It’s great that you’re starting to think about colleges now. You have time to start thinking about your preferences and to craft a well-developed list of schools to apply to. There’s no need to rush through this process; take the time to find places that will be affordable and feel like a great fit!
You’re fortunate that you live in Texas, as it has some of the lowest tuition prices for its residents. Also, do you have any interest in playing tennis in college? Is there any chance that you might be recruitable?
I cannot like @MYOS1634’s post #10 enough for you…so many great suggestions.
Definitely listen to everyone who has mentioned the importance of budget. Talk with your family and find out what is affordable before any loans are taken out. On top of that, you are eligible to take out federal loans, which is up to $5500 for your freshman year and up to $28k total for your undergraduate education. But if you can share how much is doable for your family prior to any loans, then people on the board will try to offer suggestions that will suit the budget.
Here are two schools that could be possibilities:
Angelo State (TX): If your family is eligible for a Pell Grant, then it appears as though you would qualify for free tuition and fees here via their Blue and Gold Guarantee. You can earn a Cybersecurity Technologies certificate through the regular CS major, but there’s also a new degree in Cybersecurity, as well as a management information systems (MIS) major in the business school. They mention paid internships at a regional cybersecurity place that opened up there as well. Angelo State has about 9600 undergrads and is classified as a primarily residential campus.
As a Texas resident, the OP may be able to find assured admission in-state publics (though that may need an SAT or ACT score), so there would not need to be a sometimes-inaccurate assumption that being in the top end of the college’s stat range means admission.
Of course, determining affordability with the parents is also necessary.
OP is an automatic admit to Tarleton State and UTSA due to rank but not necessarily to the majors considered so being among the top of the admitted cohort would help making these universities a safety for the specific major OP is interested in. The full ride or full tuition opportunities at Tarleton State or Angelo State would make them excellent safeties. https://www.tarleton.edu/honors/
This^ in particular would be of interest
OP needs to check the exact score threshold because I’m operating from memory but I think UHouston becomes an automatic admit if she gets a 1170 SAT but again for CS would need solid grades in Math (rigor is there already in relation to what that university expects for it’s automatic admit curriculum).
I haven’t found another program like Tarleton’s where room & board costs would be covered, but some other Texas publics that would cover your full tuition & fees include:
As an FYI, your family’s income exceeds the limit for Sam Houston State’s Bearkat Promise (i.e. coverage of tuition & fees). I did not see any similar programs mentioned on the financial aid pages of Sam Houston State, Texas State, Stephen F. Austin State, or Texas Southern, but that does not mean those programs don’t exist, or that you would not qualify for the same level of financial aid after submitting your FAFSA. If any school is of interest, make sure to run the Net Price Calculator (NPC).
Sorry about the late reply. I would love to play softball or tennis in college, but I wouldn’t be too upset if not recruited. I was interested in the other colleges because they were far enough from home, they were located in states with my ideal weather (considering Texas is strictly hot 356 days a year), and had a pretty good reputation in terms of computer science. Thank you for this suggestion and I will talk to my parents about costs and how much they can contribute.
