<p>We can’t give you the answers you need from your parents. You need to let them know that it’s time to get serious. . . that you will be basing your application decisions on what they can afford and what they are willing to pay and you do not want to apply to schools only to be disappointed in the spring if they tell you they can’t/won’t pay for them. If they are dancing around the subject there could be information they’re withholding that you will need to know. Tell them that you know it’s a delicate subject but that you’re ready to hear their answers and thoughts. </p>
<p>If you are putting IU on your list, but not thrilled, consider instead Wisconsin. Great, liberal, capitol city, stronger academic reputation than IU and especially strong in poli sci. Bloomington IN is considered a classic college town but the population, other than students, is relatively small. I always felt like you drove through the whole town after about 8-10 blocks. Wisconsin is no slouch as a party/school spirit school. Out of state tuition about $27k, room and board another 9-10k at the most.</p>
<p>Biased here, as we live in Indiana and my son will be at Wisconsin.</p>
<p>To give yourself a backup against not being able to afford any school in April, your stats (3.77 GPA and 33 ACT) may be able to find some very generous merit scholarships, such as:</p>
<p>Alabama Birmingham: $15,000 per year, leaves about $10,000 remaining cost of attendance</p>
<p>Alabama Huntsville: full tuition, leaves about $10,000 remaining cost of attendance (get ACT to 34 or SAT equivalent to get a full ride)</p>
<p>Alabama Tuscaloosa: full out of state tuition, leaves about $14,000 remaining cost of attendance:</p>
<p>Howard: almost full ride</p>
<p>However, family income of under $100,000 per year often gets some need based financial aid. But you need to get some information to run the net price calculators (or get your parents to run the net price calculators).</p>
<p>SlitheyTove’s link from the Reform Judaism magazine has lots of great suggestions…I did not know that some of the listed schools had such a significant Jewish student population.</p>
<p>It does meet the OP’s top two (most important) criteria, with about 10,500 students and a location in a big city (Washington, DC). The third criterion, “decently selective, have a good academic reputation but not necessarily top tier” needs more explanation from the OP to determine what schools are likely to meet that. Probably not a big Jewish population, but that is the least important of the OP’s criteria.</p>
<p>I’ve really been diving into the college search process lately, and I’ve found that the College Board (collegeboard.org) has a very useful tool. Just make an account (it’s free), and you can narrow down your results from thousands of schools by specifying certain criteria, like aid, location, selectivity, and majors. Once you’ve narrowed the broader topics, the list is much more manageable for you to sift through; then visit the websites of universities that interest you. This is a good start to finding a school that meets all, if not most, of your requirements.</p>
<p>As for costs …
If your family income is $100K or less, and your family assets are typical for that income level, then out-of-state public universities may not be your most affordable options. A well-endowed, selective private school may wind up being cheaper after need-based aid. For example, among students at Trinity College (Hartford) who receive need-based aid, those with family income of $90K-119,999 on average received an aid package worth about $38K for the 2012 academic year. ([Trinity</a> College: Financial Aid Facts](<a href=“http://www.trincoll.edu/orgs/planning/publicdata/FinancialAid.html]Trinity”>http://www.trincoll.edu/orgs/planning/publicdata/FinancialAid.html))</p>
<p>A $100K family income should qualify you for need-based aid at private schools like Vanderbilt or Colorado College (although you really do need to get the facts from your parents and run an online calculator to estimate your Expected Family Contribution.) For that income, with typical assets, at selective private schools like those, I would expect your net out-of-pocket cost to be about $20K-$25K/year. Typically, the more selective the college, the more generous the need-based aid (but of course, you have to be accepted to get it.) [Best</a> Values in Private Colleges, 2011-12](<a href=“Kiplinger | Personal Finance News, Investing Advice, Business Forecasts”>Kiplinger | Personal Finance News, Investing Advice, Business Forecasts)</p>
<p>I understand. It’s a tough conversation at best. At worst, your parents might not have really figured out what they can afford to spend. No wonder that parents want to procrastinate. Please tell them that other parents understand how tough this is…but it is VITALLY important for you to know your budget now. It does no one any good if you apply to schools that are going to be unaffordable. That’s a waste of time and money.</p>
<p>Tell your parents that knowing your budget could actually SAVE them money. That’s because once you have your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) from the FAFSA forecaster, and what your family can afford to pay, you can figure out if you are looking for schools offering need-based or merit-based aid. They could end up paying LESS than they’re anticipating spending…but ONLY if you apply to the right kind of school.</p>
<p>I’d rather let the OP decide for herself, rather than assuming that. With uncertainty about affordability, it is best to put all low cost (net after scholarships and financial aid) options out for consideration.</p>
<p>OP, if you seriously think Colorado College might be a fit, then a lot of the other schools on your list may not be. You’ll need to figure that out. </p>
<p>If Colorado College really is a fit, then look at other LACs in urban areas. Macalester, Vassar, Reed, Haverford (suburban) all have some similarities to Colorado College- although each also has a unique ‘personality.’ And the block plan, while not unique to Colorado College, is very unusual and works best for certain students/majors.</p>
<p>ucbalumnus, Howard is one of the worst schools in terms of affordability, with the average student graduating with $44,000 in student loan debt, according to an article on Forbes online.</p>
<p>ucbalumnus, I agree with throwing a wide net, especially when it comes to finances. I don’t agree with suggesting a school that doesn’t meet one of the OP’s stated preferences, especially when it’s the type of preference that is easy to meet and which isn’t the sort to change. </p>
<p>High school seniors change their minds a great deal about size, location, weather, prestige, and a host of other factors. When they want a certain religious community, there’s no point in recommending a school that has absolutely no members of that group.</p>
<p>Question…so I’m talking to my mom right now and she just brought up that when we visited Vanderbilt last fall they stressed largely to the parents that even if you made over $150k you could still receive money and that they always paid what accepted students couldn’t pay for? What’s up with this?</p>
<p>Have your parents run the Vanderbilt Net Price Calculator. She may be pleasantly surprised…or not so pleasantly shocked. It’ll be a wakeup call one way or the other.</p>
<p>Someone back a page said Tulane but I’ll expand a little. It fits every single one of your preferences and you could probably get 20,000 or more a year in merit alone.</p>