I am currently researching colleges and trying to compile a list of schools to apply to. I will eventually cut my research list down, but I currently feel as though I have too many matches and not enough match and safety schools. I am looking to go into Comp Sci and Data Science. I also want to stay within a 7-7.5 hour driving distance from Columbus, Ohio. I have a 3.95 UW GPA and a 4.35 W GPA. I also have a 35 ACT score. Currently, my list of colleges are: Cornell, Johns Hopkins, UW Madison, UMich, UIUC, Penn State, Lehigh, OSU, Perdue and Virginia Tech. If anybody could suggest more schools for me, specifically match and safety schools, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks :))
First off, it’s Purdue. Perdue is the chicken people ; )
I would add U of Cincinnati, U of Akron, and Pitt to your list for matches/safeties.
Have you run the net price calculators to determine if the schools are all affordable?
@momofsenior1 Haha oops ?? I guess that’s what happens when you are running on 4 hours of sleep! Thank you so much, I’ll definitely make sure to add those schools to my list 
@happy1 I have run net price calculators and if I’m being totally honest, OSU would be the only one I would really consider affordable as most schools wouldn’t give me need based scholarships or grants.
If OSU is the only affordable one, then all of the others should be considered high reaches (if they have large enough competitive merit scholarships) or out-of-reach (if not).
Lots of high name recognition schools here. How about some local gems that many of us might not know? Like U Minnesota Duluth which is in the MSEP and will give you in state rates and have some awards available? Some colleges that will pay to get a student like you. Ohio has some other great stats schools with a cost similar to OSU’s too. I know a lot of folks love Miami of Ohio, Ohio University. Bowling Green has some Nice scholarships, I know. Friend of mine’s DD did well money wise at Toledo and UCincinnatti is a good strong school.
Check out Denison, Otterbein, Wittenberg, and some of the smaller private western PA schools too.
The OOS flagships on your list are notoriously stingy for merit money, especially in engineering. Consider swapping out one for Iowa that does give merit money and has a solid engineering program. Some of the privates on your list only give out need based aid so if you don’t qualify and can’t afford it, I wouldn’t bother applying.
The good news is there are good, affordable, instate options for you!
It’s a 13 hour drive to Oklahoma State from Columbus.
Speaking of the MSEP discount, the UW satellite schools (like La Crosse or Eau Claire) could be good safeties, too.
I think OSU is Ohio State, not Oklahoma State
@cptofthehouse Awesome! I will check those schools out, thank you so much for the help
@MM6785 Truth is, with TDAI, OSU is one of the best places for Data Science. However, I expect that it would be better for graduate school. Other schools with good data science degrees are Indiana University, I’ll second Denison, and I’ll add Winona State in Minnesota.
IIRC, Miami of Ohio has guaranteed merit $$ based on stats. Have you talked to your parents about what they can REASONABLY afford to pay for college? Know that the EFC is what the school says your parents can pay, not what your parents think they can afford. Look at Iowa State – I have seen posters rave about it and they have merit $$! https://www.admissions.iastate.edu/scholarships/freshman.php?state_id=OH-Ohio
If you are on a merit money hunt, you’ll want to look at schools that will be happy to PAY YOU for your excellent stats. Best of luck!
@MM6785 My son has similar stats, is in northern Ohio and has a couple of reach schools in common with you (Cornell and Michigan). He is chem engineering so will have an easier time than you, I am told, as CS/CE appear to be as tough as it gets. You are unlikely to get any merit money at all from Michigan and definitely none from Cornell. So be sure to check into their NPC to see where you stand there in terms of need based aid.
The highest stats kid I know in our high school is actually targeting Kent State for CS. He dislikes OSU because of its size but has gotten to know the profs at Kent State and he’s sold. Now if Carnegie Mellon accepts him with aid, he’ll take that offer, but other than that unlikely scenario, he is headed to KSU.
Your challenge will be like ours- it will be tough to beat OSU but I can guess you want to get out of the Columbus area? Most of the kids around here go to U Cincy if not OSU for CS.
I cannot comment on the quality of the CS major at these schools, but others I have not heard mentioned here were U of Rochester and U of Buffalo. And Alabama gets a lot of airplay here on CC. They are known for high merit aid for OOS students. Tough pill for an OSU fan to swallow, though and it is out of your 7 hour range.
@CountingDown For me, I feel grateful enough that money is not an issue for my parents. They are willing to pay for my college in full, but I obviously do not want them to spend extreme amounts of money on my undergrad. When compiling my list, they want me to look at all other factors over money. Thanks so much for suggesting Miami! It would be great to add a college with guaranteed merit-based aid!
My kid is a dual CS/DS major at Berkeley. Many schools are just starting to have Data Science as an undergraduate major (Berkeley just had their first set of graduates in May for example) so any rankings you see listed by anyone is in flux. You can assume though that any of the big boys who are strong in Computer Science and Statistics will also be the best at Data Science as well sooner or later.
As for the OP’s situation, Purdue and Michigan are one of the best at both, so I would start there. CWRU also has a good program for both, as does Penn State. Currently, tOSU does not a have undergraduate program for Data Science nor does Pitt nor does CMU, but they have undergraduate fields closely allied. tOSU for instance has an undergrad in Data Analytics, which is closely allied to Data Science but not the same. But this could easily change in a year or so.
As it was mentioned, Ivies like Cornell don’t offer merit
Here are some schools to consider:
SUNY Binghamton has an excellent Comp Sci dept. SUNY’s offer little merit money but their cost, even out of state, is very affordable.
How about University of Rochester, Clarkson, Rochester Institute of Technology and Rensselear Polytechnic Institute? Your high stats can get you Merit money at these schools.
How about some interesting Liberal Arts Colleges that have good comp sci departments and would reward you for your high stats with Merit scholarships?
Some are matches, some are safeties. Some of these are featured in the book: Colleges that Change Lives.
Some of these must have solid comp sci depts:
St. Lawrence University
Allegheny College (they have comp sci and informatics)
Bucknell
Lafayette College
Franklin and Marshall
Gettysburg College
Kenyon
Deninson
College of Wooster
If you are a student of color, I would stay away from UW Eau Claire. The environment there is not good for students of color.
Case Western, Lehigh, or Michigan State? Temple in Philly. Might be a little more than 7 hours but I think they have data science and I’m pretty sure you would get significant merit.