Match me: Average Honors Student Applying/Looking for CS schools

[Berrys6]

Demographics

• US domestic
• Indiana
• Large, public HS
• White female
• First-gen, low-income

Intended Major(s) Computer Science / Cybersecurity

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

• Unweighted HS GPA: 3.73/4
• Weighted HS GPA: 4.63/5 (honors out of 4.5, APs out of 5)
• Class Rank: 26/1079 (top 3%)
• ACT/SAT Scores: 1350 best attempt (710 E, 640 M), 1360 superscore (720 E, 640 M)

Coursework

Freshman year (AP: World History (3), Honors: English/Zoology)

Sophomore year (Dual credit: US History (2 semesters, 6 credits), Honors: English/Algebra II/Chemistry/Spanish III)

Junior year (AP: Language (no score)*/Chemistry (2)/Psychology (5) AP Calc AB (1 semester)**, Honors: Pre-calc & trig/physics)

Senior year (AP: Calc BC/Environmental Science/Gov’t, Dual credit: English composition (2 semesters, 6 credits))

**My school makes AB Calc a prereq for BC, and I planned to take it over the summer online (both semesters), no excuses, I procrastinated and only got 1 semester done, but they still let me take BC

Awards Academic Honor Roll (9th-12th) (3.5+ GPA every semester)

Extracurriculars
Tennis (11th/12th - varsity both years, captain senior year, offseason practice), Dairy Queen job where I became shift lead (2nd semester of 10th-1st sem. of 12th), Boys’ Baseball Manager (9th-12th), Boys’ Tennis Manager (12th), Viola (7th-12th)

Cost Constraints / Budget
Essentially looking for places that meet 100% aid or give good packages (I lived w my mom (0 EFC) until September 2021 because she moved out of state, I now live w my dad so I can go to the same school (2,000 EFC)

Schools (I am looking for more matches that fit my financial needs)

• Safety: IU Bloomington
• Likely:
• Match: Purdue
• Reach: USC, Lehigh

[aquapt]

Have you run the net price calculators for these schools?

USC is often not very generous with low-EFC students. (Every year, we see Questbridge applicants who do not get the Questbridge Match scholarship but then get into USC in the regular cycle, but discover that it’s not even close to affordable with the regular financial aid.) It’s also a big reach admissions-wise. Lehigh is a better fit for your stats, if the financial aid looks good.

Berea College would be worth a close look. It’s a work college that accepts only low-income students. Every student gets a full-tuition scholarship and covers the rest of their expenses through the campus work program. There’s a very strong alumni network for internships and career opportunities.

Run the NPC for St. Olaf College. It has a strong CS major, but it’s a liberal arts college so you don’t have to apply directly to the major. Your stats are a little above their median. If you applied Early Decision you’d be very likely to get in (80% ED acceptance rate); in the regular cycle it would be a match stat-wise, but your low EFC could hurt your chances since they’re need-aware. (Would also be a terrific place to be if you’re serious about viola - the music programs are amazing.) Grinnell is another midwest LAC with generous financial aid and strong CS. It’s a tougher admit than St. Olaf - would be a reach for you in the regular cycle, and a low reach (maybe high match?) if you applied ED.

What state does your mom live in now?

[tsbna44]

I dont’ think Purdue is a match. Then again, your class rank doesn’t jive with your UW GPA.

For your financial need, look at Miami Ohio, Alabama, WVU, UT Knoxville, Bradley, and Southern Illinois amongst others. UAH, Miss State and Arkansas too. Lots of merit aid. Good luck.

[Berrys6]

Thank you, I didn’t know that about USC, I just assumed they met needs because I also applied for Questbridge. The Lehigh calculator was very promising, which is one of my main reasons for applying. Thank you for the other recommendations as well. My mom moved to Illinois, and of course, I’ve thought about UIUC, but I feel my stats are really low for their CS program, especially with no “hook” or great ECs.

[Berrys6]

I’m pretty sure our ranks are based on weighted, which is why it may seem that way. My friends have better UW than me, but are ranked lower. Thanks for all the reccomendations.

[aquapt]

Yes, UIUC CS is a tough admit. Does your mom live within commute distance of any Illinois public U? Likewise your dad in Indiana?

Every school that says it meets full need has its own formula for computing what your need is. So definitely run the calculator for every school; you can’t generalize from one to another. (And the Questbridge Match scholarship is more generous than the regular aid at virtually every school.)

How do the NPC results for St. Olaf compare to Lehigh? How about IU Bloomington and Purdue? (Purdue comes with a real risk of not making it into the CS major once you’re there. IU’s global cybersecurity program looks great if that’s what interests you… but the aid may not be as generous as a private school that meets need.)

For more full-need-met schools that may work admissions-wise, run the NPC’s for Denison, Dickinson, Lafayette, Franklin & Marshall, and Union College (NY).

In your situation, it can really pay off to identify realistic targets with an affordable net cost and a favorable early decision acceptance rate, and go all-in with an ED1 choice and an ED2 backup.

[aquapt]

@Berrys6 , you should really give Lafayette a close look. According to this article that @sccaflagger74 was kind enough to post, they are now not only offering no-loan aid for low-income students, but also waiving the CSS profile for students from “qualifying high schools.” I don’t know whether your school is in this category but this could be a huge plus for you if it is. Lafayette Takes Two Steps to Improve Access for Low-Income and Middle-Class Families · News · Lafayette College

[Berrys6]

This is a really great option, thank you for sharing it with me. I actually was accepted into Questbridge, so I’m going to try my luck with that first, but I will definitely add Lafayette to my Common App because that is a great opportunity :DD