NM this year. And there are top 1% students. Some will take both PSAT and SAT and do great. Others will have more trouble finding a spot.
I have been following your post for awhile. I’m curious if you’ve done some of your tours and how your list is coming along?
My D was similar to yours in terms of the type of campus she was looking for and major. She’s a Bioengineering major with a Global Health Technologies minor. She LOVES the idea of designing medical devices for low resource settings but knows she might end up somewhere more corporate and is open to that as long as she’s interested in the work they are doing.
I totally get trying to find the right “fit”. My D was totally not interested in going to our large state U even though it is a good program for her major and probably one of the cheapest options that was available to her. She wanted to be closer to home than where she ended up but she realized that while no school was perfect, the one she chose was the best choice for what she wanted. She was more concerned with the atmosphere (or “vibe” as she’d put it), a collaborative environment, diversity, and of course the opportunities available to her.
Overall the process can be stressful but it sounds like you are being very open with your child about your budget and you are smart to be planning ahead and really investigating your options. While tours/visits are a little different this year (campuses might seem quiet depending on their restrictions), I think it’s the best way to get a feel for the environment and community. My D had a lot of schools she thought she’d live come off her list after visiting and some that we just swung by because we were in the area become contenders.
The Jesuit schools often give huge scholarships (including free tuition) to high-achieving students. With her love of social justice, the whole Jesuit philosophy in education is based around that. Perhaps someplace like Gonzaga? Loyola Chicago has engineering but also degrees in environmental sustainability, you have family nearby which may help her being away from home. Marquette has a great biomed engineering program.
