<p>He should be sure to run the net price calculator on each school’s web site. If need-based financial aid is insufficient, he needs to check the availability of large enough merit scholarships – in that case, the reach/match/safety assessment would be based on getting the merit scholarship rather than just admission.</p>
<p>If he has UCs, CSUs, and an automatic-full-ride school as three of the applications, that leaves five more for other schools, right?</p>