<p>As a rising senior, I've already begun to garner a tentative list of colleges to apply to. However, I do fear the damn</p>
<p>Are you full pay AND in-state at Michigan? If not, that is not a safety for you.</p>
<p>What is your financial situation? A safety has to be a very sure admission AND affordable no matter what the fin aid looks like</p>
<p>Nope, I’m a Californian.</p>
<p>With regards to finances, my family will be able to afford both schools; were I to get into both, i would stay in-state (obviously financially better).</p>
<p>Wisconsin-Madison is the ideal safety for you. It’s the most beautiful campus I’ve every seen. </p>
<p>Apply in September as soon as the application comes out and you’re likely to be admitted in October. It has everything that Michigan has, except that it’s 10K cheaper, and it IS a true safety for you. Michigan practices holistic admissions, whereas for Wisconsin, with your stats, assuming you don’t totally blow off the very simple essays, is virtually automatic. I don’t think anyone will actually read your essays given your stats. </p>
<p>Despite what others will tell you, I have never seen a case where Wisconsin has rejected a full pay student with your stats of your caliber.</p>
<p>Can UCSD be a safety? Aren’t admissions kind of iffy at the top 3 UCs?</p>
<p>you tell me! :)</p>
<p>any other suggestions?</p>
<p>You might take a look at some of the [Association</a> of Independent Technological Universities: AITU](<a href=“http://theaitu.org%5DAssociation”>http://theaitu.org) schools. Tuition is not that much different than Michigan out of state and some of them offer merit aid.</p>