<p>For what it is worth, I was responding to OP in #27 where she asked for comments about schools such as Michigan and UW. She had noted that size is not that important, as long as there is a way to create a smaller, more peaceful, intellectual experience within a big school. At UW, Honors in Letters & Science is open to all admitted students, by application, and is not a separate living/learning experience. My son is in Honors, and it gets him Honors discussion section with the prof at the intro level, rather than TA, plus scholarship/funding for research. </p>
<p>UW is roughly 60% instate, plus 15% Minnesota, and 25% other locations, drawing heavily from Chicago suburbs and east and west coasts. For a student looking for solid safeties, a school like UW or other major publics could work.</p>