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<p>Since the OP mentioned Columbia and Cornell in the first post, going across the country probably is not a problem. Also, going OOS to an Arizona school may be similar in distance to going to a San Francisco / Oakland / San Jose area school, but going OOS further than Arizona would likely be a much greater distance.</p>
<p>I know you like to promote Alabama, but it looks like UMass - Amherst may be a better choice for the OP – no transfer credit issues, unlimited Yellow Ribbon, highly regarded CS major, and location in the first state to have same-sex marriage.</p>