Need College Selection Help Computer Science Undergrad

What are you eventual goals? Are they to work in CS at a “high” level? Is that more important than where you get your undergraduate degree? For the sake of this post I’ll assume that the career aspects of a CS degree are your main motivator. If so I’ll assume that as a student in India you rate very high in your class, and that you have or will get very high marks on college qualifying exams in India. If this is the case then it makes little sense for you to struggle financially at the likely (if any) low-tier universities that will accept you and help you financially in North America. Go to the best program that you can find in India. Do extremely well in that program and plan on doing an MS degree in the United States when you graduate. If all my assumptions regarding your strengths are correct you will likely find intern positions during your undergraduate years in India and most likely senior year, possibly in the United States. And most likely you’ll find a strong masters program at a top university in the United States or Canada that will accept you and help you round out your education. That master’s program can be affordable through possible corporate sponsorship, fellowships and teaching assignments.

Alabama would give you free tuition plus 2500 per year, but you’d need to get your app in soon, because int’l apps take longer to process.

Alabama would give you free tuition plus 2500 per year, but you’d need to get your app in soon, because int’l apps take longer to process.

why would alabama give me free tuition? are there any other tuition free colleges?

Assuming that your GPA is a 3.5+, Alabama gives students who apply by Dec and have a M+CR 1400+ and 3.5+ GPA free tuition.

Engg would also give you 2500 per year.

But again, since you’re an int’l, you’d have to apply now, because the app process takes LONGER for int’ls…and you’d want to make sure that they have everything they need by the deadline.

There are some other schools, but mostly they’re lesser known.

please tell me their names or how i can find them.
i’m going to fill the common app now

This student could get into Waterloo cs co-op which would greatly decrease costs. It is worth applying, at least.

You could also apply to University of Cincinnati, apply to the Cincinnatus scholarship (soon!) as well as co-op.
University of Texas at Dallas offers a great program called McDermott scholars.
You should also apply to Howard immediately since you would qualify for a full ride there but these are on a first-come, first-served basis (it is a HBCU in Washington DC, not sure if it matters to you.)
You should also apply to Berea College; their process is separate from the CommonApp.
You could look into Temple University’s and Miami-Ohio’s costs for room&board, see with your parents whether these two universities would be within budget.

Muskingum
http://muskingum.edu/financialaid/commitment/index.html
North Carolina A&T
http://www.ncat.edu/admissions/financial-aid/aid/scholarships/fresh-students.html

For more possibilities look here:
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/
and there:
http://competitivefulltuition.yolasite.com/

Whenever one must apply to the Honors College, apply (sometimes it’s by invitation but often you have to send a separate application). Deadlines often are November 15 or December 1st so you have to hurry.

Georgia Tech’s Presidential And NCSU’s Park have October 15 deadlines.

Since it is VERY difficult for an international STEM major for a BS degree to get hired for a co-op (few companies will hire a college int’l), that route should not be considered if the assumption is that the co-op would help pay for school. Likely the student wouldn’t be able to find a co-op in the US, much less anywhere near their univ.

Penn State has a list of companies all over the US that will hire int’ls for co-ops. However, you’ll see that very, very few will hire STEM majors who are pursuing BS degrees. Most of the companies are hiring grad students or students pursuing some sort of business degree.

Because of security and proprietary info, most high-tech companies in the US will not hire non-citizens.

http://global.psu.edu/info/internationals-psu/students/employment/f-1-curricular-practical-training-cpt/employers-who-have

more info
http://global.psu.edu/info/internationals-psu/students/employment/f-1-curricular-practical-training-cpt

A number of schools that give large merit to int’ls do not use the Common App. You’ll have to apply directly online thru the schools’ websites.

Alabama is not on the Common App. However, it has a very short and easy app.

@MYOS1634
Int’ls are not eligible for GT’s scholarships ""Institutional scholarships administered by our office are not awarded to international students. “”

Only US citizens (not even green card students) may apply for NCSU Park.

Another choice is to pursue undergraduate education in India and try to come to USA for graduate study. There are only four top universities that are need-blind to international students. They are all over-reach for you (or for most students). Very few full ride merit scholarships are available, and almost impossible to get.

If your parents take a big loan, it may be a big hardship for them.