Need To Eliminate Two Schools From My List. Which Ones to Eliminate?

Applying to College
1

Asian Male, Connecticut.
1440 SAT. 4.0 GPA. Good number of Honors and AP.
5’s on all AP exams.
Intended Major: Computer Science (minor: Robotics), Backup major: Aerospace Engineering
Family can afford 35-40k for college per year

I have these four schools on my list and need to eliminate two of them:

UMich
UIUC
UW-Madison
Virginia Tech

Here’s my reasoning for each:
UMich - love this school the most of these four. Great for everything I want. But it’s the hardest to get into and does not give good financial aid, and is very expensive.

UIUC - good CS, some robotics, but not as much as UMich.

UW-Madison - I think I can get into this school. CS is good but doesn’t do much with robotics courses besides research.

Virginia Tech - I think I can get into this school. CS is mid, has more robotics courses than the UW-Madison.

Can someone shed some light on my thoughts? How are the robotics experiences for undergraduates at these four schools? I’m considering eliminating UMich due to the cost. My college list already has 5 reaches, I’m hesitant to add another, even though I absolutely love UMich.

As for UIUC, UW-Madison, and Virginia Tech, it’s a tough call.

2

If UMich is too expensive that’s a valid reason to eliminate it. Are the other schools comfortably affordable?

If yes, then I don’t see a reason to eliminate them, except maybe for UWM if they don’t offer the courses you’re looking for.

1 Like
3

FWIW, VT will run you 45K++ per year OOS depending on fees for your major and living/dining arrangements. Next to no merit there.

Don’t forget to factor in travel expenses for all these schools (and ease of travel, nearby airports, etc.) How many times a year will you want to go back to CT?

2 Likes
4

Eliminate the ones that will not be within budget. You and your parents can try their net price calculators to see what they are likely to cost.

5 Likes
5

I think they are all going to be over budget and they all should be eliminated. What other schools are on your list? Have you made sure you have affordable options?

2 Likes
6

The approximate annual cost of attendance for OOS is:

VT- $50k
UIUC -$52k
UW-Madison $56k
Michigan - $74k

This doesn’t cover travel to and from the school and other expenses/spending money. They probably all need to come off the list. UMich and UIUC are unlikely for admission anyways. VT and Wisconsin are more likely, but still tough admits.

4 Likes
7

Sorry, I missed the updated budget when I posted up thread. I agree, all these should be eliminated as they will be unaffordable, won’t provide financial aid for OOS, and you can’t rely on getting enough merit money at these schools.

Instead, consider Purdue. It’ll be an admissions reach/high target for CS, but is close to your budget.

3 Likes
8

This question was asked and answered in your previous thread.

9

Here is the link to the OP’s other thread: Rate My College List [CT resident, 4.0 GPA, 32 ACT; CS or AE major]

2 Likes
10

Michigan isn’t great for everything you want.

Michigan, for LSA grads (which you could do CS), is $60,946 tuition + $15,328 living expenses so over $76K - that’s the first two years - this next year (will be higher when you go). The last two years at Michigan, btw, jump - and the tuition for Juniors this year is $65,216 - so they are over $80K. They are double your budget - and that doesn’t include books, pizzas out, getting there, ubers, etc. The engineering school will be more.

UIUC for CS - Tuition is in the 40s($44,464 is their highest tuition and possibly for CS) and Room and Board $14,522 - so upper 50s - and again, before getting there, books, pizza, etc.

UWM is $42104 tuition + $14124 room and board so over $56K.

Va Tech is $37,764 + $16,550.

Again these are upcoming year costs - yours will be higher. And these are estimated tuition, room and board - and college will costs more than this. Books, transport, sporting events, greek life, friday night pizzas, etc.

Do you want to check your entire list for costs? I would want to ensure you have a place to land.

Now many schools give merit to OOS but these four are highly highly unlikely to make budget.

Purdue was mentioned, and it will be a tinge over budget (there’s a surcharge in CS. So it’s a fair sub.

U Florida is about $40,800 all in - so like Purdue a tad over budget - but this is just tuition, room and board.

U MN has a chance to be within budget with merit.

But why don’t you also include schools that will be 100% at budget. Alabama will be half of budget - they actually pay you more for your SAT score and this is why, in part, there is over 2k students from the tri state area, near 2K from Texas, 1500 from Illinois, and 1K from California - they buy smart kids in. They have auto merit as do others - so you know you’re getting it.

Kansas will be high 20s, Ms State low 20s. Iowa State might be solid for you as a home. Nebraska another that likely hits with merit.

Schools like Mizzou and smaller schools like Tennessee Tech, Missouri Science and Tech, UAH offer great programs at compelling values.

Perhaps some SUNYs will be in budget, etc…perhaps. Stony Brook or Buffalo, perhaps.

You need assured schools - and I hope you have them.

All these schools have robotics courses / exposure, maybe even minors. Utah is known for this and offers a residency path.

Unless your budget is like a band aid and suddenly flexes up though, you’d likely be wasting time applying to any of those four.

11

:100:

Since the rest of my thoughts pertain to your other thread, I will post the remainder over there.

1 Like
12

Yes, eliminate all four. It isn’t actually a tough call at all. What’s the point of applying to schools that you know will be out of budget? Three possible outcomes: 1) you get rejected, 2) you get accepted and can’t attend, or 3) you get accepted, and are tempted to saddle yourself and your parents with PLUS-loan debt that you had previously resolved not to take on. Not applying in the first place is better than any of these outcomes. Especially at UMich - the OOS cost is breathtaking - where would that money come from?

For a CT student looking for affordable OOS options, why not SUNY schools? Buffalo would make budget, and it’s a great engineering school, and has a great honors college too. They offer both MechE and Aero, as well as a 4.5 year combined MechE/Aero degree, and a Robotics minor.

Your list suggests that private U’s that meet need would give you enough aid to be affordable - is that correct? If so, consider replacing your public “match” schools with privates like URochester and CWRU. You’ve got RPI - how about WPI, which is particularly good for Robotics, and has aero also? (They don’t guarantee full-need-met aid, but would likely get to your budget with need+merit.) Lehigh could be worth a look too. Run the Net Price Calculators

If you need another affordable safety and don’t like the southern big-merit schools, UMaine is another option - with Flagship Match, it would cost the same as UConn or less if you get additional merit.

Right now, your list consists mostly of private super-reaches, and OOS publics that push your budget. You should get into UConn, though, and it’s an excellent school, so if you’re okay with going there, you’re fine… and you may well get enough merit at some others, like UMass. RPI’s sticker price is around 45K after the medalist scholarship - hopefully the remaining gap would be filled with need-based aid - have you run the NPC? Hopefully this will be another affordable acceptance (and a highly-regarded one academically), but run the numbers and make sure.

Does the NPC for Northeastern show that it would be affordable? You might check out Tufts and BU also.

Affordability should be your first filter. You will have affordable options with strong programs, so be judicious about what else you add to your list - stick with schools that you would actually choose over UConn, but that you can also afford.

2 Likes
13

You can’t attend a college where you can’t pay the bills…so…how do you plan to pay for these four Out of State universities. They all appear to be over your budget.

ALL.OF.THEM.

2 Likes
14

Based on the feedback on this thread and the recent posts in the previous thread, I’m closing and referring posters to Rate My College List [CT resident, 4.0 GPA, 32 ACT; CS or AE major]

2 Likes