Maybe you can tell her the most you are willing to pay, and put her in charge to find the swim program and school she likes best within those cost constraints.
I think @mommdc offers some great advice there. ^^^
@kidzncatz, if your daughter loves WC, you might want to tell her UA feels about 10x the size. Is that what she really wants? IF she gets her scores up to make Bama affordable, I suggest taking her to visit UDel to give her an idea of what a bigger school would feel like. UA only feels about three times the size of Delaware! 
@LucieTheLakie Yes, she thinks she wants a large school, preferably a flagship (wants lecture classes rather than small discussion-type classes, wants rah-rah sports), though I think she’d learn more and do better overall at a smaller school. She has also mentioned the possibility of Delaware, but Delaware, Penn State, Pitt, and probably Temple are also in the unaffordable category. It seems that her only choices for relatively large schools are the larger PASSHE schools (of which West Chester is probably the best), where Pell and PHEAA grants would cover most of tuition, or OOS “directionals” that offer substantial merit (like full tuition) for relatively modest stats. She might get better financial aid offers at certain small private colleges (I’ve run dozens of NPCs) but she refuses to consider smaller schools.
So anything with a net price in the range of a PASSHE school, @kidzncatz, and ideally with the feel of a flagship? You sound like you’re as on top of options as anybody here, but just in case, are you familiar with this list? It’s a little old and outdated, but maybe there’s a hidden gem in there?
Have you started your own thread with those parameters? I bet it would be helpful to a lot of families.
Hi @bester1 In the end, it will work out. We visited a lot of schools. Some because of interest. Some because relatives attend or attended. All for comparison. Some schools I thought for sure S would like (nope). Others I wasn’t so keen on (S loved them!). In the end, it worked out. S’s friends are kind of all over the map with schools and where they are going. But as far as their opinions were concerned, we let S know that his friend’s opinions went as far as how much they’d contribute to his education costs. He needed to do what he needed to do. As far as his friends, that was up to their families.
Not knowing your particulars, have you looked at University of Scranton? (DIII)
S will start at SVC on Friday. His Get Acquainted Day was in November (That a cold day!) and he visited a few other times including an overnight. He met a lot of people - students and professors - who all made him feel comfortable and welcomed. It wasn’t his first choice initially, but they offered him a VERY nice package and have a good program and internships for what he wants to do. We all liked the atmosphere. S thinks it is a little small, but plans to make it larger for himself.
Hi m0minmd and kidzncatz - interesting times. I am trying to convince her that she can get merit and scholarship at the PASSHE schools but she looks down at them. I find that very frustrating. Luv that you son will make SVC larger for himself. Great way to think.
One with rah rah might be WVU.
Not sure what Bowling Green and Kent State are like but heard them mentioned.
Although the PASSHE schools are under one administrative umbrella they are all a bit different and in different areas.
Also maybe the Pitt or PSU branches might be possible if merit can be had abd/or they can commute from home.
@LucieTheLakie and @mommdc I didn’t mean to hijack this thread so I’ll start one of my own.
It’s hard when other kids seem to be all going to the ‘cool’ schools (whatever that means). In the end, kids go to where they go. I was surprised at the variety and locations of where S peers will be attending. Stat wise, he was very much on par with his friends. Most of them are staying in state (which is totally fine). Not long before he graduated, he mentioned off-handedly that he was glad of the schools he applied to and how it all worked out. He said he was surprised at where other kids applied and their outcomes – many waiting listed or rejected to some of the same schools he applied to or even passed over. It gave him a lot of appreciation for the time and attention we put into visits and applications and discussions and more visits…and variety.
Early Action was his friend. Common App was his friend. We did not pay for application fees. Other than some of the test scores, I don’t think we paid for anything else in the application process.
Good luck with it all. D will find her place.
The other thing is that a lot of kids “headed to cool schools” will abruptly change their plans in the spring once Mom and Dad figure out how much it’s going to cost and end up electing to stay closer to home at a local directional school or a branch campus. There are worse outcomes (among them running out of money sophomore year after breaking the bank to provide that perfect away-from-home freshman experience). Other students will get cold feet or bail after fall semester for the more familiar confines of an in-state school.
Better to go into the search with a good idea of what you can afford realistically and where you can get your needs met. Most students will “bloom where planted,” especially if they’ve taken the time to really evaluate what a school has to offer them.
@kidzncatz, I didn’t think you’d hijacked the thread. Just wanted to make sure you got a wide enough audience for your question to get a good response. Most non-Pennsylvanians aren’t likely to be following this thread.
For us staying instate definitely “pays off” because while we don’t qualify for Pell grant, we get a nice state grant.
Often kids want to be further from home but then transfer back closer to home.
@kidzncatz - thanks for the contribution and I do not see you as hijacking anything. Great conversations.
YSU is trending upward…
http://newsroom.ysu.edu/enrollment-up-at-youngstown-state-residence-halls-at-capacity/
Interesting article on College Carnivals/Parties thrown by the schools. 30 years ago we had a spring carnival at SRU…but the cost has changed significantly.
I thought that the tuition is set by the PASSHE governing board. But the fees the individual PASSHE schools can set.
At least the lack of funding is being discussed(at some level)…
The PA Governor is wanting a discussion. Ranking 49 out of 50 in affordability seems to have hit a nerve…finally.
On a personal note, I had sent my daughter an email(hoping she would check her school email during the day) yesterday with the COA for the PASSHE schools. After she came home she actually sat down and asked some logical questions about affordability, opportunity and athletics. Honestly, I am not particularly excited about the PASSHE schools(I am a Slippery Rock grad) these days…but at our income level(we are just over the amount to get aid) and her stats(24 ACT)…these might just be the only 4 year schools that fall on our affordability spectrum.
Looks like the PASSHE Profs may go out on strike…second most expensive system in the country and the students will be penalized in another way…no class…such a disappointment
Well, I’m not part of passhe, but I think that if students joined the profs the legislature might move a bit faster.