I was just wondering if applying to out of state public schools are a good idea? For example, I live in New York, would applying to lets say, Purdue or University of Minnesota or Virginia Tech, would that be a good idea or do public schools take the students from there state into larger consideration?
Most state schools prioritize in-state students for admission and admit a much smaller percentage of out of state students. Some state public schools (usually the higher ranked ones) also have higher standards for admission for OOS students - you have to have better grades, higher SAT/ACT scores etc than the average in-state student. Then, of course, the cost of OOS schools is much higher in most cases for OOS students because an OOS student’s parents don’t pay taxes which go towards the funding of OOS state schools.
I think a student might consider applying to OOS public schools if he/she is certain that it is financially possible - and if they can’t find schools that fits their needs in their home state. For instance, none of your state schools have good programs in your major, or don’t even offer the major that you’re interested in.
There are some public state schools who do not charge higher tuition for OOS students but they are usually lower ranked schools. See https://www.nasfaa.org/State_Regional_Tuition_Exchangeswww.bestcolleges.com/features/lowest-out-of-state-tuition/
Some public schools also offer full tuition and full tuition scholarships to all students that meet certain academic criteria, so if you are a top student, this might be an option. There is a thread on CC with a list of all these schools. Look in the Financial Aid and Scholarships forum.
Also sometimes a state or group of states will have agreements for OOS students where OOS tuition rates are reduced for students from certain regional areas. Schools can limit the lower OOS tuition to certain majors. A link for all the regional programs that offer lower tuition for OOS students: https://www.nasfaa.org/State_Regional_Tuition_Exchanges
I looked at the regional tuition exchanges and did not see New York listed as a member of any of them. I believe NY has many good public colleges that offers most majors and also recently passed a law that provides free tuition (but not room and board) for resident students whose family income is under a certain amount. Students have to agree to live and work in New York for the same number of years that they participate in this program. https://www.ny.gov/programs/tuition-free-degree-program-excelsior-scholarship
Although you specifically asked about public schools, private OOS schools sometimes are more affordable than instate public schools because some of them offer lots of merit aid, and some very highly ranked private schools meet the full financial need of admitted students (which varies based on your family’s income and other factors).
Hope that helps and also hope someone corrects me if any of this is not accurate.
It’s a great idea to apply to out-of-state universities if they interest you, and you can either afford the non-resident tuition or obtain scholarships. My daughter was very eager to go far away to a university. She is from Georgia and attends the University of Minnesota, mostly paid for through academic scholarships. If she did not obtain the scholarships, she would have attended Georgia Tech, because all Georgia students with high GPAs get full tuition scholarships to Georgia universities. However, she wound up being offered more out of state.
Some families can afford the non-resident tuition, and then the student can choose their favorite universities in places they want to live the most.
As far as admissions, you can check the university websites for the typical GPA and SAT/ACT scores of admitted students, regardless of residency, and get an idea of your chances of being admitted.
I think that the answer is “it depends”. Out of state public schools are often more expensive than in-state, but can be good choices for other reasons and are not always more expensive. You probably should take a good look at the in-state options but might want to also consider other options. While most state schools will give some preference to in-state students, this is not necessarily enough to stop you from going out of state as long as you have the grades and test scores, can afford it, and there is a compelling reason to do so.
Both of my daughters will be at out of state public schools in September. One costs a bit more than in-state but is a very good match and has compelling programs for my older daughter. The other is not only out of state but also out of the country, and is a great school and a great match and is actually less expensive than in-state (it would be the same price as in-state if my younger daughter didn’t have dual citizenship).
New York does have some very good in-state options.
It’s a little older(2011) but might help.
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Hey guys, I am new at posting threads. I have been reading some thread though on here, so I am very familiar with how this works. I just want to list my stats and I will list the schools I do plan on applying to as transfers.
College I Attend: SUNY Hudson Valley Community College
Major: Computer Science
Year: Will enter Sophomore this Fall.
CC GPA: 3.6; I took a literature class I gotta C in blah it was bad and I had to take literature. I hope schools will see I am pretty much an A and a few B student, and will see that a Computer Science student not doing too hot in a required literature class isn’t a big deal. A
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You should have mentioned that you’d be a transfer student. Only in rare cases would an OOS school give you aid.
Can someone help me figure out how to post my own forum or question? I can’t seem to find it.