On possibly being stuck in-state

College Search & Selection
1

Hey guys,

I am a rising junior in HS. I live in South Carolina, and want to major in CS with a possible astronomy/astrophysics minor. My career goal is to become some sort of software developer, though working at NASA, Lockheed Martin or SpaceX is my dream.

Stats:
PSAT (took last year without any prep, studying hard for NMSQT/SAT/ACT this year) - 190 C / 54 R / 60 W / 76 M
GPA: 5.152 Weighted on SC Unified (out of 5.875) / 4.0 UW
APs: Human Geo (5), Stats (5), World History (5)
AMC 10 Score: 104
ECs: Top Orchestra, Region/All-State Orchestra, 1 year JV tennis, various academic teams, robotics team, job (this is off of the top of my head, I know I have more)
Junior Year Schedule: AP Calc BC, AP Chem, AP Lang, APUSH, AP Comp Sci A, Honors Orchestra 3 (have completed 3 years of Spanish)

I am concerned that I might be stuck in state for college. I HATE all of the schools in South Carolina and find that none of the schools are right for me. There are next to no opportunities in CS/Tech here in state. All that USC has going for it is a great business program, and Clemson is really only renowned for its premed/conventional engineering disciplines (MechE, EE, AE, ChemE). I do know that USC has an awesome honors college, however 99% of the people I know there are majoring in a premed or business. Furthermore both campuses have this preppy southern feel that I don’t feel like I identify with. I do not intend on going to grad school either, as it is your experience/portfolio that matters most with engineering; getting a masters will tack on a bunch of debt as well. Either way, contrary to other Asian parents wanting their children to go off to the Ivy League/Stanford/MIT, my parents are trying everything to keep me in state.

My parents are from India and want me to apply at the IITs and a regional engineering school from the state they grew up in, since school there is apparently way cheaper than it is here. However as much as I like visiting India I have no interest in wanting to live there for four years, as I have adapted to American culture and do not see myself attending school outside of the U.S. Apparently these schools are intense and cutthroat as well.

Right now I have my heart set on the likes of Cornell, Caltech, Georgia Tech, UIUC, Duke, and Berkeley, however a lot of the state schools OOS that I want to go to do not give all that great of financial aid. My family’s EFC is way too high, and my dad also has to wire money to our family in India (they live in a run-down village and not a single member there has a stable job), eating up close to 30% of our gross income a year.

People say I have the potential to be accepted to the schools I just listed, and I want to go to GaTech the most badly. My only worry is not being to afford the tuition at these out of state schools and being stuck in state, becoming extremely unhappy.

I guess my question is, how did you CS majors stuck in boring states at lousy state universities/party schools fare? Did you guys get great jobs? Sorry if this post came off as ranty, I am in a bad mood from all of this.

2

Do you really think going in-state will prevent you from reaching your goals?

3

If you are an international candidate, you may be limited in your choices. Are you a citizen?

Merit based scholarships are extremely hard to come by, so you have to rely on what your parents can actually pay, as well as what you provide in your courses and test scores.

Don’t come down hard on your parents, they aren’t obligated to give you a dime for your college education.
Let me repeat that because it needs emphasis. There is no law that says your parents have to fund your college education. It’s disrespectful and unnecessary to come down hard on your parents. You should be proud that they want to help family members since it sounds like they care about what happens to family.

As for school, take some of that “entitled” attitude and help them by paying your own way-going to a Community College-to save dollars for your university. Put up, or …

Take Berkeley off the list, since it will cost $58k per year, and there is no financial aid for nonresidents. Caltech is expensive and your PSAT doesn’t look strong compared to who they admit, so that goes off as well.

You are not the only “child” whose parents can’t afford to send him where he wants to go.

4

Looks like you need to build a merit-seeking or low list price list:

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html

USC does have a good selection of CS courses:

https://cse.sc.edu/class

5

“I will not be a Gamecock.”

– Lisa Simpson

However, Lisa’s comment notwithstanding, as referenced above, USC has a good selection of CS courses, and could be an appropriate choice for your academic and career interests.

6

And Clemson is as impressive in its CS course offerings as many more prestigious universities

http://www.clemson.edu/ces/computing/curricula/undergraduate/cis%202015.pdf
http://www.clemson.edu/ces/computing/curricula/undergraduate/bs%202015.pdf

Career wise you’ll do very well by successfully completing either of the above programs with good grades while complementing your coursework with on campus projects and summer internships. And if you tire of Clemson you can consider spending a semester abroad

http://www.clemson.edu/studyabroad/

Computer Science is a well defined area of study. It’s done well in many universities, including University of South Carolina and Clemson.

7

McGill Arts and Arts&Science majors (which includes CS), while costing more than in-state, isn’t a ton more. It is a giant state school, though, though known as the Harvard of Canada (though it’s more like the UMich or UW-Madison of Quebec).

Still, for someone looking to go to an OOS school on a budget, it should be considered.

NMtech grads seem to do well also.

Otherwise, you’d need to earn major merit scholarships. Are you a National Merit Scholar?

8

It’s unfortunate that you let your anger at your parents cloud your judgement regarding your educational opportunities in your home state. There are great opportunities in SC for computer science majors, but unfortunately you are unable to step back and make an unbiased assessment . I’m sure that there are quite a few OOS applicants that see the value in a Clemson or USC education and would be happy to have a opportunity to attend either school. I truly hope that find what you are looking for OOS.

9

I’m struck by the idea that you want to major in astrophysics and don’t plan to go to grad school. Are you going to go anywhere in NASA or the other agencies you mentioned with only a BS???

10

I am sympathetic with your desire to leave your home state, go out and see the world, and challenge yourself. It is admirable to be so bold. However, the OOS schools you list are tough to get into and expensive. It is entirely possible none of them will be an option, so you have to wrap your mind around the chance you will be in SC.

I know it won’t be easy, but try to see the pluses of staying in state and accept that as an option. Not a done deal, but an option.

Big state schools have lots of money in the sciences. You will find some good profs and some good labs. They may be tougher to find, and you may have to ferret them out yourself, but they exist. State flagships have a gamut of course offerings, and their programs are accredited. Moneywise, there are likely incentives to keep strong students in state. You will have less debt, which you don’t appreciate so much now, but will when you get out and want to buy a car or house. Big state schools are diverse. There are all kinds of clubs and sports and people. Big state schools have large, enthusiastic alumni networks. Somebody from SC works at NASA and would love to talk to you.

I have a kid at a LAC and one at a State Flagship. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. My LAC kid looks wistfully at his bro and does wonder what his life would be like if he had gone there. Whatever way it works out for you, my advice would be to be all in. If you get out of SC, good for you; embrace it. If you don’t, same thing.

11

Have you visited the computer science departments at either Clemson or USC ?
If not , you should consider a visit so you can make an informed decision rather than an emotional one.

12

Clemson is a good college for your interests.

If you achieve strong test scores you can get merit aid for some good OOS colleges, but most of them would not be of significantly higher quality than Clemson.

13

My D was in HC at USC. Business and premed prep majors are popular but she had several engineering and CS friends. Two now in good phd programs, one with REU at Harvard and major research experience.

I get your feelings but you’re right that your not likely to get money from schools like Duke. As a sc mom I will tell you that walking away from instate money like palmetto fellow is hard to justify when you see these kids in USC honors do amazing things. Work hard for top test scores and try to be good enough for Carolina scholar or better yet new Stamps. Frankly palmetto plus Leiber if you’re NMF basically would leave you around only 5k (or less) and that’s automatic with no other merit. Hard to beat.

Clemson would also be a great choice and was recently ranked very highly in getting students internships and jobs.

Research scholarship opportunities at places like Ga tech and Duke and go for it. Just don’t be suprised when money is issue.

14

Your professional goals require at least a master’s degree, and possibly a Ph.D. A solid home-state public U will prepare you for grad school, so don’t worry about your in-state options. Read carefully through the course offerings at each of the state Us, and check the web pages of each of the faculty members to find out what their research interests are. That will help you decide which of the in-state options to apply to.

You are correct that studying in India doesn’t make good sense for someone who has completed elementary and secondary school in the US and who can afford college here. The two educational systems have significant differences, and you would spend much of the first year there just getting used to the new system. That could have a negative effect on your grades which would make it hard for you to transfer back to the US as an undergrad, or to get into the grad program you want later on.

15

Do you want to swap with a kid from NJ? Rutgers?

16

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now I have my heart set on the likes of Cornell, Caltech, Georgia Tech, UIUC, Duke, and Berkeley, however a lot of the state schools OOS that I want to go to do not give all that great of financial aid. My family's EFC is way too high, and my dad also has to wire money to our family in India (

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Schools do not make allowances for families who send money out of the country to support others. There have been a number of kids post here on CC with a similar situation. They have to find schools that they can afford, often where they can get large merit scholarships so that the REMAINING cost after merit is applied to the entire COA is low enough.

Even schools that give “great FA” aren’t going to subtract out that money.

How much will your parents pay each year? Ask them for a budget.

Sounds like you’ll be full-pay at UIUC, Berkeley, and GT…and the other schools will likely expect your parents to pay more than they’re willing to pay.


[QUOTE=""]
how did you CS majors stuck in boring states at lousy state universities/party schools fare? Did you guys get great jobs? Sorry if this post came off as ranty, I am in a bad mood from all of this.

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You do need an attitude adjustment. USoCarolina and Clemson are NOT “lousy state schools”. They are very good schools.

Of course CS graduates from these schools get great jobs…and they get paid just as much as their fellow new-hires from elsewhere. companies pay their new hires the same, regardless of where they went to school.

that said, if you get high test scores, you might be able to get enough merit to go OOS.

You need to ask your parents how much they’ll spend each year. Frankly, if 30% of their income is being sent out of the country, then they may tell you that they can’t spend much at all on your education. Find out.

BTW…at state schools, usually the CS and eng’g students are not “fratty”. STEM male students usually don’t join fraternities and are often “not preppy.”

17

I’d also recommend that you Google “Silicon Harbor”. That’s what Charleston is being called now because of all of tech and software opportunities that have recently come to this state.So contrary to your belief that there are no CS tech opportunities in SC, there are quite a few new start ups in addition to Google, Amazon, Boeing, Blackbaud, etc. You may be surprised what is in your own backyard.

18

You experience will more than likely be what you make of it.

If you walk in to college unhappy and defeated you will probably not apply yourself, get a mediocre education, and be limited with job and grad school possibilities.

If you walk in to college excited, eager to make the most of your opportunity, willing to seek out challenging courses and develop relationships with professors, if you want to make new friends and become involved on campus then more than likely you will do well coming out of any decent school.

Never forget that many people would do almost anything to attend a 4 year college in the US. If you get that chance, even at a less than ideal college, make the most of it.

19

I’m interested in why the term Silicon is now popping up every where like a Silicon Harbor, Silicon Beach while there are no more Silicon in these new startup companies. Most of them are software companies. Why get stuck on an old term, inquiring mind wants to know.

20

@drgoogle, branding.