Got admits in
NJIT (CS),
Umass Lowell (CS),
UT Arlington (CS),
St. Louis University (CS) - $14k scholarship
From the coursework and faculty Umass Lowell looks good but I am totally unstable in taking a decision this time. So, please help me in selecting a college.
What would each of these schools cost you? Would you need to take on any debt to attend any of them.
No money isn’t a problem for me
If money is not a differentiator, have you been accepted in Honors College or Program somewhere?
No actually I haven’t applied to any of yhe honors programs
See if you can still apply to an Honors program/college anywhere.
In my opinion, the three real contenders are NJIT, UMass Lowell, and SLU.
What type of environment are you looking for?
Money isn’t an issue because parents can pay for everything? Or money isn’t an issue because you can take out a bunch of loans to pay for it? I’ve seen both scenarios and rarely is the former actually true. 
In fact, you really want to choose somewhere affordable. If, God forbid, a layoff or some other financial situation happens, then you could finish school on student loans if you have to. For an out of state or private school, you don’t have any recourse.
I’m going to assume you’re from Texas. UT-Arlington isn’t normally a first option someone out of state chooses for computer science. If so, UT-Arlington is a great school and the DFW area has a lot of job opportunities out there.
The applications got closed @MYOS1634. So, couldn’t apply for anymore
@coolguy40 money isn’t a differentiator coz my parents can afford and also I’m from India so everything is an out of state option for me. Also I like a study kind of environment with a city like experience where internships and co-ops shouldn’t be a bug for me. Kindly, help me .
NJIT is in Newark, New Jersey’s biggest city, and it’s a short train ride into New York City.
St. Louis is in the city of St. Louis, which is in the middle of America’s Midwest. It’s not close to any other major American cities.
UT Arlington and UMass Lowell are both located in towns about an hour outside their nearby big cities, Dallas and Boston respectively. Of the two, UMass Lowell has more accessible public transit into the city.
Since you want to be in a city environment, NJIT and St. Louis seem to be your best options. For location, NJIT is hard to beat with New York City close by and with an international airport right in Newark. There are virtual tours of the campuses available on line, which would help you decide where you’d be comfortable living for the next 4 years.
That being said, OP may not mean “Newark” when they say “urban”. There are some really rough areas there. But, indeed, it’s very well-located wrt NYC and the campus is both safe and nice.
Since public transit is paramount for internationals, I agree that Lowell would be better than Arlington.
OP- if you’re an international applicant, keep in mind many US companies will want a green card or US citizenship to apply for an internship. And internship positions are very competitive, even for those with us citizenship or green card…
Internationals dont need a green card for internships. They automatically qualify for CPT as long as the internship is related to their studies, with the caveat it can only be full time over the summer and for a short amount of time since full time CPT is deducted from OPT.
On campus jobs have no time limits, OP can have a 10 hour job during the year, full time during the summer, without impacting opt.
As a result, it’s best if they build their skills summer after freshman and sophomore year at an on campus job (usually, for a professor or an on campus office/service) and start looking early (12months+) for an off campus internship after junior year.
NJIT has many students studying from India. It’s a short train ride from New York. The campus area itself is fine although some areas in Newark can be rough. If you’re from a large city in India, and savvy, I think it will be okay. My own kid is graduating from NJIT in CS and felt the program was very good.
Thanks @myos1634 for clarifying. Would the international student need to be sponsored by the company for the summer internship? Many companies say on their internship ads that they will not sponsor . But maybe I misunderstood.
Thanks for your comment about the NJIT neighborhood in Newark. I think we should also add that there are some sketchy areas around St. Louis, so given the available choices, it’s not like there’s a better option if OP prefers an urban setting. All things considered, I’d took NJIT if he wants to be in a city over SLU.
International students studying in their own country/abroad need a sponsor for their J1 whereas international students studying in the US don’t since they’re covered by OPT.
Thank you so much for your replies considering every location regarding Co-op it is
Is it comparable in opportunities between New Jersey and St. Louis? As both of them were good cities the new jersey will have better opportunities with cost of living could I save something better than St. Louis, Lowell & Arlington. Kindly,et me know the rate of opportunities and cost of living which shouldn’t effect my savings. Thanks for your help in advance.
St Louis and Lowell will be the cheapest in terms of cost of living. I’m not sure how many opportunities for internships there are specifically there, but keep in mind your internship could be anywhere in the US, too, even if it’s often in the city/region where your college is located.
NJIT would likely mean NYC, so both expensive and lots of opportunities.
If you want a big city, you have to take into account it means big costs.
Why are you talking about Co-ops, have you been admitted to co-op programs? Co-ops can take place anywhere though, although of course if you can commute to your place of co-op from your apartment (starting the summer after your 1st year) you can save a lot.
@Vishnu98 In addition to NYC, there are opportunities within NJ. A lot of smaller companies from NJ recruit at NJIT. While NJ cost of living is still higher than the other cities, it’s cheaper than NYC (Manhattan).
Are you counting on summer internships to help pay for the university? Most internship offers start after at least sophomore year. And please read what was written earlier about CPT and OPt.