<p>I think with the current economy, it’s hard to predict which prospective candidates will get into which schools. Colleges will be stingy with financial aid packages and SAT scores will ultimately be the deciding factor in admissions decisions. (As well as the EFC of the student).</p>
<p>Again, it goes back to what you want from a college. If you can afford to pay over 50k for NYU and get the whole “city” experience that comes with college, by all means - work your ass off to get into NYU. </p>
<p>It all comes down to fit. However, I still don’t believe that Ivy league schools will stop using SATs as a deciding factor in determining who gets accepted, denied, or deferred. </p>
<p>“With housing and all other extraneous costs factored in, unfortunately, most colleges are the same.”</p>
<p>False - most colleges are not the same. Different institutions offer different resources, based on how much money the school has, etc. Furthermore, location is also different. All colleges are not located in the City, like NYU. Some are in the middle of nowhere and require residential housing (Gettysburg, for example). You can’t really peg all colleges into one category. Each is different, which is why the whole college applications process Senior year can be quite overwhelming for some. </p>
<p>Ultimately - it comes down to the student. Are you willing to study and achieve all that you can in the school you are in?</p>