Looking at the schools from your original list, it looks as though you prefer mid to larger schools. There seems to be a strong preference for the northeast or midwest, and urban or suburban locations. Based on what I was able to surmise, these are some schools you may want to consider. Note that I also placed some additional emphasis on schools in state capitals which can be very useful for students interested in poli sci.
Extremely Likely (80+% chance of admission…my very fallible guess)
DePaul (IL): About 14k undergrads at this Chicago school. It’s a very urban campus with plenty of depth in your major areas of interest
Loyola Chicago (IL): About 12k undergrads here. It’s more of a traditional campus with plenty of breadth in your major areas of interest.
Marquette (WI): This Milwaukee school has about 8k undergrads
Seton Hall (NJ): This school just outside of NYC has about 6k undergrads
U. of Dayton (OH): About 9k undergrads here
U. of St. Thomas (MN): About 6k undergrads at this St. Paul school, in the capital of Minnesota
Virginia Commonwealth: About 21k undergrads at this school in Richmond, just a few miles from the state capitol
Likely (60-79% chance of admission…my very fallible guess)
Binghamton (NY): about 14k undergrads, very strong reputation, and is reportedly trying to attract more high caliber students from out-of-state
College of New Jersey: About 7k undergrads, and not far from the state capital, either.
Fordham (NY): About 10k undergrads in New York City; veering towards extremely likely for you
George Washington (D.C.): About 12k undergrads at this very urban school; the internship opportunities during school term are pretty much unparalleled here.
Providence (RI): veering toward extremely likely; about 4200 undergrads; location not far from the state capitol
Since you’re interested in California schools and qualify for need-based aid, have you considered the Claremont Colleges? All meet full need (although each has its own formula). Scripps and Claremont McKenna have some decent merit scholarships as well. Student journalism is top-notch there; the consortium has a shared student newspaper (with paid positions available) that has launched many journalism careers. Poli Sci and econ programs are strong (CMC probably the best for finance). While each college is small, the consortium schools are closely intertwined, and the overall community is the size of a mid-sized university. From the way you describe your financial situation, the 5C’s could be more affordable than the UC’s for you, and they offer terrific opportunities for undergrads.
I have no doubt that the OP has amazing pedigree. It’s just there are A LOT of students with stellar pedigree too (in similar or different ways) especially for the schools that the OP is targeting. This is the reality.
I hope the OP gets into her dream school ( I am sure nobody wishes otherwise) but we all want to be honest that there are so many factors that are out of OP’s control. You mentioned that you are an applicant too, so I am curious to know your experience. I am sure you see friends/classmates with impressive pedigree getting rejected by top schools/highly selective schools.
And I believe the OP wants to hear the truth.
I agree that Fordham would be extremely likely for OP. OP would also be likely to receive the full tuition National Merit scholarship, and would be in the running for the Cunniffe (full ride including tuition, room & board, plus stipend.) Fordham’s Gabelli Business School is highly ranked, places many graduates onto Wall Street, and allows for a double major in other areas of interest. The NYC location can’t be beat for internships.