<p>The problem with looking at finances first is that EFC calculators are not exactly a quick thing to run and one can quickly become bogged down in running them for schools that in the end are not at all interesting. It’s a lot easier to come up with a list of acceptable schools from every other aspect, then run the EFC calc. And even then, you might want to talk to the school’s FA people as often things are available that aren’t obvious, particularly at full-need schools. That said, it should be obvious that most OOS publics are not going to be a fit because of finances, with rare exception, but merit aid at some can fix that.</p>