<p>As I don't have the money, inclination, or stats to go to "top" schools, I applied to realistic colleges I knew I could be accepted to (two state schools, one in-state, one out of state) with great merit scholarships since I will probably be a NMF. If I go to graduate school, then I'll worry about getting in to a more renowned college. Does anyone else out there in CC-land have that philosophy? </p>
<p>Best wishes to all you high achievers out there waiting on admission decisions at MIT, Stanford, Harvard, etc.</p>
<p>We’re also turning our backs on that “hyper nutso” cluster. Simply not worth the fullpay cost w so many excellent, reasonably priced options. The money will be saved for grad/professional school, since undergrad is just a stepping stone.</p>
<p>Depending on your financial profile, the top schools may actually cost less than a state school, but if you have to shell out $60K to go somewhere good, going somewhere else tuition-free looks really attractive.</p>
<p>I’m not in the financial profile that top colleges would shell out the need-based aid for, but not wealthy enough to pay the prices of the top schools, so going to a state school on a good scholarship is my best option. I’m grateful for the NMSC competition. </p>
<p>If you are certain about what you want to study, some of the schools that offer full-tuition awards to NMS are even top-notch in certain fields.</p>
<p>I’m hoping that is so … do you know if the Aerospace Engineering program at Wichita State University is top-notch? That’s my top choice of the two schools. Everything I’ve heard and read about it sounds good, though I don’t know where it’s officially ranked. </p>
<p>Dunno about Aerospace. You can try to find out what Wichita St.'s placement rate is for aerospace engineers. However, in your neck of the woods, UNL has the honors Raikes School for CS and Management. OU has a renown meteorology school and should be good for pretroleum engineering as well (though don’t know if you’d want to enter that field right now).</p>
<p>A little farther away, UArizona is top-rated in geology/earth sciences (and I think astronomy) while ASU has one of the most praised honors colleges (Barrett Honors College).</p>
<p>I believe that all give full-tuition for NMS.</p>
<p>You may want to apply to a few more colleges to give yourself more options and especially compare offers - as a NMSF/NMD you probably have your pick, UNL, OU, ASU Barrett, UAlabama Honors, and I think Northeastern would all have excellent packages (full ride or full ride +) for you :)</p>
<p>“My neck of the woods?” I’m not in Kansas. :-/ Thanks for the recommendations. Wichita State will give me a full ride for 4 years if I make NMF, and I’ll be coming in with some transfer credits from my local community college, so I think I’ll do fine. </p>
<p>I’m certain I want to go into aerospace engineering. </p>
<p>@MYOS1634, thank you for the suggestions. However, I am a bit of a nontraditional student. I only have one year of foreign language in high school, so that limits where I can get in. UNL (if that is the Univeristy of Nebraska, Lincoln) and Northeastern might be good schools with great NMF aid packages, but they don’t have aerospace engineering. </p>
<p>Thank you. Looks like the application deadline is tonight for one of those though - so there’s no way I could be admitted by then and the other deadline is past. Those schools are to big, anyway. I’m looking for something smaller. </p>
<p>I do appreciate the advice, but please don’t worry about it. From everything I’ve seen of WSU, I think I’ll be quite happy there. I figure I’ll take French or German when I get to that point in college or maybe Russian since I hope to be an astronaut someday. Many thanks!</p>
<p>WSU has national Institute for Aviation Research:
"Our Mission:
To conduct research, transfer technology and enhance education for the purpose of advancing the nation’s aviation industry, and to assist non-aviation industries that may benefit from aviation-related technologies.</p>
<p>Since its inception in 1985, National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University has made a name for itself as the most capable university-based aviation research center in the United States, providing research, design, testing, certification and training to the aviation manufacturing industry, government agencies, educational entities and other clients that can benefit from our services."</p>
<p>My D did not apply to any school where she had less than a 90% chance of acceptance. Most were absolute sure bets of acceptance. It was a well thought out list based on her requirements and possible merit aid. Thus far six acceptances and one deferral.</p>
<p>Yeah, one of the reasons I want WSU is because the town itself sounds cool, with all those aviation/aerospace companies and that research center, and WSU is right in the middle of it. Their wind tunnels sound awesome - those are the first thing I want to see when I go tour the campus! </p>
<p>I know this sounds silly, but their advertising is some of the best I’ve seen. That ridiculous yellow “Shocker” of a mascot is so funny and cute. I really like how they emphasize co-ops and internships since I know I will need experience like that to get a job once I get in the regular workforce. And I’m hoping with all the aerospace in the area, I’ll have a better chance of getting something like that. I know the school overall is probably just a run-of-the-mill state university, but I think they have something special going on with their AE program. It isn’t even part the school of engineering - it has its whole own department. I think that says something.</p>
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