Some Matches/Safeties I would love to go to

<p>Yes, I think I’ll look into that! Thanks :)</p>

<p>They have money, but they also have four kids. They can’t pay the whole way, but they’ll put in a good share</p>

<p>Ask them how much they’ll pay so you know what you’re dealing with.</p>

<p>Be sure to run the net price calculator on every school to see if the net price is in line with what you and your parents can afford. If it is not, then you are aiming for big enough merit scholarships, not merely admission, at the school in question. If there are no such big merit scholarships in reach at a school which is not affordable on need-based aid, it is not worth applying.</p>

<p>If big merit is desired, consider these lists:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-18.html#post15895768[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-18.html#post15895768&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-2.html#post15889078[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-2.html#post15889078&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Santa Clara is pretty good at engineering and CS. Better than Pepperdine.</p>

<p>What can you guys say of UCSD and Rochester Tech?</p>

<p>Be careful and verify all of the schools on your list offer engineering/CS – doublecheck Georgetown, Brandeis, Amherst. Also, Tulane’s engineering fields are limited, and they’re in the process of reinstating a CS major, with a focus on applied CS. You want to be sure your schools offer the fields you want to study.</p>

<p>Also, try to get your SATs up as high as you can – you can take it again in October, Nov and/or December. </p>

<p>Good luck to you.</p>

<p>Check out Trinity University. It has a very good computer science department with great connections to the San Antonio business community. They “only” have engineering science but my understanding is it is a very strong program. My son just completed his first year in CS at Trinity, and found the professors great and really enjoyed the school. I do not think he has had a class with over 25 students. My son’s stats were similar to yours and he received a good scholarship. UT CS has a good reputation with employers, but it is a BIG state school and the quality of its students and professors can vary dramatically. You have to be able to handle 200+ students in a class. I think average class size is a big deal, but you will have to decide for yourself (big class size usually equates to lower tuition). When my son was looking at schools I preferred A&M to UT because A&M seemed to really try to get to know the students and seemed to care (A&M grads have a fantastic reputation with employers). UT seemed arrogant and uncaring during the admissions process - I think it is better once you are attending. Good luck with your decision!</p>

<p>Anyone else have ideas?</p>

<p>I would suggest Virginia Tech as a good safety option. . .we looked at a LOT of engineering schools. Rice was my son’s favorite, but he couldn’t get in there. Virginia Tech made the final two, but it was the one I would have chosen for my son . . .great social life, great food, beautiful campus. The only thing that I’d say is a negative is that it is remote and maybe the travel would be too rough? I’m not sure what the closest airport is . . .but otherwise, I think that school has a ton going for it.</p>

<p>RIT is one we visited, and I am from Rochester. It is outstanding for career prospects and very good with merit based aid. But it is not a pretty campus, and the weather might be extremely rough on someone from warmer climates.</p>