<p>Hey guys, I'm a US Citizen studying in India.</p>
<p>I want to major in Comp Science, but not just engineering. I'm interested in just learning about new things, maybe marketing, etc.</p>
<p>I feel that California and New York would be the best places for me to apply, mainly because I've lived in California for more than a decade, and I have family in NY. Also, I feel CA and NY are the hubs of the tech/IT industry. I really just want to get out there, and talk to people, learn new practical things about the Tech and Design industry. I feel that California and New York would be the best places to accomplish these goals during my Undergraduate years. </p>
<p>Would it be unwise to ONLY apply to these two states? Would I limiting my options in some way? What do you think?</p>
<p>If you’ve identified appropriate schools in those 2 states, there is nothing wrong with targeting your applications there. By appropriate schools, I mean schools you like and can afford, and where you have realistic admission chances. </p>
<p>CA and NY are not the only states with major IT hubs. Areas around Boston, Washington DC, and Seattle are examples of other places with major tech/IT activity.</p>
<p>*My academics are alright. I did score a 93% in my 10th grade board exams (pretty big here in India), but I didn’t score well at all in 11th. 12th grade is still going on, so I can’t say much other than it isn’t going well.</p>
<p>SAT- 1970. ACT- 29. I’m taking Math and Physics subject tests this week, but I’m not feeling too confident about em. </p>
<p>I’ve played on my school basketball team since the 7th grade, and I play the piano and guitar (not at the same time, obviously) with a band at many school concerts, not to mention the ones outside. I have a design blog, too. </p>
<p>I basically want to know, is it even WORTH it to apply to Stanford, Columbia, etc? How about UCs? Or should I stick to Safeties? I definitely need lots of financial aid, as my dad is earning in rupees and not dollars.*</p>
<p>Your stats aren’t likely high enough for those reach schools.</p>
<p>the UCs will NOT be affordable because even if you have a 0 EFC, your parents will be expected to pay $23,000 US dollars per year. PLUS, you’d be expected to borrow several thousand per year in addition to that $23k per year.</p>
<p>I don’t think there are ANY safeties for you in the US unless your parents can pay a good bit of money. </p>
<p>Being a US citizen only means that you’d get some small amount of federal aid. It’s not much. :(</p>
<p>If your GPA and rank is commensurate with those scores, then there are quite a few private schools that would cover all or most of your determined need. Then a key issue is whether you can cover the remainder (the expected family contribution).</p>
<p>Colgate is not a famous CS powerhouse like Stanford, but its program pretty much covers the ACM-recommended CS courses (algorithms, data structures, discrete math, operating systems, computer organization & design, etc.). For what it’s worth, Colgate is the USNWR #20 National LAC and ranks #13 among all US colleges and universities for average alumni mid-career earnings (tied with Dartmouth and Harvard). I’d say it’s a reach for you (but not out of reach, as schools like Stanford and Columbia probably are.)</p>
<p>Clarkson University (Potsdam NY) is less selective than Colgate, but seems to have more of a STEM focus. On average, it meets 89% of demonstrated need (according to US News).</p>