<p>So here's my situation:</p>
<p>Up until quite recently, my parents had given me to understand that I would not need to apply for any sort of financial aid. My dad's a lawyer for a firm that does some all-or-nothing cases - anti-tobacco litigation, that sort of thing - and so when he wins a case, it makes it look like we did really well in the past tax year, when really we don't actually get any money because it can take years.</p>
<p>Therefore, I'm unlikely at best to get any kind of financial aid, even subsidized loans. My parents are willing to pay the cost of state university ($13K/yr) but no more, because I was accepted to the honors college at state university and they feel that's a perfectly acceptable option. I was accepted early, and they want me to enroll and not bother waiting for other acceptances/rejections.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I might convince my parents that another college (such as one of the several East Coast colleges I applied to, all of which are around $40K/yr) might be best for me? My brother's about to start high school at a private school, so I can only push this so far before it's very selfish of me...but I think I want to major in poli sci and intern in Congress, so DC is really the best place for college.</p>