Which college to choose for computer science?

Timewinders
Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:33:49 +0000

There’s a bit of a backstory to this, but please bear with me…or just skip to the list at the bottom and help me decide.

In August I told my parents that I would rather study computer engineering than go into medicine like they wanted me to. Back then I wasn’t sure about studying computer engineering since I felt lost and hadn’t had any idea of what to do other than medicine. I latched onto the idea of studying computer engineering but didn’t know if it was actually the best decision to make. So when my parents told me that I wouldn’t be able to get a job in computers (my father works as a software engineer and believes it’s a bad time to be one) and that they wouldn’t pay a cent for college unless I studied medicine, I agreed to apply to accelerated medical programs and colleges that were good in biomedical engineering. I’ve been accepted to some mid-tier accelerated medical programs, and they were happy. I was pretty miserable for months, though, since I felt aimless, lacked control over my future, and felt a lot of anxiety about suffering through medical school and residency for years. About a month ago I decided to major in computer science and I felt very relieved that I could study something that I enjoy (I’m taking AP Computer Science and feel more talented in it than in any other subject except math) and then start working and being independent at just 22. Unfortunately, I’m in a bit of a pickle. I have yet to tell my parents, but that’s not the main problem. I didn’t apply to good computer science schools; I applied to good biomedical engineering schools and schools with med programs. There are some options, but not at CMU, Berkeley, and UIUC, which I would have applied to if I’d made my decision four months ago. Also, I may very well need to take loans for everything not covered by scholarships since my parents might not pay anything. Here are my options:


NJIT (full ride)
TCNJ (full ride)
Georgia Tech (no Presidential scholarship and not sure what other aid I might get yet - I have a high EFC and am out of state)
Penn State (out of state)
Drexel University (full tuition with National Merit Scholarship)
Miami University ($23,700 in scholarships)
Rensselaer Polytechnic (not sure yet, but I am a Rensselaer Medalist, so I’ll get something)


I’ll also have $1000 per year from my father’s company’s National Merit scholarship.