Drastic Financial Aid Difference?

OP just remember that Columbia already as a very very low acceptance rate. Not to mention the few slots reserved for HEOP. Cast a wide net. But start with researching your SUNY/CUNY choices. Usually you can do EA (not binding) at many of them, so that at least you go into the admissions cycle with a back up plan that would work well for you.

Once you have some good bets lined up, which you like and cn afford (known as safeties), the pressure to choose some reaches/matches will be less stressful. Of course you have to evaluate and re evaluate with real scores.

30 isn’t that high at NYU, Columbia, Hamilton, Colgate, Vassar… but it’d be too high for EOP at the SUNYs. Your best bet is thus HEOP to all the top colleges in the state, while applying to Honors Colleges at the top SUNYs (Geneseo, Bing, SB, etc.).