<p>Well, let’s be frank here: If you don’t think UVA is worth $40K more than UMD, what schools do you think are worth that money? Because there are certainly students who say “I like my state school, I’m going to get into my state school, so I’m only going to apply to my state school and a few reaches that I would love to get into, even if it’s not probable that I will”. There is nothing wrong with this strategy so long as your state school is an academic and financial safety that you like.</p>