Rate My College List [CT resident, 4.0 GPA, 32 ACT, <$40k; CS or AE major]

Applying to College
21

Since my last post may have been a bit dispiriting, here are some suggestions of schools that are strong in engineering and would be very likely (if not guaranteed) to meet budget. As a head’s up, when I list the annual costs for your family, I am referring to tuition and fees plus room and board as listed in College Navigator (the feds’ website).

There are small schools, medium schools, and large schools here. Rural to urban schools. Schools with big athletic spirit and schools that are not known for that quality. If you can let us know if any of these resonate (or repel) and why, that would help posters to provide better-targeted suggestions for you.

  • Clarkson (NY): About 2700 undergrads and offers very generous merit aid, probably generous enough for your qualifications to get within your budget.

  • Iowa State: About 25k undergrads and you would receive a $12k/year scholarship here (source). This would leave your family with about $26k in costs.

  • Michigan Tech: About 5700 undergrads here. You’re eligible for a $17k/year scholarship here (source). This would leave your family with a bill of about $37-38/year.

  • Missouri Science & Tech: About 5500 undergrads here. You’re currently eligible for $16k/year in merit aid and if you get your SAT up 10 points or ACT up 1 point, you’d be eligible for $20k/year (source). So this school would be around $28k/year, and possibly $24k/year if you can boost your score slightly.

  • South Dakota Mines & Technology: About 2200 undergrads here. Sticker price is around $24k/year (it’s nice the state is using its oil boom for higher ed). And you’d get an additional $7k/year in merit aid (source) bringing the price down to about $17k/year.

  • U. of Louisville (KY): About 16k undergrads here. You’re eligible to receive $16k/year in merit aid here (source). This would leave your family with costs of about $25k/year.

  • U. of Minnesota – Twin Cities: About 39k undergrads here. You’re eligible for $15k/year in merit aid here (ran the NPC with the max income and asset amounts to ensure that only merit aid would be provided). This would leave your family with costs around $35k/year.

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22

I’m now interested in schools that grant auto merit for my stats. I know University of Alabama is a great example of this. Will definitely apply there as application process doesn’t look too hard. I know others mentioned UMN, University of Utah, and Iowa State. What are some other good ones for my interests?

23

Utah has gotten less generous with merit, but they allow all OOS students to take their path to residency and pay in-state rates for years 2-4, so even without merit, it would meet your 4-year budget if you did that. The honors college is great, too.

Iowa State is a great suggestion - excellent for engineering.

Closer to home, Miami of Ohio would give you a minimum of 15K/year off their 57K/year sticker price, and very possibly more. They have an Honors College too.

As I mentioned on your other thread, SUNY Buffalo could be a great fit academically, and they have an honors college too. I don’t think they spell out auto-merit but they tend to match or beat in-state flagship prices for high-stat students.

NJIT has some big scholarships, as does Temple.

Would needs-met privates like URochester, CWRU, and Lehigh give you enough aid?

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24

I don’t think UMN is auto merit but run the NPC. If you get in, I believe you get $15k.

There’s so many - Kansas, Nebraska, UAH, Arizona,and many more.

Than there will be others like a Delaware, Miami Ohio (which lists a minimum), Ohio State, S Carolina etc where you know you are getting merit but you don’t know exactly how much.

There’s also moderately priced schools at full cost - UF, UGA, Purdue, Ga Tech - if that full pay works for you.

Utah has the path to residency but even if you didn’t take it’s a lot $50k before merit.

Many LACs have CS too and can deep discounts if that interests you.

For midsize, schools like UAH (surrounded by aero companies) is an auto merit home run. And in privates, Florida Tech is a big discounter and is surrounded by Aero and Nasa companies.

There’s not a ton of ABST Aero schools - 78 but some have minors and frankly MechE is substitutional job wise.

But some solid cost schools (merit or not) ie under $50k (many well under) would be - of the 78:

Akron
UAH - 20ish auto merit
Bama - 20 ish auto merit
Arizona
Arizona State
Auburn
Buffalo
Clarkson - with merit
UCF
Embry Riddle - big merit private
Florida Tech - big merit private
U Florida - low 40s full pay
Ga Tech
Iowa state
Kansas high 20s with merit
Minnesota high 30s with merit
Ms State 20ish
Ohio state with merit
Oklahoma
Purdue - low 40s full pay
RPI if big merit - see RPI Medal
S Carolina with merit
WVU
W Michigan - does well in aero
Wichita State - does well in aero

I’m sure I missed some like the Cal States are priced attractively.

What $$ would you like to achieve would be the next question…

25

The other reason I’m removing UMich from my list is because I’m planning on pursuing CS at the LSA. I reached out to UMich and they said LSA CS students cannot take courses at the COE, however you can transfer to COE fairly easily.

26

It’s not because your budget is $40k and the school is twice that ?

Honestly that seems more a reason.

Please don’t lose sight of what you commented budget wise which trumps (IMHO) anything else.

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27

Nearby AAMU offers a full ride for 3.75 HS GPA and 28 ACT: Scholarships - Alabama A&M University

28

A fine choice if the student seeks an HBCU.

They do not offer Aero, however. And they have a scholarship app which leads me to believe it’s not assured although I don’t know for sure.

But certainly a fair offering if the school interests the student.

29

OP has not expressed any preference on the matter, and is neither White nor Black.

(Moderator edit)

31

Please take the back and forth to pm.

32

In post #21 just above your post I suggested several different schools and gave the probable price points for you. It would be helpful to know your thoughts on those schools before suggesting additional ones.

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33

I like Ohio State, UAH, UMN, and Michigan State (from the schools which aren’t already on my list). I like the robotics minors they offer as well.

Clarkson’s robotics minor is quite bland.

Iowa state is a nice school, auto admission and merit.

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34

Glad you found some schools that are likely to fall within budget that you like! How did the NPCs turn out at the private schools? Will those schools be affordable or not?

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35

I like the NPC results of MIT and JHU. I’ll accept what Cornell and CMU give me. It’s okay but not great. Northeastern, not so much. But hey, no supplementals, and good acceptance history from my school into CS, I might as well give it a crack.

36

Here’s my finalized college list:

Cornell - ED
Georgia Tech - EA
UMD - EA
Purdue -EA
UIUC - EA
Virginia Tech - EA
MIT - RD
CMU - RD
JHU - RD

No Supplementals:
Northeastern - EA
UConn - EA
Rutgers - RD (Dec 1)
RPI - EA (Dec 1)
UMN - EA
Ohio State - EA
UAH - EA
Bama - EA
Suny Buffalo - EA
Suny Plattsburgh - EA

I dropped UW-Madison because it doesn’t offer the depth in robotics I’m looking for. My biggest goal was to limit the number of schools I gotta do supplementals for. I could even drop Virginia Tech if I get in somewhere better. For Engineering School, do I have to EA to Virginia Tech (as an OOS student)? Thinking about competitiveness of it.

Found that MIT is affordable, JHU was good too. CMU was okay. Cornell was acceptable enough to ED there.

37

I think you’ll find more than enough about robotics at each school - more than you think.

If your budget is $40k, I don’t understand your list. Cutting UWM was smart and cutting Va Tech makes sense for the same reason - very slim odds of getting close to $40k. UIUC is another to cut if you’re serious about your $40k budget. And Rutgers is well above. UMD - another - to me wasting time.

Having UMN is a great sub for the UIUC/ Wis deletion and it’s on your list.

Plattsburgh - explain that to me. I don’t get it.

Btw even schools without an essay likely have one for Honors. UAH did when my son applied, for example. But you may find essays are duplicative so not as long as you think.

You don’t need 20. So I’d cut Va Tech, Illlinois, Rutgers, UMD, Wisconsin and I’m not understanding Plattsburgh. Ga Tech won’t come close to budget either.

You don’t need to add any schools but schools like K State, Nebraska, and FSU will make budget. UF is just over budget. WVU too and will make budget.

Miami Ohio has a Robotics Engineering major and could make budget. UTK may also be a possibility. And U of South Carolina too.

Your list is great but many make little sense given your budget. You mention not wanting to do essays. I’d rather do essays than apply to schools I’ll have no chance to afford. But while you can cut schools without the need to replace them, if you must replace them, apply to schools you have a chance to attend.

Good luck.

38

You have a good, varied list. There are a few that are very unlikely to be affordable, as tsbna says. You don’t have to cut down up-front if you don’t want to, but I would sort the list for each deadline by projected affordability, and leave the financial long-shots for last; then if you get sick of doing apps, you can stop, no harm done. Have you run the NPC for WPI? Great robotics there, and they have aero also.

Do you strongly prefer Cornell over JHU? It sounds as if the financial projection for JHU is significantly better, and they give a pretty good ED bump also (15% ED acceptance rate vs. 6% RD… not quite as good as Cornell’s 19% vs. 5% differential, but in the same ballpark). Of course, your ED school should be your true favorite; but if you like both and JHU’s aid projection is a lot better, it’s something to think about. Have you visited both? Also worth noting that Hopkins has ED2; so if you do apply ED to Cornell and it doesn’t work out, you’d still have that option.

At any rate, you have some excellent schools on your list that should also be affordable and are very likely to admit you, so you’re well-positioned even if the big reaches don’t come through… and you have a shot at the big reaches too. I look forward to hearing how the application process goes for you - good luck!

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39

I cut UWM because it does not offer the depth into robotics that I’m looking for. UMD and UIUC do. Virginia Tech, not so much, so I’m tempted to cut it as well.

Got it confused with SUNY buffalo.

Cornell is definitely my favorite, no doubt about it. EDing to Cornell. I love Georgia Tech as well.

40

Two polar opposite schools - Cornell and Ga Tech. Have you been to either?

Back to your $40K budget - are you able to pay more if you get into the schools that are $60K that you like? Or why apply?

My comment wasn’t related to robotics and I personally think all have more than you realize - it was related to your stated budget and choosing schools that will little to no chance of meeting it.