<p>Hello! So I have my final list of schools I want to apply to, but I need to eliminate some. My criteria is that it has to be good at computer science. I used the college search feature on this site and collegeboard. I'm trying to get to 8 schools I'll apply to</p>
<p>Here are my stats:
3.96 GPA
African-American
Female
Wants to major in computer science
Top 10% of class (19/255)
SAT composite 1820 (670 CR/560 M/590 W) I took it this past Saturday too so I'm waiting for those scores
National Honor Society
Philosophy Club
Varsity Volleyball
Varsity Basketball + captain
5 AP Classes
Part of a Diversity on campus type high school club (Can't give specific name)</p>
<p>Reach
Vanderbilt
Villanova (idk because it's religious)
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Drexel (second choice)</p>
<p>Match
UMBC
Georgia Tech (first choice)
University of Michigan Twin-Cities
Northeastern
Ohio State
Purdue
University of Pittsburgh
Texas A&M
USC</p>
<p>Safety
UMass Amherst (in-state)
Quinnipiac (Got a letter that said I could apply for free)
NC State University</p>
<p>Maybe you should re-post this as “narrowing down computer science schools” to try to get more help on the specific issue. Not knowing a lot about computer science schools, my reaction was just that it’s a shame unless you’re sure you want such a big school not to have something smaller in your matches just to compare when acceptances come out. And just in case you change your idea for your major, try to get into the best overall quality school that you can. To that end, maybe you can take off a safety (especially if your SAT scores go up), eliminate a match or two and add a low reach. Vanderbilt seems like a very high reach and Drexel doesn’t seem like much of a reach----there’s a gap there. George Washington?</p>
<p>Drexel is not a reach, either a match or a safety if you can afford it. USC(if you mean SoCal) is not a match more like a reach. By university of Michigan twin cities do you mean Minnesota?</p>
<p>Cost and financial aid constraints? Be aware that most out of state public universities are not generous with financial aid; check their net price calculators. Some may have large merit scholarships.</p>
<p>Virginia Tech? Cal Poly SLO? Stony Brook? Their out of state list prices are not extremely high (the same goes for Minnesota and NCSU).</p>
<p>Massachusetts - Amherst seems to have a good CS reputation, even though its overall reputation and entrance selectivity are not all that high.</p>
<p>Yes I did mean University of Minnesota - Twin Cities lol oops. I kind of want a big school atmosphere and it has to be at least near a city do that why I chose only bigger schools.</p>
<p>Quinnipiac doesn’t match your criteria and is not in the same league as the others. For CS UMass Amherst would be a much better choice among your safeties.
You didn’t talk about FA or what your family could afford to pay, and that should be factoring into your lists.
If you don’t qualify for much FA, you might get better merit scholarships at places like RPI, though I suppose that doesn’t qualify as a big school. Someone suggested GWU and that might also be a good option. What other criteria do you have? It’s hard to narrow your list down based on what your requirements right now, though I think some would drop off if yiu did the financial analysis…</p>
<p>In another thread you mention that your parents have a six-figure income, but not enough money to pay much for college. </p>
<p>If so, I don’t see how schools like GT, Purdue, UMinn, and other OOS publics would be affordable. </p>
<p>Your list doesn’t seem compatible to your situation, which could mean unaffordable acceptances and rejections in the spring.</p>
<p>^ So true mom2collegekids. I guess I should add some more private schools? George Washington University sounds like a great school to apply to and I like their computer science curriculum.</p>
<p>u of pittsburgh is always a great choice!
vanderbilt is an A+ too but, heavy into greek system (if you care about that)</p>
<p>I do not know you and my opinion is only that an opinion…but, I would encouarge you to look at some other schools that are not as big and while not rural are not in a big city (maybe 30-40 minutes away)
when you are in college if you major in CS you will be very busy and a school with most students living on campus in a true college setting (no or very few commuters) you will not need to rush off the city very often if at all.</p>
<p>If no need-based aid is available, but you cannot afford full price at the schools on your list, take a look at the <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html</a> for potential safeties.</p>
<p>Note: your stats will give a [full</a> ride to Prairie View A&M](<a href=“http://www.pvamu.edu/pages/2154.asp]full”>http://www.pvamu.edu/pages/2154.asp), which has [ABET</a> accredited](<a href=“http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=312]ABET”>http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=312) degree programs in computer science and computer engineering. If your price limit is lower than what in-state Massachusetts - Amherst will cost you, then consider this school as a possible safety.</p>
<p>^ So true mom2collegekids. I guess I should add some more private schools? George Washington University sounds like a great school to apply to and I like their computer science curriculum.</p>
<p>Not necessarily. Many of the private schools will still be unaffordable. You’re in a difficult position. You have an unaffordable EFC, but your stats won’t likely get merit at the schools that you’re considering. You’re at risk for having acceptances at unaffordable schools. </p>
<p>Most private schools are going to expect that your parents pay at least $25,000 per year. Since they can’t do that, how would those be affordable.</p>
<p>I think the OP should look at private schools focusing on those generous with merit aid. Although her test scores aren’t great, her GPA and class rank are high AND she is an African American **female **applying for a major dominated by white males. Engineering/science focused schools are looking for students like her. RPI, Case Western Reserve come to mind as examples. I think these are better options financially than some of the OOS schools on the list.</p>
<p>Also use the Kiplinger chart to find schools with generous merit aid:
[Best</a> Values in Private Colleges, 2011-12](<a href=“http://www.kiplinger.com/tools/privatecolleges/]Best”>Kiplinger | Personal Finance News, Investing Advice, Business Forecasts)</p>
<p>However, the OP should find a safety first. If the in-state public schools and other lower list price schools (e.g. South Dakota Mines) are not affordable or desirable, or not certain for admissions, then the OP should check the automatic big merit schools, such as Prairie View A&M.</p>
<p>Applying to schools with non-guaranteed big merit is fine, but there is the possibility of not getting the big merit at those schools.</p>
<p>I think the OP should look at private schools focusing on those generous with merit aid. Although her test scores aren’t great, her GPA and class rank are high AND she is an African American female applying for a major dominated by white males. Engineering/science focused schools are looking for students like her. RPI, Case Western Reserve come to mind as examples. I think these are better options financially than some of the OOS schools on the list.</p>
<p>I’m not saying that RPI and Case wouldn’t offer her any merit, but the reality is that whatever merit they offered her would just go towards “need” and she still would have no way of paying her EFC.</p>
<p>For instance, if RPI gave her a $15k per year merit scholarship, and her EFC was $30k, then likely all she’d get would be is a $15k per year merit, $5500 in Stafford, and her parents would be expected to pay the rest, which the OP says they won’t, then that will be a problem.</p>
<p>My parents haven’t said to me that they won’t pay my college fees, just that they don’t have much money to do so. Sorry if that was unclear. I really don’t like UMass Amherst at all because everyone goes there but I feel it would be affordable for me. My parents can pay for the lower priced schools a.k.a Umass but since I’m looking at more expensive schools, that’s where the problem comes in.</p>
<p>This means that they are able and willing to pay about $25,000 per year (the in-state cost of Massachusetts - Amherst)?</p>
<p>Minnesota and NCSU are a few thousand dollars more than that per year (out of state), so you would have to take Stafford loans above that amount if that is your parents’ limit of what they are able and willing to pay. But many of your other schools are out of range even if you take Stafford loans, unless you get large enough merit scholarships.</p>
<p>I meant like the $13,000 base tuition haha I’ll have to find some way to come up with the rest. </p>
<p>Quick question: How come some people get substantial financial packages (non-need) even though they don’t get the big merit scholarships the school advertises? Some people I knew last year got significant financial packages (non-need) and they weren’t stand out students or anything. Is merit aid that random?</p>
<p>Also, should I not apply to some schools at all even though I don’t know what type of financial aid I might get? People seem to discourage me from applying to some schools because of predicted financial aid packages. I thought the “you don’t know until you try” saying would apply here lol</p>
<p>If $13,000 per year is your parents’ limit, then you need some safeties which cost less than that (or less than that + Stafford loans if you are willing to take them). Massachusetts - Amherst would not be a safety unless you can commute there at low cost.</p>
<p>In the <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html</a> , the following are possible with your stats (note that you would get more options if your second SAT score were significantly higher):</p>
<p>Prairie View A&M, Regents Student Merit: net cost probably close to $0
Alabama - Birmingham, Blazer Gold - net cost about $15,000</p>
<p>Of course, you can apply to other schools and try for large non-guaranteed merit scholarships and hope for generous financial aid, but if you do not have any for sure safeties, you may not have any options besides community college in April.</p>