Looking for good scholarship colleges

Paying for College
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I'm in Virginia and just looking for GOOD/ DECENT in-state or OOS colleges where I can get major scholarships or full rides, basically any good school I can get into for a low cost. My only criteria for the college is that it offers the BS in Computer Engineering, or more preferably, a BS in Software Engineering. I don't know my EFC but I do know that my parents get somewhere around a combined $35,000 income and don't have any assets or anything.</p>

<p>My stats:</p>

<p>Male, Asian (from Bangladesh)</p>

<p>Weighted GPA: 3.826</p>

<p>Was admitted to the Virginia Governor's School for Math, Science, and Technology. Only 3 students in my school made the cut, including me.</p>

<p>SAT Math: 780
SAT Writing: 700 (10 essay)
SAT Reading: 700</p>

<p>am planning to take the upcoming SAT II Math Level 2 and will probably get somewhere close to a 800</p>

<p>Took 5 AP's, and received the AP Scholar with Honor award.
AP Calc BC - 5
AP Computer Science A - 4
AP Statistics - 4</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

2

<p>I dont know to much about Virginia colleges since I currently reside in Massachusetts. When I was applying for scholarships I just went online and read articles and filled out a variety of scholarship applications. I would suggest reading the following artice on finding scholarships. I should get you at least started. Let me know if this is helpful. If not I will try to find somthing else for you. Good luck!</p>

<p>[The</a> Helpster » Blog Archive » Finding College Scholarships On The Web](<a href=“http://www.thehelpster.com/2008/10/07/finding-college-scholarships-on-the-web/]The”>http://www.thehelpster.com/2008/10/07/finding-college-scholarships-on-the-web/)</p>

3

<p>Actually, sorry for the misconception but I wasn’t really talking about those kind of scholarships but more like University grants. I was looking for good/decent colleges that I would be able to get into with the above statistics with some kind of major grant or something.</p>

<p>I am already planning on applying to Virginia Tech and George Mason as a fallback, but as shown in collegeboard the two schools have “Average Percent of Need Met” at only around 50%, with only about 50% of that aid being scholarships/grants. I was just wondering if there are any other colleges that I should apply to anywhere if I want larger grants and lower costs for my education. </p>

<p>I’m not looking to get into any special college, just one that will offer me a degree in Computer Engineering or Software Engineering without putting me into too much debt in the future, and I’m open to any out of state colleges too.</p>

<p>Please Help me find one. Thanks.</p>

4

<p>This isn’t difficult to do. Just look at engineering colleges which are less selective. Off the top of my head, I suggest Michigan Tech, Missouri S&T, Texas Tech, UT-Dallas, University of Minnesota, RIT.</p>

5

<p>Thanks for the list of colleges fireflyscout - I will be checking them out shortly.</p>

<p>“isn’t difficult to do. Just look at engineering colleges which are less selective.” - Actually my problem is since there are so many engineering colleges out there, I just didn’t know which ones were more/less selective, which ones are more/less generous with merit aid and college grants, and I didn’t want to be stuck in a downright crappy university by randomly applying to random engineering schools. </p>

<p>Anyone else have any advice for me? My parents don’t earn enough to put me though college and I just don’t want to be swamped in debt in 4 years…</p>

6

<p>You do not need a scholarship grant if your family income is only $35,000 a year with little or no assets (your EFC should be zero); you just need financial aid. Apply to the best schools that you can. Consider MIT, Carnegie Mellon Univ. & Stanford University.</p>

7

<p>Unfortunately, I don’t think I can get into such schools with my meagre stats above. =(</p>

<p>“You do not need a scholarship grant if your family income is only $35,000 a year with little or no assets (your EFC should be zero); you just need financial aid.” – Unfortunately, I’ve learned to never take chances and if something’s too good to be true, it usually is. It’s true that my family presently makes around $35,000 a year, but 1.5 to 2 years ago, my mom held a position that earned her $45,000/year for 2-3 years, and during that time we lived in a $700,000 single house for a year, but since then, we have filed for bankruptcy with the dwindling economy being unable to sell the house. So I don’t know how all this factors into my EFC, and if it doesn’t, great! But if it does, I don’t want to be stuck. </p>

<p>Therefore, instead of just applying to expensive colleges and relying on financial aid to save me, I’ve decided to apply either instate or to less selective universities where I would be able to get major grants/ merit aids, just in case the financial aid isn’t sufficient in such an economy.</p>

<p>I’ve been looking at Louisiana State University’s Scholarship Qualifications and Awards here: [Scholarship</a> Forms](<a href=“http://www.lsu.edu/financialaid/schlqualifications.htm]Scholarship”>http://www.lsu.edu/financialaid/schlqualifications.htm) and I’m eligible for most of the awards, even the chancellor’s one, but I’m just worried that it won’t be too great a school for engineering compared to, say, Virginia Tech or something. Can anyone provide any insight?</p>

<p>Auburn University, on the other hand, looks really good, and looks like it has good awards. I currently do not have enough on my SAT scores to make their minimum requirement for the Elite Scholarships, but I just recently retook the SAT and am getting the scores back in about a week. The only thing that worries me now is that I’ll be a finalist for one of the Elite Scholarships, but I’ll just screw up the mandatory interview for it in February and waste the plane tickets there and back, not to mention that their priority deadline is in 3 weeks.</p>

<p>Any other suggestions?</p>

8

<p>Perhaps you should consider Vanderbilt University, which includes a School of Engineering. Starting in fall 2009, they no longer will include loans as part of the aid package. All aid will be in the form of scholarships, grants, work study. They are a need-blind school, but not (I think) for international students. Are you applying as an international?</p>

9

<p>Are you a US citizen? That makes a big difference in terms of what financial aid might be available to you. Some schools offer NO aid to non-citizens.</p>

10

<p>I have the same question that Worried_mom has. If you are not a US citizen, it can change things quite a bit. </p>

<p>The state schools in Virginia have a very low sticker price. Though they may be tight in giving grants, you may get some PELL money, and other federal loans and grants that can pay a good amount of what it would cost you instate. </p>

<p>Also look at some private colleges where your test scores will make you very attractive and apply them. Maybe a few private schools in Virginia, and also give some schools outside of the state a whirl. Look for those that meet full need and give few loans. USNews will give a start in getting such a list together. Also check out MomfromTexas’s thread on full ride schools. Those schools are not going to have the name appeal as your VA state schools, but they are possibilities and if you are not a citizen,that kind of merit money may be your best route as you would not be entitled to any government aid, and I don’t know what VA has in terms of out of state status for foreign students.</p>

11

<p>midmo: I’m not an international student so maybe Vanderbilt will be good, I’ll check it out asap.</p>

<p>Actually I haven’t thought of my citizenship status affecting my financial aid, thanks for inspiring the thought. </p>

<p>I am in fact not a full citizen, but am a permanent resident and will attain full citizenship in a year or two, or so my parents think. But I have been in the United States since I was 4 and attended K-12 over here in Virginia, so does that bear anything to financial aid? Or do I HAVE to be a citizen?</p>

<p>Thanks again for the advice.</p>

12

<p>thesouthazn, I think permanent resident status is treated the same as a citizen, but to be sure, contact the financial aid office directly and ask. Good luck.</p>