I’m a high school senior who is interested in majoring in computer science. I do have a list of colleges that I have looked into, but I am unsure if they’d be good for computer science. Currently the only college I have submitted an application to is Clemson.
My main issue is that I don’t really have any extracurriculars related to CS, aside from a personal project, so I don’t think I will be competitive at highly-ranked colleges and colleges with a low admissions rate for CS majors. However, I have been in a CS class for 3/4 years of high school.
Another limitation is price. My family will most likely not qualify for a lot of financial aid, but we don’t have the money for anywhere expensive either.
My Stats:
SAT: 1570 (Math 790/ERW 780)
ACT: 35
GPA Unweighted: 4.0
8 APs (5s on 5, currently taking 3)
Possible National Merit Semifinalist? (I qualify for the threshold, but haven’t gotten confirmation yet).
Female, South Carolina resident
Preferences:
Location - Any region, preferebly suburban/city setting
Size - I prefer mid-size schools (5k - 15k) and smaller class sizes, but won’t count out larger schools either
Aid - Would like to see colleges that give out good merit aid
Other - I don’t really care for partying or Greek life.
We really need a budget to make suggestions but maybe Rice, WPI, Case Western, Lehigh, Pitt, NC State. Good schools for CS, urban, small-medium, some give good merit.
Yes, I have applied to Clemson and will apply to USC Columbia. I am also eligible for the Palmetto Fellows scholarship, which would help out at both. Although I have wanted to go to college out of state, I wouldn’t pass up that opportunity.
With regards to National Merit, my school has said that they have around 40 semi-finalists this year, so I would have a lot of competition.
You’d have to run the Net Price Calculators, but check out Alabama (your excellent stats would qualify for a very good scholarship), Rose Hulman, Milwaukee School of Engineering, and Illinois Institute of Technology.
Rice’s merit is very very competitive. It will be well beyond just good stats. If you are NMF, TAMU would be worth a shot though. UTD would be free. You need to define this budget.
I haven’t really had a talk with my parents about budget, but I could say it would probably be around $5k? I have shown my parents the results of a few schools’ net price calculators, but they haven’t said anything yet. I also have a younger brother, so I would expect them to save for him too.
I would say around $5k contribution from parents? I have visited NC State and liked it, but I heard they don’t give out much merit aid to out-of-state students.
Have you run to the Net Price Calculators at some colleges to see what your family’s EFC is? It could be that you will qualify for need-based aid which would open up additional opportunities.
Congrats on your hard work and success in high school!
$5k parent contribution plus $5.5k student loan plus a few $k of your work earnings give you a very low price limit. Basically, you need scholarships or financial aid grants of full tuition or more, since living expenses would cost as much as or more than your budget. If you can commute to a nearby college, that can reduce the living expenses, though it would also have to be low cost in other ways to be affordable.
@AlmostThere2018 I have, and usually get around $10k to $15k for EFC. Again, I haven’t really discussed the finances with my parents yet.
Thank you for that! This is just a very confusing process, and I’m grateful for any help!
@ucbalumnus I’m sorry I cannot give you a better estimate, but I will discuss this with my parents. I am the first person in my family to go to college in the US, so my parents have really no idea how much money is enough to contribute. I am definitely considering in-state schools.
When you run net price calculators, and they show an EFC, is that only the parent contribution (i.e. not including student loan and work that is added to the parent contribution to get the net price)?
What you need to do is talk to your parents to get their AFC (actual family contribution) so that you know what your cost target is (i.e. AFC plus federal direct loan and a few thousand dollars in work earnings at most – lower cost is better, of course).
If your NPCs are showing high need, you can throw in generous endowment schools. You are first generation? URM? You should be on top of applications now though, this is not an abstract exercise. Do you have a GC? What is your school like?
^Agree with @Sybylla. A First-Gen from North Carolina and with your stats would be given serious consideration by some of the larger New England colleges, including Dartmouth, Wesleyan, Tufts and Brandeis. Pros: lack of CS experience would not be a drawback (you don’t have to declare a major.) Cons: Possibly more liberal politically and socially than North Carolina.
OP is from South Carolina which is prolly even better for highly selective admissions than NC.
OP: if your EFC is $10 to $15k and your parents can pay $5k per year then you would need another $10k which you could get from federal loan (about $5k per year) and a work/study job on campus (which is often about another $5k). If you apply to colleges that are need blind and meet 100% of need and you are accepted then you could afford them!
I think your college list should be:
– Your two in-state options --Clemson and USC
– Your top 2 auto-merit full rides like Alabama and maybe another – I’m not an expert on this but with your stats you can def. qualify for full rides at a number of OOS publics
– Then pick 6 or so of the need blind / meet 100% need schools to apply to with CS programs that you feel good about. Google ‘need blind, meet 100% of need’ colleges to find a list of these schools. Some are even ‘no loan’ which means they provide more aid so you don’t have to take out any loans.
I know 6 is a lot but most of these are reach colleges – it’s a bit of a numbers game so you can’t apply to just a couple and expect to have options, even with your great stats and being first gen.
For the private colleges, you will also want to reach out to show your interest. Sign up for emails, take part in webinars. See if they have a ‘fly in’ program where they pay for you to visit. Open the emails that they send you and look for a college rep who might be coming to your area. Request an interview if they offer them.
Since applying to college can add up, be sure to apply for application fee waivers and waivers for sending test scores.
Use this board extensively – ask questions and keep your positive attitude. You will get great help!
Finally, do meet with your guidance counselor at school. Most are overwhelmed but they should be able to help you too.
@ucbalumnus Ok, now that I have asked my parents, they gave me a rough estimate of $12-16k. When I run the NPCs, they usually subtract the EFC and student contribution separately.
@Sybylla Sorry if I was confusing, but I am the first in my family to go to college in the US. Both of my parents have a Bachelor’s degree from Indian Universities. I am Indian-American, so I don’t think that’s considered an URM.
As for my high school, it is a public magnet, and highly ranked in the nation. There is a lot of competition here for spots at Ivy Leagues and other prestigious schools. That’s kind of why I am staying away from those schools, because I don’t feel my achievements match up with other students.
@circuitrider I’m from SC, and my parents did go to college, just in another country. I might look into those schools as reaches, as my high school is quite competitive.
Thank you for your help!
