<p>Just to let you know, if your son is a good student and money is a concern, the top schools might not actually be a bad deal. My family definitely didn’t have the money to pay for CMU, but thankfully they were willing to match a financial aid offer I got from a slightly lower ranked peer institution. It’s definitely not a bad idea to cast a wide net and see who comes back with a good offer, then try to show that offer to anyone else that accepted him.</p>
<p>(Also, I saw you mention Jewish neighborhoods, and CMU’s actually right down the road from a rather sizable one called Squirrel Hill. I used to get really bad looks for buying matzoh and a pork butt at the same time. :()</p>