I would go to MIT, Mark. You sound like someone who would love to work on projects helping profs. MIT is one of the best places for that. Looking around the i

I would go to MIT, Mark. You sound like someone who would love to work on projects helping profs. MIT is one of the best places for that. Looking around the internet (and researching lots on MIT as a grad school), I find that professors there are thought leaders of the fields. The work they do is about 15-20 years ahead of the rest of the world. And it doesn't seem like work. I can understand your financial situation. However, you DO get summers to work and make money. Once you have a school such as that AND projects that you mentioned on your resume, lucrative summer jobs will be easy to find. Trust me on that, I essentially work for 4 months then go to school for 4 months. Also, credit history aside, make sure you atleast apply for student loans. It has been my experience that once banks/govts see your promising future (and thus their financial security), they are more willing to shell out some dough.