<p>When it comes to safety school, you are looking for a least one school that you know will take you and that you can afford. After running your parents financials through the FAFSA EFC and some NPCs, you should have some idea as to what colleges are going to be expecting them to pay. IF you have not, then do so. You then need to get some idea as to what they actually can and will pay, which is usually an entirely different amount. Bear in mind that schools like Georgetown that guarantee to meet full need, define that need and many will not be giving out merit money. Your package will strictly be need based by their formula.</p>
<p>When you are looking at schools that do not guarantee to meet full need, it gets even trickier, as you know the chances of even getting that can be low. If there are sizable merit awards in the picture, that may be something to consider. If your test scores are way up there, it is a distinct possibility to get some nice merit money. </p>
<p>My immediate pick out of the bunch would be DU. Great school, very under appreciated and not as well known as it should be. Denver is a great city, and the school is one that is seeking more diversity. Their IR department is quite good and the school is nice sized, and it has a good mix of those who live there and commute. The thing that stands out about MW is that there are a lot of commuters. I visited MW, loved the campus which was everything I would want in a college, loved the town and the proximity to DC, but it was just a little too suitcase/commuter for me. As a state school, I don’t think they have a whole lot in extra funds for OOSers, which is what you would be. Goucher is a strikingly beautiful school, but I don’t think they’ll be paying much for a female international American . You are not at all unusual in that student body. Eckerd, I don’t know much about. Look into what the chances are for aid there. </p>
<p>Still, I don’t look at DU as a safety school for anyone, especially someone who needs substantial aid, regardless of how high your Test scores are. For a true safety, look for some schools where you would be a true superstar and that have some big merit money. </p>
<p>I guess a big question would be what the NPC and EFC are saying your family should pay, as that would make a difference as to whether you can even get enough aid to cover what you need to get. If your EFC is $30k with NPCs coming in around that level as well, there is no way that you will get enough financial aid to bring the cost down to what your family can pay. Merit would be the way you have to go, and it would have to be big time merit money since merit awards will reduce financial aid money so that all you still end up paying what the school says you can afford, the way it works.</p>