<p>Great post #51, tk21769.</p>
<p>The OP mentions that her daughter really liked Rice, a terrific school that is itself a high reach for almost every applicant. [Future</a> Owls](<a href=“Office of Admission | Rice University”>Office of Admission | Rice University) Of the admitted students from high schools that report rank, 77 percent were in the top 5 percent of their class. It had an overall acceptance rate of 17 percent last year. That’s already a big reach/dream school for an applicant in the top 12 percent of the hs class.</p>
<p>Certainly the Ivies and other schools that have no-loan finaid policies are more generous, but their admission rates are even more daunting. Vanderbilt’s admissions profile is similar to Rice’s for SAT/ACT distribution, though its acceptance rate is under 15 percent: [The</a> Vanderbilt Profile<em>|</em>Undergraduate Admissions<em>|</em>Vanderbilt University](<a href=“Vanderbilt At A Glance | Undergraduate Admissions | Vanderbilt University”>Vanderbilt At A Glance | Undergraduate Admissions | Vanderbilt University) Vandy does not include loans in its FA packages, so the OP’s d may want to look at it, as well.</p>