When it comes to math, I’d say I’m pretty good at it. Freshman year I took regular math and got a b+, sophomore year I took honors and got a b+ as well. This year I’m taking honors algebra 2 and hoping for a similar grade, next year I’ll probably take honors precalc, so I won’t be taking calculus until college unless I self study. I enjoy the subject, it’s probably the class I am most engaged in, I just don’t happen to ace every single test. I am aware of the rigorous math and physics, the only reason I started taking honors math and am taking AP physics this year is because of that. I don’t think I’m going to get to a point where I hate it because I know at 1 point I didn’t even understand how division worked in elementary, the point is I know that I will work through it.
When it comes to 27k over 4 years, I don’t think I have to worry about it. I have people in my family including 1 of my siblings taking out way more than I even want to
I’m not really a party person, so I don’t think I will mind the studying. I think besides getting the degree, I want to meet some new people and make some new friends, join clubs, experience stuff, but my main focus should still be on studying. This summer I haven’t really been doing anything and Ive genuinely wanted to go back to school… Lol
Rutgers will cost over $120,000 over 4 years in state, TCNJ will cost more. You can only borrow $27,000. OOS public’s will run $50,000 a year.
It’s ok then you end up in Pre Calc. No need to self study.
And out of state colleges range in cost from $20k-$85k. I wouldn’t make a general price comment on price. Even without merit some (many in fact) are less than $50k
As I said do your best this year. Get your test score. In a year we’ll find a school to meet your needs, and hopefully at your no loan budget.
You may or may not have to trade off geographically but you’re a year premature to worry about that.
Ps stay active outside of school too. Fill in the resume.
Take these next months to understand what your parents can afford - get an actual #. Not today. But by spring.
Don’t over think this. You’ll be fine.
Not having calculus in high school is fine - the tippy-top super-competitive schools expect AP Calc, but that’s not the level you’ll be aiming for. You just have to be ready to start calculus when you get to college, and be well-prepared to handle it. Don’t worry about self-studying calculus, just make sure your pre-calc foundation is rock-solid.
The important thing will be to be serious about school this year. Not saying you weren’t already… but junior year is particularly important. If you do well in AP Physics and AlgII Honors, that will assure colleges that you’re on the right track, whereas if your grades drop as the classes get harder, they’ll be more hesitant.
In the SUNY system, Oswego would be a likely admit for you, and it has a great co-op program. SUNY Poly seems like a match school stat-wise, and the admit rate is over 80% so I think you’d probably get in there too unless they’re a lot more selective for your major and/or for OOS. SUNY New Paltz is a really nice campus in a great little college town; their admit rate is a bit lower at 58%, but your stats are in range and I think it’s a good possibility. SUNY New Paltz | Division of Engineering Programs SUNY Maritime has EE also, but it’s more EE than CE (they do not have CS, but they do have a Data Science and Machine Learning major in addition to the EE major) and you’d have to want the whole maritime experience… but you’d get in here, and the program offers a lot of great practical experience if you’d like that context. And lastly, SUNY Albany has an ECE major that seems like potentially a good fit - getting in there is not a slam-dunk but it’s certainly possible.
And UMaine, as I mentioned, would also get you a well-respected engineering program at an in-state reciprocity price.
I think you can get into engineering at Rowan, too, so it’s not as if you have to leave the state; it’s just nice to have multiple options.
So you’ve got a range of options at the mid-30’s cost of Rutgers. Outside of NJ/NY/ME, you’ll generally have to get some merit to bring the costs anywhere close to these schools - which could happen at some schools, but you’d have to choose them carefully. If you tell us more about what kind of setting you’re looking for, how far from home you’re willing to go, etc., there will probably be more suggestions.
As an example, U of Louisville has a cool engineering program that’s very much project-based. It’s public, with a sticker price of about $43K all-in, but they also offer their Regional Scholars merit award to NJ students, which with your current stats would lower the price by $14K, bringing your out-of-pocket under 30K. The School of Engineering has EE, CS, and CSE majors, and a CE minor. There’s a lot to like about this program, and the Engineering Living-Learning Community offers lots of support and camaraderie. Would something like this appeal enough to go 700ish miles from home? Just one example - there are options out there, and no need settle for choices that will put you in major debt.
I might still be in debt even if I end up spending that much on college, but it’s fine with me. Unless I am wrong, I am fine with being indebt because it seems to be inevitable, I just don’t want to be more indebt than I could be otherwise.
Will your parents co-sign fir private loans or take on parent plus loans?
Again, cart b4 the horse. Talk to them about what they can spend. It needn’t be now.
It doesn’t sound like you really know.
If they are truly low income, there are programs to help too. NJ has the Garden State Guarantee for incomes up to $100k.
My advice - get off the CC. Stop thinking about college and finances. Come back late spring or after school ends with your current academics, test score, and budget. You keep talking about loans (that you can’t get) but haven’t stated a # that your family can and will pay.
You’ll be better off not obsessing now.
Good luck.
Probably.
Honestly, with all the SUNY schools that has the tuition guarantee, I am not sure if I would want to attend them since they are not as highly ranked as some of the other schools I could definitely get into such as Iowa State. I know abet accreditation is all that really matters, but I still want to go to a school that is decently ranked. Thanks for all the info you gave though. I will still consider them, especially UAlbany as it has the biggest enrollment of those listed schools and for now I think I want to go to a bigger school.
Your right about me thinking I should get off this site, I probably will in a few days especially with all the new info I got from this forum, and I could check with my guidance counselor once school starts back up for me.
You need to find an affordable school - hence you need a budget - that’s accredited depending on the field.
It doesn’t matter if it’s W Michigan or Michigan - the same companies hire grads from both.
This thread is a bit harsh but I encourage you to skim through and then near the end - I don’t know - last 50 or 100 messages read them.
It’s a cautionary tale when someone puts a name ahead of their stated budget.
Don’t be that student.
Good luck.
I do get that they hire the same groups of people, but if a school isn’t ranked high and doesn’t look appealing to me otherwise, I would either have to tour it or not consider it.
I am not exactly sure, I honestly can spend as much as I can but that would equal debt
As noted above…YOU can take $5500 in Direct Loans in your name for your freshman year. Anything over that amount will either require a parent to take the loan, or a parent co-signer. Will your parents co-sign loans in this amount? Will they be qualified borrowers for all four years of your undergrad college? Ask them…otherwise you need a plan that doesn’t involve these loans.
Your goal is an affordable admittance. The thing with loans - you have to pay em back and more than you borrow. Hence, forget interest. With fees you don’t even net the amount you borrow. They take money off the top. Who wants that ??
This other student played the but I want a bigger name and then ended up at a Penn State branch. He had affordable admittances but let them go for the reason you just stated.
My kid went to a no name and had 19 interviews and 5 offers by xmas. He turned down interviews in the spring.
But again take the next year to strengthen your position, then report back.
We are way ahead time wise here.
Then they have a qualified co-signer. Period.
Based on how much my sibling is taking out for college, they should definitely be able to co-sign however much the loans cost. But I will make sure.
The rankings have little to do with how well a school is a fit for what you wrote earlier
I want to meet some new people and make some new friends, join clubs, experience stuff
Rankings are based on stuff magazines can easily measure since they need to evaluate hundreds of schools. For US News about 40% of the ranking is from graduation-rate related stats which says nothing about goals you listed above, nor for that matter do any of the rest used in ratings. Also ignored are measures of aspects you might care about such whether faculty are more focused on research or teaching, friendliness of students and what type of students the school tends to attract, how supportive the program is to students in difficult majors like engineering, and so on. Take a look for yourself how ratings are made and see if any of this really matters to you at https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/ranking-criteria-and-weights
What I am trying to say with the first thing you quoted is that many lower ranked schools seem to exclude some of the clubs I am interested in. They seem to compromise on something I feel is important, but who knows.