I am pursuing a computer science degree and I have a full ride offer to both schools. The Minnesota scholarship requires that I get a degree in the college of science and engineering (which CS is a degree in), but the Alabama scholarship is open ended and would allow me to get a degree in whatever program I want. I’ve visited both, and researched a lot, and I honestly think they’re both great places. I do think Minnesots has a better CS program, though, from what I can tell. Alabama however has much nicer dorms than Minnesota does. What are your recommendations?
Is that a requirement for the scholarship? My son is studying CS at UMN through the college of liberal arts (he is double majoring in economics and CS).
Is there a GPA requirement for each scholarship? How high?
Getting a degree in the CSE (college of science and engineering) is a requirement of the Minnesota scholarship I’ve got. It’s the George W. Taylor Foundation Scholarship, if you’d like to look it up. Since Minnesota offers a CS degree in both the CSE and the college of liberal arts, I’m planning on getting my degree in the CSE, if I go to Minnesota.
Both scholarships require that I maintain a 3.0 GPA.
You only live in those nice dorms at Alabama for one year. After that you will probably have to move off campus. The dorms are a perk, but not a reason to choose the school.
I don’t know about UMinn-Twin City, but in UA, you have to have 3.5GPA+ to be eligible for any kind of scholarship, be it some thousand bucks to full tuition.
You will also get extra scholarship if you are ENGR/CS major based on your GPA and SAT/ACT score.
Unless the cost is a huge factor, I would recommend you to choose a school that suits your taste.
Are you sure your scholarship at UA is full ride? The most common scholarships at Bama are NMF, presidential, and engineering scholarships with a 3.0 to maintain.
Presidential or NMF are not full ride except for freshman year. My DS got similar offers from both schools. He chose UA. Choose a school where you will like the weather and realize that most ( not all) job offers will be regional so consider what area of the country you’d like to work in.
The Alabama offer is indeed full ride. The letter I received from the school stated that it covers the entire cost of attendance for all four years. I guess it might be a good idea to go back and look at the letter, but I, my dad, and a college admissions worker at a local college all looked at it and never caught any caveats. I don’t think it was the Presidential Scholarship, I think it’s a special kind of offer that they don’t publish. Either way, I’ll go back to look at the letter once more to be 100% sure.
Now, the main thing I’m wondering is, cost being totally free at both schools for me, which one should I choose? As I said, I’ve visited both and really like both of them.
“You only live in those nice dorms at Alabama for one year.”
Not sure that that’s true for recipients of merit scholarships…
Even if it’s true, though, there’s no question that student housing across the board is better at Alabama than at Minnesota. Off-campus housing is nicer and cheaper at Alabama. That doesn’t have to be a deciding factor, of course, but it’s true.
Alabama only guarantees housing for 1 yr, so that is accurate.
@michaelb373 I doubt very seriously you have a single letter stipulating a full-ride offer from AL. I do have a child attending Bama full-ride, but it is not from a single scholarship, but multiple scholarships, only one of which is an admissions scholarship. It matters. Cost of living can be $10,000/yr, depending on where you live, what you eat, + books, etc. Full-tuition and full-ride have very big differences in terms of bottom line, especially for families where $10,000 is a seriously large amt of $$.
I suspect your letter stated it covered the full cost of tuition for all 4 yrs, not attendance.
No one can tell you what school to choose. You need to decide based on how well you liked the depts and how well the dept meets your needs. My son absolutely loves Bama, but that does not mean everyone will.
Minnesota is, unsurprisingly, very cold. That’s a problem for some people.
Greek life dominates the social scene at Alabama, according to various student testimonies I’ve read. If you’re not interested in rushing, that could be worth considering.
My ds is not involved in Greek life at all. Some of his female friends are, but the vast majority are not. But he is also not the in to the party scene either.
I just took a look at the letter from Alabama again. I’m really surprised, me and my dad never noticed before that it says it covers housing for freshman year. Does not guarantee housing for the rest of the four years. It’s still good for full tuition, a $1000 yearly educational allowance, a $2000 study abroad/research allowance, and an unspecified “technology enrichment”. So, then, I guess it’s not quite a full ride–just very close.
Thanks for your input, though everybody. I was just curious what others thought, comparing the two schools, since I’ve already weighed the pros and cons heavily and found it difficult to decide still. Though this housing stipulation does seem to weigh pretty obviously in Minnesota’s favor…
I would relook at Minn’s offer too. It would be hard to believe that their housing offer was better (only because UA has been well known to have Very good merit aid to attract high performers).
Assuming the offers are reasonably close, I’m leaning toward UA.
What exactly does your UMinn offer say it covers?
Are you a NMF? or did you get the Presidential Elite at Bama for having a very high SAT or ACT?
did you put CS as your major for Bama? If so, you’d get an additional 2500 per year. If you are undeclared at Bama or put something non-CS or non-Eng’g, but are going to be CS or Eng’g, then go into My Bama and select that so you get the additional 2500 per year.
I don’t believe anyone is a direct admit into CS at UMN-TC. You need a 3.2 in some required coursework to be admitted into the program.
Come January and February, Alabama will look very nice from the frozen Minnesota tundra.
At UMN, you need a 3.2 technical GPA to have assured admission to the CS major. Others are admitted on a space-available basis.
http://advising.cse.umn.edu/