<p>I think you should cast a wide net and apply to schools like Vandy, which you like, and schools like Pitt, where you are likely to get good merit scholarships. It’s really hard (almost impossible) to tell in advance how much aid you will be given. If you have four or five solid choices come April, you’ll be able to make the best decision.</p>
<p>I’m wondering if the net price calculators that every college website is supposed to implement by October will help or not. We’ll just have to wait and see.</p>
<p>What I have seen from Vanderbilt are some pretty generous packages. There is no reason why you should not put a couple of “trial balloons” on your list and see how it goes. Just make sure you have some financial safeties in there as well. Give it whirl with some merit awards, cast a wide net in terms of different options. Each time we have gone through this process, we’ve had some surprises. Sometimes they were unpleasant, but we got some unexpected gems as well. You just can’t count on anything. Just getting accepted to schools like Vanderbilt and JHU is not a sure thing.</p>