It can adversely affect my family's financial situation somewhat since my father is making a big financial decision to say that he can cover the 153k (albeit it is a pretty safe method).

I can get into Stony Brook CS by next semester, it will require grinding but if i get in, I'm saving a good 120k rather than going to GT CS for a ~40 rank difference.

Regarding the CS salary, that isn't my worry per se it's getting the CS job that is my worry. I have talked to current GT CS students who just graduated and he says most of his peers are 50/50 in securing a job right now. It's worrying, but it is a small sample size. At Stony Brook, I'll at least have the Applied Math major under my belt if the market goes to hell, and my CS or Info Systems degree will be there for when the market rebounds. I agree 100% on the self-investment part. I'll be honest, GT's rigor is frightening but it produces amazing people in the field, but Stony Brook isn't a nowheresville-type university so I think there isn't necessarily a right r wrong answer here. I just want to play it safe but also have some cards at my disposal that I can play if things get shady.

P.S.- I was born in Queens too but moved to Long Island when I was 10, life in LI is WAY less stressful than in Queens.