I just read somewhere that U Michigan along with UI have some of the best financial aid packages… is this true? Or only for in-staters?
@dragonfly26 I would assume that’s only for instaters. OOS cannot receive need-based aid, I believe, and the most OOS merit I’ve seen is 10K for phenomenal stats. That means it would likely cost you 45-50K.
@Qwerty568 Hm, didn’t know that. Thank you 
Which school are you referring to as UI? I don’t think that any of the Illinois state schools have good financial aid, even for in-staters.
I hate to be a downer, but not only is the 30 ACT an issue for even the so-called ‘lower Ivies’ - a 30 ACT is the 25th percentile at Cornell:
http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg02_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=787
- a gpa of 3.75 is as well. Most of the competitive unhooked applicants to those schools have 3.9s and 4.0s.
If you’re willing to look at liberal arts colleges in addition to universities, you’ll have a better chance at finding a school that meets full financial need but is more within reach. Kenyon, Macalester, Grinell?
@hs2015mom I was thinking University of Illinois. The list I found is here: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/51-colleges-with-the-best-student-financial-aid/
Thank you for this - I was getting kinda suspicious at people pushing me towards the Ivies. (And not just from people on here. I’ve had teachers/counselors tell me I should try for Columbia too. ???) I’m not heartbroken though. I’m happy with what I’ve got, plus I think those schools come with more pressure and stress than I could handle.
@dragonfly26 I’m glad; you’ve got a great attitude. I’m baffled by the UofI inclusion on that list of best financial aid. It’s from 2010, and Illinois has descended further into financial distress since then, but I’m surprised (and skeptical) about its inclusion on a ‘best’ list even then.
I know it can be a touchy subject in families, but you do need to get some hard numbers on how much your parents and grandparents will/can contribute. If financial aid becomes a significant issue, it can change a college list dramatically. The net price calculators take about 10 minutes to complete, and require tax return information, home value and mortgage balance. If your parents don’t feel comfortable providing you with the information, they should run the NPCs and then talk with you about what they’ve seen.
You’re putting a lot of good thought and effort into this, but the affordability piece is huge, and needs to be addressed at the beginning of the college search, not at the end of it.
@hs2015mom Will do Thank you very much!
No doubt, Cornell is a reach for the OP. But probably not quite as big of a reach as some of the other elite privates. OP is looking for some reach schools, and Cornell fits the bill nicely.
I agree with you also on LACs. Schools ranked, say, 5-50 in the USN&WR LAC rankings will be reaches or low reaches/high matches for the OP, but that’s what the OP is looking for.
OP, here is a list of some of the schools we’re talking about. I’m leaving out the Claremont Colleges and Reed due to their driving distance from Ohio:
Middlebury
Wellesley (women)
Bowdoin
Haverford
Carleton
Wesleyan
Vassar
Hamilton
Washington & Lee
Colby
Davidson
Grinnell
Bates
Oberlin
Smith (women)
Bryn Mawr (women)
Barnard (women)
Colgate
Macalester
Kenyon
Bard
Holy Cross
Richmond
Trinity
Lafayette
Mt. Holyoke (women)
Connecticut College
Colorado College
Bucknell
Skidmore
If you are interested in going into Clinical Psych, you will need to go to medical school. All of these schools have strong reps and, if you get the job done at the Bachelor level, you should be able to get into med school coming out of any of these (and other…) LACs. These are viable options for your reach/low reach schools.
One last thing: be sure to run the Net Price Calculator on the private schools you choose. It’ll give you some idea of how much your family will have to pay. Many of the top schools have really excellent financial aid programs that (proclaim to) leave students with little to no debt upon graduation. And that is where you will want to be, because med school is quite expensive.
@prezbucky From my understanding, Clincial Psychologists don’t have to go to med school, but Psychiatrists do. But to be a Psychologist requires either a PhD or a PsyD. Which I believe might be equally as expensive.
But that’s definitely the plan. I’ve already set a maximum amount of debt I’m willing to take out. Cost is definitely a priority - I don’t need to be drowning in debt the next of my life 
Thank you for your list! I wrote down quite a few of those and will look into them.
If it turns our that you’re eligible for significant need-based aid (those net price calculators again ), a ‘match’ school to look at would be Franklin & Marshall. They have a well-regarded psychology program, and recently eliminated merit scholarships and give only need-based aid. Generosity of need-based aid generally tracks with selectivity, but F&M is now a happy exception to that. My daughter applied there in the year just ended, and the financial aid offered, all need-based, was amazing, better than that offered by her ‘Top 20’ reach school acceptances, also all need-based.
I know you’re trying to cut down your list, not expand it, but if you’re able to go as far as Massachusetts, my understanding is that Clark University has a well-regarded psych program and may offer decent merit aid. http://news.clarku.edu/news/2013/07/08/clark-university-included-on-princeton-reviews-ranking-of-great-schools-for-psychology-majors/. We visited it last winter, and although I’m not convinced it’s a fit for my kid, quite liked it.
OP, you’re right - i think the “clinical” part threw me off. hehe
But yeah, you’ll still want low debt heading into your PhD studies.
@hs2015mom Good to know - Thank you!
@porcupine98 We’re actually taking a trip to Boston later this year, so we could definitely work this in. Thanks so much
@prezbucky Totally understandable - I had to double-check when you said that just to make sure because it sounded almost right haha But I definitely agree. Thanks!
OP, I’m a clinical social worker and I’ve worked with a lot of child psychologists. Please do not incur undergraduate debt. If your goal is to get your PhD or PsyD then go to the best but least expensive option because graduate school will be expensive and this is not a lucrative field. Unless you are low income and can get into a highly selective school that meets all financial need. Or high stats and get merit at a school where you are awarded high merit for those stats (because you are way above their stats).
@goingnutsmom - Thank you for this - I was thinking along the same lines. I would much rather go to a safety school for little cost than go to a reach school for full price. Especially since I’d like to live in big city, which will probably be plenty expensive as is. Thanks again
But for some students/families, the cost of the reach with need-based aid is less that that at the safety with merit aid; you need to check this out for your stats and family finances.