PLEASE help me find some colleges to apply to, given my unique situation

College Search & Lists
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It is really school-specific as to what major and GE requirements are required, regardless of whether the degree title is BA or BS (or something else). Indeed, some highly STEM-focused schools like MIT and Harvey Mudd have extensive humanities, arts, and social studies requirements, while some other schools like Brown and Amherst or have none (or relatively little for Brown’s ABET-accredited engineering majors which have to have some).

At schools where both BA and BS programs in CS are offered, the difference is school-specific. For example, at Cornell and Wisconsin, the major requirements for the BA and BS programs in CS are the same, but the GE requirements differ:
https://www.cs.cornell.edu/undergrad/csmajor
http://guide.wisc.edu/undergraduate/letters-science/computer-sciences/#degreesmajorscertificatestext
However, Texas has different major requirements for BS, BA, and BSA versions of the CS major:
https://www.cs.utexas.edu/undergraduate/academics/curriculum-degree-plans/degree-plans/comparing-degrees

In other words, look carefully as the curriculum and offerings, rather than just the degree title.

Software engineering as a college major tends to closely resemble CS, but with more focus on software engineering methodology instead of CS topics (however, CS majors often do take a general overview software engineering course). You can compare the curricula are schools that offer both, such as San Jose State University and California Polytechnic State University.

Computer engineering, when offered as a separate major from CS, may have a more hardware design focus than CS. Again, you can compare the curricula at schools that offer both.

62

Hey all! I’m back! So I’m taking the September ACT so that is when we can finalize my list. However I’ve used Naviance to supermatch with colleges, and have been able to add a few safety schools/one match based on my 28 ACT. Note that this obviously isn’t finalized, and I still need to look at both of Arizona’s locations. Arizona I have to apply to because I have a nice scholarship there, plus they have a good CS program, and Arizona State also has a good CS program, as well as their honors college.

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities was a top supermatch school for me, as well as the University of Utah. This means they have most of what I’m looking for in a college. They also both have good CS programs.

I also have changed my criteria a bit, hence some colleges being removed. If I go to a school that’s larger, I will have more opportunity for support being visually impaired. Also, if the school is in a larger city, it is more likely there will be a bus system I can use. I’ve also realized I’m not sure a small college is for me, I know I said in the past I thought it was. I think I just like having more options, persay.

I also would either like to go to school in the Midwest or west. And with California schools, my dad lives in San Diego so he said one option I could do would to be to stay at his house so I wouldn’t have to cover living expenses, but I don’t know if that’s still the best option because California OOS is expensive.

I plan on moving out West after I graduate, just for more CS opportunity and the nicer weather.

I might take Toledo off my list because although they have a good engineering program it’s right smack dab in middle of nowhere. And also, I don’t qualify for their full ride, it says a 3.8 GPA and apparently my UW GPA is a 3.78.

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Reach
Case Western Reserve (Cincinnati, Ohio)
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
Match
Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio)
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Safety
University of Arizona (Phoenix, Arizona)
Arizona State (Tempe, Arizona)
University of Utah (Salt Lake City, Utah)
University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio)
University of Toledo (Toledo, Ohio)

If anyone has any suggestions for schools, let me know!

64

Also I recall someone saying on CC that after a year you qualify for instate tuition for University of Utah? Correct me if I’m wrong on that.

65

You CAN qualify for instate tuition at Utah, but it requires you to live there for (most of) the summer.

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Is that just for the first summer, or every summer in college? I do plan on doing summer internships starting hopefully sophomore year. @twoinanddone

And this only applies to U of U, correct? Asking because another Utah school was a top supermatch for me as well, although I’m not sure about the size of the school/strength of their CS program.

67

Also, I talked to my GC and she’s going to talk about what happened my junior year in regards to my eyes being tired and stuff after ACT testing. She doesn’t know as much as my other GC, though. (My other guidance consoler got redistricted.) I just had her talk about it for precalc.

Apparently for most schools they don’t need a guidance consoler LOR, they only need to fill out a form in regards to academic performance and course load, which is just checkboxes. She says she’ll write a note in the “additional information” section though.

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Hi all, so my ACT score should be coming in around two or three weeks. That is when we can make final choices regarding colleges.

I’ve decided to take off U of U from my list, I just don’t feel like I’d be comfortable there. There is not enough diversity (specifically regarding religion) and it would be awkward. I’m aware that U of U is probably the most diverse university in Utah, and I love the CS program and the state itself, but it’s more the cultural imbalance there that I’m concerned about.

I’m still trying to figure out ways I could go out of state and still not burn my bank. I know ASU and U of A have really good aid, and I have a scholarship to U of A, but I’d like to think through some more options.

69

Are WUE universities affordable?

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I’m not sure. Once my mom gets her 2017 tax file returns looked up, we can complete more of the FAFSA application. I started the student part today and am 75% through.

FAFSA is based off guardian parent income, and that would be my mom, since my parents are divorced.

Based off what my mom said though, she says she makes around $22,000 a year for her gross income or something. I looked up the average income most people with the pell grant get. It said with an income around $20,000. I am almost 100% sure I will get the Pell Grant based off this information, additionally because my sister and I are starting college the same year.

I am still not 100% sure on my college choices though, it all depends on this next ACT. I hope and pray for at least a 30, but who knows! I’m going to check it this weekend.

71

Good update: so it turns out my UW GPA was wrong! My guidance consoler and I figured that out as we were looking over my common app. It’s acutally a 3.9 UW (grade replace for my precalc replaces GPA for junior year precalc) overall for all of HS. My class rank was 19.7% 98/496, but now it should improve. It’s looking like I’m going be in the top 15% or top 10%. I’m praying for the top 10%, but who knows. I go to an extremely competitive school district so it’s unlikely. They said I should get my official class ranking tomorrow, because it takes 24 hours to update the system.

I go to a top 10 school district in Ohio, so being that far up would be awesome. This does change my prospects for colleges. But everything hinges on my ACT score.

My guidance consoler did say though that it’s not worth it to put the class rank if I’m not 10%. Is this true, or should I put it even if I’m only in the top 15%? I’ll update on the class rank tomorrow.

This is great news. I was having a really rough couple of weeks. I found out my grandpa had cancer, my best friend doesn’t want to be friends anymore, and I had six tests in two weeks. This makes me feel better.

72

My daughter’s school did not report rank outside the top 10%.

73

I think top 15% is worth it. But not really after that.

74

Guys, super exciting news! I am ranked 51/496, or I’m the 10.3% She said I’m basically in the top 10%, so they’re going to print that on my transcript. I am super excited! Top 10% is pretty amazing, especially for my school. The receptionist recalculated my GPA on paper just to make sure the computer calculated it correctly.

That’s for my weighted GPA (so it calcs in my AP/CC classes weight, honors does not have special weight at my school.) My unweighted ranking is the top 13%.

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AWESOME!!! Congratulations :slight_smile: :slight_smile:
That should expand some of your choices.
And don’t forget to apply to honors college everywhere!

Don’t assume that, if the school is larger, you’ll automatically have more support. Ask each college specifically what they offer, how they handle x, y, z problem or situation… (Some may be very mundane yet essential: for instance, if you have a guide dog, is the guide dog allowed in the building? in the classroom? In the dorm? What’s the cafeteria signage, is there a braille menu…?)
Same thing for the bus: a large city doesn’t necessarily have a great bus system. (Case in point: LA). Many college towns have good bus systems, but… you can’t assume.

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That’s very true. I guess the big thing I’m worried about is I won’t be able to have much of a social life in college because of not being able to drive. I know that MANY college students (especially those who are from OOS) don’t drive. But still…

This is partially the reason why I want to go to a bigger school (more opportunities for meeting new people, more diversity) but also because many have told me the resources are just better at the disabilities services at larger schools.

I loved Otterbein, but after seeing that they don’t have APS to cross the street… I don’t feel safe crossing. It was crossed off my list then. I was also told by my O&M that from what he’s seen from his visually impaired students in college, smaller schools seem to not provide as much support. But that is only his experience.

I guess I have come to the conclusion that I wouldn’t mind going to a small school as long as it’s in a city where I get the opportunity to open up. I loved Ann Arbor (I’ve only visited Michigan, OSU, and Otterbein for college visits.) However I visited Michigan in the summer and so maybe my experience was different then. OSU was overwhelming with how many students were everywhere. I felt like I was going to bumb into students nearly every second. My O&M instructor says I should probably use a cane if I am in an area like that. Furthermore, the way the campus is situated around the city makes it stressful to walk around too, as I don’t want to get hit by a car.

But at the same time, I don’t want to feel suffocated at too small of a school.

I will retake a look at my list. Like I said, I’m almost 100% I will get the Pell Grant based off what my mom told me. I don’t want to be too much in debt, so maybe I need to take off those Arizona schools and focus elsewhere where they have good NEED based aid. I guess I am open to anywhere geographically in the US.

My O&M instructor said that the bus systems in upper OH aren’t that safe. Maybe I should take a closer look on the safety of Cinci and Case Western.

UToldeo is in the middle of nowhere, but it has good engineering and I’m pretty sure I’ll get the full ride providing I get a 30 ACT (hoping and praying.)

My math teacher told me to look at Lehigh University in Penn. She said they have a really cool combined business and CS degree offered through the college of business. It’s a reach school only a 30% acceptance rate, but it looks interesting. It also gives good need based aid like Umich.

I like Rose-Hulman, but it’s kinda in the middle of nowhere, and it’s a small school so I don’t know if that would be a good fit with both of those. It also gives good Need based aid.

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Look into Vassar: the campus is self contained, it’s very wealthy so PLENTY of resources for disability (check specifically wrt vision-impaired), and it’s a train ride away from NYC. They have CS and an open curriculum so you can easily combine anything you’re interested in. Obviously, a reach!!

Lehigh could be good - it’s very hilly, is that OK?

I don’t know about Rose HUlman’s resources, so check. It is indeed “in the middle of nowhere” for real.

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I think I’m going to keep Rose-Hulman on my list. Although it’s in the middle of nowhere (which I really don’t like) I love the strong engineering curriculum, paired with the fact that is is fairly easy to double major, or even triple major, and get it all done in four years (because you don’t have the barriers of having to take gen ends from separate colleges.) I’ve talked to a few people from Rose over social media and they say it’s fairly easy to get a double major and a lot of students do it. There’s one guy that I talked to that’s doing a triple major in CS/SE/math. SE = software engineering, so it’s fairly similar to their CS degree except for the fact that SE has more engineering classes and CS has more theory classes.

They all did say that the social life wasn’t very good outside of clubs that Rose offers. Very good things to say about the professors/curriculum/opportunities however.

But I also want to experience a social life. Although I know my main goal in college is to get an education, I’d like to branch out and experience more/have fun.

Three big downsides of Rose: in the middle of nowhere, and also not as many in depth classes offered (although professors have been known their to create a class when they have at least a few students interested in the class: such was a case for a topology class they created.) And they have VERY few choices of majors. Outside of engineering, their other majors are physics, math, chemistry, and biology. They do have one buisnsss related degree: economics, but no business school (which is something I’m somewhat interested in; although not as much as math/CS.)

I think my strong interests in STEM overtake any interest in business, but I’d like to keep that option open just in case.

79

I’m also feeling somewhat discouraged because of my first precalc grade. I was talking to my English teacher today (who is writing my LOR) and he made it seem like that original precalc grade is going to keep me out of top schools. If it weren’t for that, then he thought that I would be good to go for top schools, given my unique background and all of the projects I’ve done or collaborated with professionals on. He is right that I have a LOT of drive and that is the main reason why I’ve been able to take any opportunity that I see. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten in contact with all of those amazing people I’ve worked with or met.

He says I am resilient. I think that is pretty true. I work my butt off and am by no means naturally smart; and homework takes me two or three times longer than my peers because of my eyesight. And I have daily doctors appointments that no one else has to worry about. But that didn’t stop me from getting mostly good grades, and despite my really rough junior year having to drop a class and fail one, I still came out with only two Bs in my entire HS career. (Honestly, that darned ACT messed everything up. My junior year grades look really wacky compared to the rest of my HS classes.)

My guidance consoler said (after I talked to her) that she wrote a little note in the GC LOR for my precalc grade. I got a new GC this year so she’s not as knowing as my other one was with my medical situation. (And my other GC filled her in on it last year before she left, apparently. Hopefully though, it explained what happened well.)

Still waiting on that ACT (praying for a 30 and at least a 28 math score.)

80

Look at Earlham College. It is a top-level education at a school that has more forgiving admissions policies. Earlham may show more willingness than some other schools to forgive glitches in transcripts/GPA. Plus, they are very accommodating for every students’s idividual needs; rhey stack merit and aid money; and Earlham ranks in the top 12 schools in the nation for Women in STEM fields. Not to mention a crazy-good (although small-ish) computer science department. And a 3-2 grad program in Engineering with Columbia U.

They have truly holistic admissions requirements, so if you can write a good essay and have good recommendations, you should get in. (Although bumping that GPA up to at least a 3.8 will get your more merit money)
And… they are test-optional, so you dont even have to submit your test scores, unless you choose to.