good CS programsAnswered
hey everyone, I'm having a tough time finding colleges with good cs programs ideally private and with good aid (or any public colleges in Connecticut are also fine). I have a SAT of 1600 and a 4.97 GPA weighted and pretty good extracurriculars relating to STEM. so if anyone knows any schools with good CS programs or any links to good resources it would be very helpful thank you!
P.S- prestige doesn't matter to me much but rather the academic rigor and opportunity. thanks!
edited for a spelling error
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3 answers
First up, you have got great academic credentials which means that you have a higher chance to get into the long reach (Acceptance Rates <20%)schools too. Congratulations !
A few schools with great CS program are:-
1. MIT
2. Stanford
3. UCLA
4. UC Berkeley
5. Carnegie Mellon University
6. Princeton University
7. Caltech
8. Yale University
9. Cornell University
10. Harvard University
11. Penn State University (University Park)
12. Drexel University (In case you are interested for one of the most extensive co-op programs in the US)
13. University of Chicago
14. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
15. Duke University
16. Harvey Mudd College (Highest salaries on average in the US for CS graduates)
17. UC Irvine
18. UC Davis
19. Vanderbilt University
20. Georgia Tech
21. University of Florida
22. North Carolina State University
23. UT Austin
24. University of Wisconsin (Madison)
25. Columbia University
26. University of Pennsylvania
27. Texas A&M University (Commerce)
28. Dartmouth College
29. Illinois Tech
30. Purdue University (West Lafayette)
31. New York University
32. Boston University
33. Boston College
34. Johns Hopkins University
35. University of Maryland, College Park
In case you are looking for some good in-state colleges (I am assuming from your message that you are from Connecticut):-
1. University of Connecticut (Storrs)
2. Connecticut College (Private liberal arts college with a decent CS program and huge prestige)
3. Central Connecticut State University
The universities listed above are not ordered by rankings. They are all great schools. Just find the best fit for yourself.
Hope this helps.
Congrats on the outstanding test score and GPA! I think you have two main options. The first would be to apply to the most selective schools in the country. While these programs won't give you merit-based aid (aid that you get just for being an awesome candidate), they often have the best need-based aid (aid that you get based on your demonstrated financial need). Examples include Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Cal Tech, Princeton, and U Chicago.
The second option is to go for slightly less selective programs where you might be considered for merit-based scholarships. A few of these schools (like the University of Michigan, UIUC, and University of Washington) actually have some of the best computer science programs in the country! These schools do give out many merit scholarships each year and it's definitely possible that you'll them, but it is not a certainty. There are also plenty of other schools with decent CS programs (like SJSU, Texas A&M, ASU, Lehigh, and Drexel) where you'll have a greater chance at merit-based scholarships.
Don't forget that you can get both a need-based scholarship and a merit-based scholarship at the same school! Also, private schools are more likely to give out large merit-based scholarships than public schools, though the top private schools (like the Ivies) don't give out any at all.
As you build your school list, I'd recommend trying to add some programs from all these categories! Maybe apply to a couple Ivies and elite tech schools as reaches, a couple good schools with great CS programs as targets, and some slightly less selective schools where you'll have a better chance at large merit-based scholarships as safeties. Ultimately, you can compare your options and decide which is best for you.
For our complete undergraduate CS program rankings, check out our Hub here: https://www.collegevine.com/schools/best-colleges-for-computer-science
In terms of your chances of admissions, the public top-ranking colleges are easier to get into. For example, UT Austin is somewhere around #15 in rank and you could easily get in. In terms of private, try for the top-ranked schools and just focus on the application, essays, and interview. At the end of the day, the prestige will show on your resume. And if you want to truly challenge yourself , go for Caltech, the hardest school to get into in US.
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thank you for your answer it really helped! and yes I am from ct