I totally agree with the assessment in #10. I do think getting the ACT up a little would help. Your score is very strong, I’m not knocking it at all. It’s just the most highly ranked schools have 25-75 percentile averages in the 32-34 range. They definitely do take applicants with an attractive academic and beyond profile, and that includes you, but getting close to the range can also be very helpful.
Some tip-tip schools that would be reaches for you, and almost everyone, but that would also potentially meet full financial need,
Northwestern University in Evanston, a great college town north of Chicago. Top school, claims to meet full financial need.
Williams College in western Massachusetts. Williams is often ranked as the #1 liberal arts college in the US, and it has lots of money. As of a few years ago anyway, it would even pay travel costs for students if that was necessary for them to attend. It is need blind in admissions, which means it does not consider an applicant’s ability to pay. Some schools are need aware and will consider that in the admissions decision. Williams is a GREAT school, though it may be smaller than you are looking for. Being a smaller school, and in MA, being a NV resident might be an advantage–schools do like geographic diversity. Maybe it has several NV students and it’s not a plus. But maybe it is.
Maybe Rice University in Houston and Boston College in a nice suburban area near downtown Boston, the king of college cities. Tufts University, also near downtown Boston, that I see listed as being need blind and meeting full financial need, though I can’t vouch for that. All absolutely top-notch in every respect. Note that the acceptance rates are extremely, extremely low, especially in regular decision, for these schools. So don’t take any negative outcome personally, it’s just supply and demand. Not all outstanding applicants can be accommodated, and very, very many outstanding students receive rejection/waitlist letters, sometimes multiple ones. Two friends are very prominent professors at very good national universities, and they received rejection letters for college and grad school.
You might also google colleges that are need blind. These lists can vary and are not perfect, or perfectly up to date, but if you are seeing a school that looks like a good fit for YOU on lists of schools that are need blind and meet full financial need, then that’s a good candidate.
For these schools, if you love one, and are SURE you would be happy to go there, you might consider applying early decision (ED). This can improve admissions chances. Duke, for example, has a much higher acceptance rate for ED applicants. Some of the gap is explained by things like recruited athletes, who are going to be accepted at a high rate, being a larger part of this pool. But it can be an advantage. Note, though, it is a binding commitment, and you will need to submit financial info to be eligible for aid.
But I would suggest you check this website and google colleges that meet full financial need and see if you find other schools that look appealing to you. That’s what’s really important.
But think of it as a journey, and an opportunity to learn about different schools and different places. There are lots and lots of great schools–hundreds and hundreds–you are a journey to find a small group of them that are great for you and affordable for you and your family. It’s a great opportunity to think about who you are and what’s important to you. Sometimes the higher ranked school is the best one for YOU, sometimes not. There are truly the most outstanding students at every single school mentioned by everyone in this thread.
Good luck!