I’m sorry that the ED process hasn’t worked out how you hoped. The great news, though is that you already have sure things in the bag. You WILL be going to college!
Thanks for the update and looking forward to hearing what you end up deciding to do.
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Hello everyone again!! I did get rejected from lehigh, boston, northeastern, scripps, and waitlisted at claremont mkenna. I got accepted with a full ride to williams college and colgate university for computer science! I hear back from Cooper Union next week. I got guaranteed transfer admission with Georgia Tech so my current plan is to either go to Williams or Colgate for a year then go to Georgia Tech for electrical engineering! If i get into Cooper Union then i’ll spend all 4 years there. If i get off the waitlist at CMC then i’ll also stay there for 4 years as they have an engineering program through Harvey mudd. But I’m honestly surprised that I got rejected from schools with >20% acceptance rates, but into schools with less than 10% rates. It honestly doesn’t make sense but at least I can go debt free! I will say the financial aid packages for williams and colgate look amazing, as i’ll only have to pay $1,700 YEARLY for ‘non-billable’ expenses. It’s crazy but i’m feeling grateful I can afford these schools!!
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Did you change your desired major from CS to EE?
If you are a non-Georgia resident, Georgia Tech will likely be expensive, especially compared to staying at Williams or Colgate all four years.
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I would also consider
Staying at Williams when you look at financials, but I’d also be surprised
If their graduate school placement is
Not amazing in your fields. I’d look into it if that’s a possibility
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Congratulations! This is amazing! 
Plan to stay at Williams, with that level of FA and a CS major (+ any minor of your choice but perhaps Physics) + the incredibly tight&strong alumni network you will graduate debt-free into a great job&career (from which you will pivot to grad school if you wish - Cs/Physics majors from Williams “place” very well in Masters/Engineering.)
Williams also has a program with Dartmouth (ABET accredited) where your junior year, instead of being abroad, is in Engineering at Dartmouth; full Williams FA package applies; you then return to Williams, graduate with your class, and if you did well during your Junior year at Dartmouth return there and get an ABET accredited degree in Engineering in 1 year (you do get FA but they don’t guarantee they’ll match Williams’ - still the best financial option by far).
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My nephew was accepted into that GT program and that was his plan, but after looking into it more closely he’s staying where he is. I don’t think it’s guaranteed and if he got in, he wouldn’t find out until this summer, making housing difficult if he stays of if he goes.
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Hello everyone! I got my expected cooper union rejection but plan to transfer into another college after my first year. My question is, should I go to Williams or Colgate if I know I’m going to transfer. I got into both schools as computer science majors as they do not have electrical engineering, and that is the reason I will be transferring after my first year. Which school do you guys think would set me up for a better transfer application? Both are not an issue cost wise. I should also mention that if I get off the NYU waitlist their financial aid package would also be very good. So between NYU, Williams, or Colgate, which school would set me up for the best electrical engineering transfer application? Thank you all so much for your input and help! Right now I’m thinking Williams because of the prestige.
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Have you visited Colgate or Williams? If not, you need to if at all possible. I would be surprised if Williams didn’t pay for you to attend their admitted students’ days since you qualify for so much financial aid. You need to see at least one of these two campuses since they are so different from what you said that you wanted both in location and education since neither has engineering. You say that you prefer an urban campus. Williams and Colgate are both quite rural–nothing at all like NYU or even Lehigh.
If you’re determined to study engineering and transfer to GT, you might be better off going to a local college for your first year. What are the requirements for your transfer to GT? I know some NYC students who’ve been offered the Cornell transfer option and enrolled in a CUNY school for their first year so they could save money and start college in a comfortable environment.
I don’t mean to be harsh, but although Williams is making an enormous effort to support FGLI students, it’s always going to be rural and many students, regardless of socioeconomic status, find that a big adjustment.
Wishing you all the best.
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I completely understand what you’re saying and I did get that visit option to tour williams! I plan to also tour colgate right after as well. I do like the city but at this point, i’m willing to take any good engineering college in any place. My ideal transfer college is to the cooper union or columbia university, but i’ll be applying to all the top engineering schools and seeing what sticks. If all transfers fail, then I’m already guaranteed admission into georgia tech. Also, I’ve lived in a very rural town my entire life so i’m sure it will be a change, but not too drastic.
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I’m so happy to hear that you’re visiting both schools. As you probably know, you don’t have to declare a major at Colgate or Williams during your first year. Another thing to consider is if either school has any required classes for first-year students.
I hope that you have good visits at both schools and share your thoughts after you’ve seen them.
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Sorry if I missed something, but what would be the plan for affording Georgia Tech?
If you’re considering loans to pay for 3 years at GT, I would strongly consider this instead: Columbia Combined Plan – Physics You could complete an entire four-year degree (in physics and/or CS), fully-funded, at Williams before heading to Columbia, which admittedly is more expensive than GT, but you’d be there a shorter time and potentially could live at home. (Colgate has a 3:2 plan with Columbia also, as well as RPI and WashU, but they don’t mention the option of doing a full 4-year degree before transitioning.)
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The fully funded Williams degree + commute to Columbia plan sounds perfect for @lovingcollege2224
Personally, I’d pick Williams for itself and also for this^ plan.
In any case I hope you enjoy your visits there. 
I look forward to your reports!
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I did see the combined plan and it is one of my options. I just prefer going straight into transferring. I would have to take out loans for georgia tech for the 3 years unfortunately. I plan to apply as a transfer student after my first year to all the top engineering schools, mainly ivys, and if i don’t get into columbia or the cooper union, I would go straight to the combined plan. The only reason i am transferring would be to pursue electrical engineering. I’m still on the fence about georgia tech because of the lack of financial aid however.
Your low-income parents are willing and able to take six figures worth of loans on your behalf?? You do understand that you can’t borrow that kind of money in your own name, right? 27K over four years, maximum - the rest would be on the cosigner. Even if this is possible, I’m surprised that you fail to appreciate how unwise it would be.
You’re literally saying that you want to… first, claim a spot in the entering class at the #1 liberal arts college in the country - a spot that kids on the waitlist wish for day and night - only to have one foot out the door for a year and then leave. Then, if a top school that meets need doesn’t come through for transfer, make your parents borrow something like $130K (on top of your own guaranteed loans) for you to go to Georgia Tech for three years. You don’t see anything… off… about all this?
You do, in fact, have an acceptance at a full-need-met school that has engineering. I’ll bet you could switch from CS to EE at U of Miami, have financial aid for all four years, and not have to transfer at all (though you could still apply to your moonshot transfer schools if you wanted to).
It hasn’t even been that long since you decided it was essential for you to study EE, after planning on CS when you applied a few months earlier. Your unwillingness to commit to one of your top-notch LAC offers is based entirely on that, and who’s to say you won’t change your mind again? But I understand not wanting to foreclose on options. So why not let someone who’s on their knees praying to get into Williams or Colgate have that spot, and attend a full-need-met school that has all of the majors you’re interested in? If you win the lottery freshman year, you can still transfer to Georgia Tech; if you score a full-ride-aid transfer offer, you can still do that… but worst case, you’d already be at a very solid school, that you liked enough to apply to, where you could study what you want, and graduate with a manageable amount of student debt. JMHO.
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If EE is the goal I would also consider USC honors if it is affordable. Especially with abet accredited EE I would not start college thinking to transfer from a liberal art college to an engineering college. Too much uncertainty. I would not advise it to my child and actually we were a bit in a similar situation. One of my kids had to let go of a big name school that did not offer engineering and attend a “lesser” school. EE is a difficult major and it is nice to have a continuation in advising and be part of a well organized program with supports etc. Looking back it was the right choice. Because Williams for free is such a good deal another idea would be to go there and major in stem and then do a one year master degree in EE. But for undergrad I would try not to include transfers before even starting. I would not borrow to go to GT either.
Edit. Read the FAQ under Williams/Columbia combined degree webpage that is linked by aquapt. Another consideration is also first year transition and stress. If you want to transfer immediately you will need to get TOP grades from the get go and build a bit of resume get to know professors ask for LOR’s etc. I am sorry if I sound discouraging.
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I agree with the previous posters about Ga Tech affordability. I would completely drop that from the list and forget it. Parental loans do not make sense (and we don’t even know if the parents would take those out anyway).
Between Colgate and Williams I strongly lean Williams for a limited income student from the whole vibe and community feel not only because of the supports that gothammom mentioned…the affluence and focus on Greek Life at Colgate would be less of a fit for OP IMO. Once you add in OP’s intended major, and the potential program with Columbia, Williams seems to be the best choice.
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Based on the thread I definitely agree that georgia tech should be dropped from the list. I plan to stay at williams and do the 3+2 engineering program as it’s the smartest and most affordable option. My parents desperately want me to attend georgia tech regardless of cost, but i personally also don’t think it’s the best route. Thank you all for the responses!
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I completely agree with not wanting to take out loans as i personally don’t agree with it either. I should have mentioned that my parents are the ones set on georgia tech, while i personally don’t agree with it. I’ve ruled out GT and plan to stay at williams and i see the opportunity it provides me!
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Congrats!
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