I heard a rumor from a few TAMU alumni’s parents that there is a policy that if you qualify as a Finalist your tuition will be the same as an in-state’s, but no admissions advisor at TAMU has confirmed it 
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What is the budget? I’m sorry if I missed it.
I do see a mention of $60k for TAMU. If that’s the budget limit, then several other schools mentioned here will be over that limit.
Yes, I think TAMU is staying intentionally vague. The issue is that granting money to out-of-state students can be politically unpopular, so sometimes the rules get changed year to year.
I will say this: There are students who should not apply to schools that are too expensive for their budgets because when they get in but can’t afford it, they freak out. But there are other students who can take it all calmly, and who can just be happy they got in, even if they have to turn down the expensive “dream school.” They take the offer of admission as a confidence boost and move on. My own kid was in the second group, and I sense you are too. Obviously don’t waste too much time or application fee money applying to schools you are unlikely to be able to afford, but if you want to apply to a couple schools like Berkeley or MIchigan, I say go for it. (But also make sure your parents can handle it. If they are going to lose their minds if you get into Stanford but they can’t afford it, don’t apply!)
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Uh, the budget is like 10k? I’m in that awkward financial situation where my dad makes enough to qualify us for no aid. However, I have two siblings, plus two pairs of grandparents that they support overseas. So in the end, we don’t have a lot of money for college. Full-ride is the best option, which works out for me, I guess in terms of Florida schools.
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Lol, I had a friend get into Stanford but couldn’t afford it. He said he couldn’t decide whether he should go or not and we would place bets on what he would choose in our physics class. But, he chose Stanford, taking the debt on the chin!
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And in terms of National Merit schools, if you prefer one of them over FL 
. So you can have affordable options outside of FL if those schools’ culture appeal to you.
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Do yk any big state, big spirit, southern culture National Merit schools? I know Tulsa is kind of one.
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A modest amount of debt can be a rational investment for sure. But in other situations it can be crippling. You will find big differences of opinion on College Confidential. There are regulars here who point out that for working engineers, as long as a school is ABET accredited, it doesn’t really matter which one you choose. Then there are others who point out that schools such as Stanford and MIT provide more start-up, finance world, and cutting edge type opportunities than non-big name schools do. I think both are right. It can be helpful to think of your career goals, although it’s also normal not to be sure of career goals at your age, of course. Some people really want to be working engineers, other people are pretty sure they don’t want to be working engineers and that they want to be in start-ups or finance etc. Personally, I think there’s nothing cooler than being a working engineer (a former high school classmate of mine is a NASA engineer who does all the missions to Mars!) and would cry tears of despair if I had to work in the world of finance…but others feel quite the opposite.
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Ok, got it. No worries. It just means you have to seek schools like Alabama that will give you a lot of merit money.
Unfortunately, as others have pointed out, UMich, UC Berkely and MIT have to come off your list, along with UMD as they will not be affordable
You said this with respect to UC Berkeley, but I’m not sure what you mean. Even if you get accepted you won’t get sufficient merit money to make it affordable. And taking on hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt (technically, your parents would take that on as you can only borrow a total of $27k over 4 years), isn’t advisable.
I agree! Being a working engineer sounds much more badass than a boring paper pusher (no offense paper pushers). I kind of had this idea of working in the Navy as a nuclear engineer or at a reactor. I guess debt as an engineer shouldn’t be a terrifying concept, because job opportunities are pretty abundant past college. I just want to get out of college with the least strings attached.
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Hail mary in the sense that. Hey, if I got in, that’s cool. I really haven’t emotionally invested anything into the school so I won’t be super crushed if I get rejected or can’t afford it. I’ll look into Alabama!
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Tulsa does have good school spirit, but it’s not a big school. It’s actually a small private university. (the president really recruits NMFs–over 1/4 of all students are National Merit!)
The big state, big spirit, southern culture school that has the best National Merit deal is Alabama.
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In the long run, do you think ranking of the college really matters? I’ve heard no by the engineers I’ve talked to, but the engineers my parents talked to say yes. That’s why I’m kind of torn to apply to these heavy NMF funding colleges because they typically rank pretty low.
I said this upthread:
Of these, Alabama is the best fit for big school with big spirit, Southern culture.
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If admitted, students who are eligible for the National Merit Finalist package will receive:
- Value of tuition for up to five years or 10 semesters for degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate or law studies
- Four years of undergraduate on-campus housing at regular room rate* (based on assignment by Housing and Residential Communities)
- $4,000 per year undergraduate supplemental scholarship for four years**
- $2,000 one-time allowance for use in research or international study (after completing one year of study at UA)
Dang! That’s a lot of money. But, the ranking… It’s pretty low for engineering.
This is the type school @fiftyfifty1 was referring to in their post… it’s ABET accredited so will have solid academic standards. It may not provide the exposure some kids want to more easily attain their career goals. For any program you consider I would research the opportunities for application and experience in addition to the academics.
ETA: I believe rankings are a great place to start when developing lists, but they are highly subjective depending on methodology. After using ranking as a starting point, set that aside and dive into the programs and the overall campus culture to find the best fit for you.
If you want highly ranked, Southern, big school spirit, you can try for the GTech STAMPS scholarship. Without that, it’s way over budget. STAMPS values leadership and service and community contribution so your application essay would need to highlight that for a chance.
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I mean, to be honest there’s no point in looking for OOS colleges other than TAMU, because UF is already great. I just wish I could guarantee my chance of going to TAMU for free…
It really depends on what for. A school being ranked low does not imply that the education won’t be rigorous. Rankings formulas include a lot of factors that may not be important to any particular student (e.g. % of Pell grant students who graduate on time-- I mean important for them but why should that matter for you?) Especially as an engineering major, the education you receive will be rigorous at all the schools you are considering and this includes those that aren’t ranked high.
Now for students who really aren’t sure what they want to major in or do, rank matters more. Maybe you think you want to major in Classical Studies but maybe plan to pivot to business consulting. Yeah, an Ivy is going to keep more doors open than USF.
So anyway, I am sensing the vibe that although you would be able to turn down a fancy name school without too many tears, maybe your parents maybe can’t? If that’s the case, maybe you’ll have to trim your list.
I will note that UF is both pretty highly ranked and extremely affordable for you…
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That’s great you would be happy at FL! My response was due to your earlier comment you didn’t feel it was a good fit.
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Culture-wise it’s not my ideal, but it’s not unlivable. I will probably change my mind there and enjoy it if we’re being honest. I’ve grown up as a 'Nole fan, so it’s kind of a betrayal, lol.
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