<p>Hi. This is my first time posting so sorry if this is in the wrong place, but I'm a junior and the college search is getting going for me. I want to go to a good computer science school, but I am looking for a good safety. Currently my reaches, which I am confident I can get into but am worried about the money situation, are Cornell, UPenn, and Carnegie Mellon. My target schools are Rensselaer Polytech and Lehigh. My only real safety right now is Rochester Institute of Tech., but I don't think I'd be happy at that school. I'm looking for a school with a good to very good computer science program, not too big, and in a decent climate. My GPA is roughly 3.85 unweighted, and my current SAT score is a 2220 with 800 in Math. I live in New York, but the two SUNY's with good computer science programs, Binghampton and Stony Brook, didn't impress me and I know I wouldn't be happy at either place.</p>
<p>How much can you afford? Presumably your family is well off if you think you couldn’t afford Cornell and Penn, two schools which meet full need.</p>
<p>I’m hoping for a school in the 30-50 thousand per year range, or one where I can get a good scholarship from. Also I forgot to add that I am an Eagle scout.</p>
<p>Alabama is still accepting apps for their full tuition scholarships until Monday. I would consider dropping one there.</p>
<p>First, there’s no reason for anyone to be confident that they can get into Cornell or UPenn or CMU, so it’s good you have a couple of good targets that really are closer to safeties for you. Drexel is another possible safety, but it too is a REAL safety. For more matches, consider URochester, CalPolySLO, UCSB (see “decent climate”), UWash, UMaryland, UIllinois.</p>
<p>Now this is assuming that money is no object. So I’m with Erin’s Dad in asking you to make sure you consider what your family can pay at THIS point in the process. It’s time to have THE TALK about money, with real numbers from the most recent tax return (don’t wait til 4/15) and use of the net price calculators at these schools. If you need some schools that cost less than these, come back at us.</p>
<p>Cal Poly SLO may be a good choice at reasonable price, but it may not really be a safety, and its application deadline has long since passed (as have the deadlines for all other California public universities).</p>
<p>It is rather late to be looking for safeties now.</p>
<p>What characteristics of school would make you happy besides good CS? Or, what makes Stony Brook, other SUNYs, and RIT schools you would not be happy at?</p>
<p>RIT (and oddly for public schools, Stony Brook and Binghamton) consider “level of applicant’s interest”, so there may be some risk in using them as “safeties”.</p>
<p>I said this in my original post but I am currently a JUNIOR and will not be applying until next year.</p>
<p>University of Arizona?</p>
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<p>U of Rochester has a good CS program and they have merit scholarships. WPI is a good safety if you like RPI.</p>
<p>Cornell and especially Penn have good financial aid (Penn is excellent).</p>
<p>University of Buffalo</p>
<p>UCB, my public school technically considers level of interest it basically means that the applicant didn’t write how badly they wanted to go to UT Austin in the essay part of the application (and yes, I’ve asked an essay reader about this). Even then, they wouldn’t reject a high stats applicant, only a borderline one. IMO level of interest is massively overrated for high stats applicants applying to a school which accepts more than 50% of applicants.</p>
<p>I had neglected that you are from NY, so Cornell’s chances have improved in my mind. Plus, their FA will come in the form of in-state tuition, about a 15K discount from what D would pay and better chances at grant aid. </p>
<p>Penn has an FA page that I found helpful:</p>
<p>file:///Users/jameskeil/Dropbox/RITA/Rita%20college%20miscellaneous/Financial%20Aid%20at%20Penn%20-%20Penn%20Admissions.webarchive</p>
<p>I’m not affiliated with any of the schools mentioned except UMD, which S attends.</p>
<p>The CS major at Cornell is available in both the school of Engineering or in Arts and Sciences. Neither of those is a land grant school, so there is no in-state tuition discount.</p>
<p>^^^ ouch!</p>
<p>One of your best options would be the University of Waterloo in Ontario.</p>
<p>It’s one of the largest and best departments in North America, about 100 miles past Buffalo. It’s right smack in your price range.</p>
<p>If you need urban, University in Toronto is pretty great too.</p>