Help me decide for CS: Wisconsin ($57k) vs UMass ($34-43k) vs Rochester ($35k) vs UIUC (not CS, $35K)

College Search & Lists
1

i recently visited a bunch of colleges. these are my options (i’m an illinois resident btw). i don’t know about finances just yet due to FAFSA delays but i’ll provide my scholarship information.

UW-Madison
pros: close to home, #12 for CS, i love the surrounding area, great social life, lot of extracurriculars and clubs im interested in

cons: potentially high cost? haven’t received financial aid package yet. i also haven’t visited campus yet.

UMass Amherst
pros: #22 for CS, lively campus, variety of internship and networking opportunities, many people that share my ethnicity, good food, felt like i belonged when i visited and i had an amazing experience with the university overall, boston is not too far (i love exploring cities)

14K scholarship per year

cons: super far away. 15 hour drive!

UIUC
Disclaimer: I did NOT get in for CS @ Grainger. I got in for Systems Engineering, my second choice. i extensively researched the intercollegiate transferring process and it is definitely possible, but provided i get high grades in the required courses. i plan on transferring to CS + BioE or Bioengineering to get a CS minor. my thing is, do i take the risk and go here even though i’ll be under a lot of pressure? i got in for CS EVERYWHERE else so i would be working towards my intended major from the start, whereas at UIUC, i am delayed.

pros: close to home, many known friends on campus, good vibes on campus, good food, excellent opportunity for CS overall, in state tuition

cons: the risk of not being able to see through with transferring. i did not get in for CS.

University of Rochester
pros: nice feel to campus, research focused university, well ranked in many areas, flexibility in curriculum, able to double major easily (BME), downtown rochester is close by

cons: far away from home, kind of dead social life (according to reddit), mid food, surrounding area is kinda dead

HELLA good financial aid package, tuition is 35k a year if i attend rochester which is the same as in state tuition for UIUC

i would really appreciate some insight as i’m kind of lost. there are many things to consider but ultimately, i’m going to study CS and BME (either as a double major or minor). i’m also slightly interested in pre-dental and incorporating new dental technology as a dentist, so going to a school where these 3 areas are well ranked is important to me. thank you!

1 Like
2

If you are confident that you want to study CS as your primary or double major, I would personally drop UIUC from the list, since this would be a tougher and more risky path there… as long as you have other affordable acceptances with this major, of course.

Have you estimated the cost at each of the other options (by running NPC if FA package not yet available) and are they all affordable?

3

I don’t think FAFSA is going to impact your OOS publics other than you’ll get access to a loan. Out of state publics, short of UVA and UNC which guarantee to meet need, don’t have a reason to help you need wise. They might - but I wouldn’t count on it.

Wisconsin - you love the surrounding are but you’ve not been to campus - do you know the area from prior visits? Otherwise, I’m a bit perplexed by the statement.

For UMASS - you have a variety of networking and internship opportunities - hmmmm - you don’t think you have those same opportunities everywhere? You do - hence today jobs are found on linkedin/indeed - but that’s not an advantage (or disadvantage) vs. others on your list.

So in state tuition for systems engineering at UIUC is $18K but room and board is $17K. Are you meaning all in is $35K? You say Rochester is $35K tuition but I want to make sure it’s all in - so that you are comparing apples to apples. So Illinois is tuition, room and board and so is Rochester.

So you didn’t share the Wisconsin cost but for tuition, room and board (without the extras like transport) is high 50s. Can you afford that? If not, easy to eliminate.

You say UMASS gave you $14K. So it’s $57K - so that makes it $43K for tuition, room and board after merit. You won’t have to worry about food there (you noted for Rochester) as they are top 3 in most rankings in the country. Can you afford $43K, if not easy to eliminate?

So you have - and please clarify on Rochester tuition - if you mean all in vs. just tuition.

Rochester - $35K
Illinois - $35K
UMASS - $43K
Wisconsin - $57K

You can wait for FAFSA but I’m assuming no need aid (OOS) and Rochester has your CSS so they already know and made an offer.

First cut - can you afford all four? Or do you parents want to afford? If not, eliminate.

As for Rochester or UIUC, different schools, different experiences, and different majors.

To me it becomes a question of distance vs. assuredness of what you want to study.

If you truly know you want CS, you should choose, in my opinion, Rochester. If you’re unsure (and college kids change) and the distance really troubles you (a short plane flight), then UIUC is viable.

If UMASS is affordable and you visit and like it, then you get great food, your major and a solid program. It’s college so you shouldn’t be going home each weekend but stuff happens. It’s also a short flight - but a little harder to get to the airport - but that’s not a reason, to me, to eliminate a school.

Best of luck in whatever you decide.

4

as for the wisconsin statement - i have a few friends that go to UW-Madison and have shown me how lively the surrounding area is.

Rochester $35K tuition is all in, including room and board.

I haven’t received any cost info from Wisconsin and UMass yet (FAFSA delay), but after running it in the net price calc, UMass comes out to 34K per year. I cannot say for certain what Wisconsin is because I haven’t received any scholarship info yet.

Cost isn’t an issue for us; I’m trying to focus on what the best school is for my intended majors (CS, BME, potential pre-dental)

To be honest, you haven’t really given me a solid answer. I know my question is complicated as there are many factors that go into it, but you’ve really just spit back already known information.

5

My job isn’t to give you an answer - because you need to make the decision for yourself. No one here knows you - so to say you should do this or that - could be totally wrong for you.

That said, you didn’t give much to work with. Now you just said costs don’t matter - but you listed costs above - hence I gave you, actually a full answer:

If costs mattered and Wisconsin, high 50s, was too high - then pull it off. If costs don’t matter and it’s close to home, great social life and great for academics - then you might want to go. But I believe they have “required” GPAs to keep moving along in the major - so consider that.

If UMASS is $34K, you’d get need aid - which would surprise me - and please make sure they are not including a loan in that as many schools do. But I noted - UMASS gives you what you want, including quality food - but it is farther from home and a bit harder from the airport.

I gave you similar on Rochester sans food - and noted that at UIUC, I would assume not getting your major. How critical is that to you?

I can’t answer these questions for you nor can anyone else. They can say what they would do but we are not you and don’t know you - so I’ve given you things to consider.

If distance is a deal breaker for you, then you have UIUC (not your major) and Wisconsin (your major) to choose from. Since cost doesn’t matter, that UIUC will be $20K+ cheaper shouldn’t matter (but talk to your parents about that). btw - UIUC locks tuition for four years which is nice.

If distance isn’t a deal breaker, both UMASS (large flagship) and Rochester (smaller school) are both compelling with UMASS strong in food but not airport access and Rochester 180 degrees diffrerent.

I will not answer the question for you of where you should choose. After all, your subject line says “help me”, not decide for me - and I believe I did so in both messages.

Thanks

6

Ok, so if they are all affordable, I would drop UIUC since you did not get your intended major.

I think the others are all fine schools for CS, speaking from the perspective of a person in CA bay area who hears a lot of anecdotes about hiring of interns and software engineers at the big famous companies out here.

I do not have any expertise in BME or pre-dental so I can’t advise you on the “ranking / perception” side of that question.

However, given that you have broad interests, I would suggest looking closely at each university’s actual curriculum to see how much flexibility you would have to take courses outside your primary CS major.

3 Likes
7

This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. If you’d like to reply, please flag the thread for moderator attention.