Need all you lovely parents/students to weigh in on the choices we have for our son…
NYU
Pros: Great global brand
Cons: 1st yr will be in London, very high cost, not sure how difficult it will be to change major to CS or related major
Brandeis U
Pros: Decent brand, Small school with high faculty to student ratio, easier to change to any Sci major
Cons: very high cost
UW Seattle
Pros: in-state tuition, Overall best USNews ranking
Cons: seems like many start out as pre-science major. We are unsure how easy it is to switch to CS or related major
CU Boulder
Pros: Direct CS dept Admission, Decent USNews ranking
Cons: out of state but still more affordable than NYU or Brandeis, Still can change major to other related CS Major like Info Science, Data Science.
Colleges have high GPA requirements or competitive admission to get into a major when that major is filled to its capacity (e.g. CS at Washington). But if the department has more capacity than there are interested students, the major can be open to all who merely pass (with C grades) the prerequisites.
In recent years, the regular admission rate for CS at Washington has been around 35 to 45%. Your prospects for admission would be better if you have academic stats at the higher end of enrolled CS and engineering students (e.g., ACT 28-33, per UW ASEE profile).
Here is information and advice for admitted freshmen from the UW CS Department:
What do your financial aid packages look like? Is NYU truly in the affordable range fo your family? If not, kick it to the curb, and choose from those that are in your budget.
CU-Boulder because you are a direct admit to the CS program, cost is reasonable & Boulder is one of the greatest places on Earth ! Even though Seattle is better, both as a city & for CS, but you are not a direct admit.