<ol>
<li><p>I have been admitted to all 4 of these universities and I need help deciding which to attend. As I am an international student, it would be impossible to make a Campus visit.
Any information that would help me make up my mind would be appreciated.</p></li>
<li><p>At UIUC & TAMU I have been accepted as Honors student, should this be a weighing factor?</p></li>
<li><p>At TAMU which rolling admissions because I applied late, I have been admitted to General Studies as my intended major CS was already filled. Should I worry</p></li>
<li><p>Also I have been offered $78k at WPI ( $19.5K/year). However I am not to keen on WPI because after the scholarship it costs as much as TAMU which I felt was a stronger college academically. Correct me if I am wrong.</p></li>
<li><p>My intended major is ECE/CE/CS ( Electrical & Computer Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science ). Does UT-Austin offer an inherent advantage because Austin is said to be the next big hub for IT after silicon valley?</p></li>
<li><p>Money is an important factor, as I would like to target higher schools for my masters.
(unfortunately I was rejected by Berkeley and Stanford)
Which of these is more generous and am I likely to get aid from? (I will maintain a high GPA)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>My academic record:
2040 SAT ( 780 M, 670 CR, 590 W)
International Student
SAT Subject Tests: Physics 800, Math II 800
Intend to take Physics and Calculus APs in summer
ECs in Robotics and Computer Science
Intend to do a summer internship/ project in CS/Robotics</p>
<p>If it matters to you, UIUC is ranked no 3 in Computer Engineering as well as electrical - highest for a public university. All things being equal (like finances), I would choose Illinois.</p>
<p>Personally I would eliminate TAMU off the bat. I don’t think it offers anything to you that UT/WPI/UIUC doesn’t. I’d say the same for WPI as well really.</p>
<p>UT Austin just finished a new CS facility (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation sponsored) and are already world leader in CS/CE research. As stated above, UIUC is ranked higher in CE and EE, but UT Austin is not far behind at all. Did you apply for honors at UT?</p>
<p>If money is an issue, I’d ultimately pick the better financial package between UT and UIUC (assuming you are okay with Texas heat / Illinois frost). If they come out pretty similar, I suppose I’d learn towards UIUC, particularly if you did not get admitted to honors at UT. </p>
<p>That being said, WPI and TAMU are still godo options if they come out with a significantly better financial package (unlikely).</p>
<p>Really I don’t think any of these schools (other than WPI) are likely to give much aid, but you should know pretty soon how the finances will work out.</p>
<p>UT and UIUC are so similar academically, that the only reason I would say to pick one over the other is location honestly. UT is right in Austin, so it is pretty urban while UIUC is 2 hours from Indianapolis and 2.5 hours from Chicago, so it’s pretty rural (not that that’s a bad thing, some people don’t like living in the city). In addition, Austin is extremely hot while UIUC is colder (but not really that bad).</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I missed the UT- Austin honors deadline. I plan to apply next semester.</p>
<p>and climate-wise coming from India, Texas seems more manageable</p>