<p>You don’t mention the most important piece of information of all: is there something about Wisconsin or UIUC or their programs that would make them better matches for you, even though they’re not likely to be able to match the FA packages of other schools on your list? If the answer is yes, by all means apply so that you can compare the offers, but go in with open eyes. </p>
<p>You might also apply to a school or two just below the selectivity level of the ones on your current list. Even schools that meet 100% of need and give little or no merit money often do “preferential packaging” of their FA, offering less in loan and more in outright grant money to the students that they most want to enroll.</p>
<p>I don’t it would matter very much. Let’s face it, most publics are very poor with financial aid.</p>
<p>My advice is don’t spend the effort on the schools which may not be able to match your need and instead concentrate more on your application to UVA and the more “elite” schools.</p>
<p>“The end result is that it is actually fairly easy to get loans, even with $100,000 debt for UG.”</p>
<p>Yeah and it is easy to get a $650,000 no principle balloon mortgage too and the same pimps, shylocks, sharks, and con artists are running those university financial aid offices. The main difference between them and the mobsters that ran the bookie joints when I was a kid is that they have less conscience and better political ties and they don’t have to launder their profits.</p>
<p>Read my lips - “There is no college or university in America worth going $100K in debt for an undergraduate degree. None. Zero. Zilch. Not harvard. Not Yale. Not Princeton, MIT, Swat, Amherst, and sorry mini not Williams either. Doesn’t exist”</p>
<p>Higherlead is correct - however - Yale, Princeton, Harvard are looking for economic diversity. Your hook might be your family’s income so at least apply to those schools and see what the FA package might be. As one poster mentioned, his D paid less for a private school than for their state university. We are a middle class family and the packages my daughter was offered from HYP were truly outstanding. Even if a school says they will meet 100% of your need, the packages can really vary with more of the need met through work/study or loans than through a grant. </p>
<p>Fortunately, if I understand you correctly, you live in Virginia so you have a superb university that is affordable. </p>
<p>Give yourself as many opinions as possible. Apply to all that you want to attend (for good reasons-i.e program, quality of education) .If you can’t afford the application fees, they can be waived. Talk with your HS counselor.
There are two schools somewhat courting my daughter and while we know that we can’t afford them, no merit aid and we make just enough not to qualify for financial aid, she is still considering applying.</p>
<p>I think it is worth the effort to evaluate all options. Then make a careful decision about what is in your best short and long term financial interest.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. I have NOT TO apply to UIUC and UWisconsin after talking with my counselor (partly because the institutions are huge and offer poor aid). Thanks everyone.</p>
<p>One more thing, anyone have any personal experiences with UIUC and UWisconsin Financial Aid?</p>