Out-of-state public schools, help me choose!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm not 100% sure about my major, but I'm considering Biomedical Engineering. Keep in mind I'm really, really not certain. I've narrowed it to these public schools out of state (I'm from Texas by the way) based on what I researched about their engineering programs, but I might change to biosciences. That being said, I want to apply to a school that's strong in both engineering and biological sciences, just in case if I switch what I want to study. On my list I have:
Virginia Tech
Georgia Tech
U Washington (Seattle)
U Maryland (College Park)
Purdue (West Lafayette) </p>

<p>So which schools are overall good in those subjects?
I'm open to more than one school; I probably will apply to at least one of these. Agh, I want to narrow this down though. My stats are 2200 SAT (2280 superscored), mid-A average, top 5%.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

2

<p>Everyone is going ask you why you want to pay OOS tuition when you have the world class UT in state. So might as well get that out of the way.</p>

3

<p>With top 5% rank, UT Austin and Texas A&M are obvious very desirable safety candidates at lower cost than the out-of-state public schools you list. The OOS public schools on your list are only worth applying to if you prefer them so much more over UT Austin and Texas A&M that you are willing to pay the OOS premium for them.</p>

4

<p>Yeah, UT and A&M are definitely on my list, and I’m really thankful that I can get into these amazing schools.
I know that the out of state publics will give the most financial aid to in state kids, but I still would like to try and apply. I’m in the lower income bracket, and I’m taking a shot with scholarships and aid.</p>

5

<p>It’s not that out-of-state publics give the most financial aid to in state kids… publics just don’t give much financial aid - in-state tuition is just much less.</p>

<p>If you wanna go out-of-state, you should look into private schools.</p>

6

<p>With your stats and need for financial assistance, I’d suggest UVA or UNC if you’re gungho about an OOS public. They’re both top-ranked publics and the only publics that meet 100% of demonstrated need for OOS students. You’re certainly competitive so you might want to give both of them a shot.</p>

7

<p>Do not expect good financial aid from OOS publics (except for University of Virginia and University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, but the latter does not have engineering). Run the net price calculators on their web sites to see.</p>

<p>If you want to shop for large merit scholarships, go to this forum section:
[Financial</a> Aid & Scholarships - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/]Financial”>Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums)
There are two sticky threads at the top, for automatic and competitive full tuition and full ride merit scholarships. Consider these for your application list.</p>