<p>Collegebound: I do think it is unrealistic to depend on scholarships, especially those outside a college or university. No matter how outstanding your qualifications, it is very competitive and never something anyone can count on. My own DS won a small scholarship only to se the entire program shut down by an NCAA ruling, so sometimes you can’t even count on a scholarship after you have won!
In my opinion, te best thing you can do is choose a good range of schools financially from safety to reach, then try your best to find and compete for any aid. Fordham is a great school, and it is easy to see how you might be so taken by it. But please don’t be short-sighted and reject UMCP or similar oppoortunities; you may qualify for great things there. Are there any schools in VA or PA which interest you? Above all, please be very wary of significant loan debt; it is a terrible trap for many. It seems to me your misgivings about in-state public schools are largely emotional and based on what you have thought in the past. Focus on the future with an open mind, and make choices on a practical level. Your education at UMCP would be as good as you work to make it, and you can find a way to be happy almost anywhere.</p>