It’s a reach and it wouldn’t have any financial aid.
Consider staying instate as an education major. That will mean that you’ll graduate with the certification you need to teach in your home state with no additional coursework necessary.
It might also help in terms of networking to find a job.
As you like southern universities, maybe consider University of Central Florida?
The out of state costs would be similar to UIUC. There are also merit scholarships and out of state tuition waivers that might bring costs below your in-state option. (in state COA is about 18K). I couldn’t tell from the website if you would be competitive for merit there or not.
https://admissions.ucf.edu/cost/
Without merit at UCF, your in-state flagship would be a better value as it is one of the best public flagships in the US.
Your stats would also qualify you for in-state tuition at U of New Mexico under the Amigo Scholarship (about 18K per year) and you might qualify for merit at Arizona State U, which has an excellent honors college.
I know that you are more concerned with reaches but as the finances are uncertain, these options could be substantially cheaper than UIUC, even with travel costs taken into account. As others have recommended, I strongly urge your parents to figure out their EFC as your admissions strategy should begin with that number. It may be that you qualify for a lot of financial aid; it may be that you’re full pay; you may be somewhere in between.
I also agree that a second try at the ACT might be a good investment of your time. A 32-33 puts you into a different category for merit and for admission reaches.
William and Mary is an older public school, and very conservative student body. Compare your ACT score
to the average.
Keep in mind that if you want to be a teacher, you need to student teach in a school district. Look carefully at salaries for teachers in Florida. I would not go to school in Florida, because of the low teacher salaries, perhaps, but you decide about that. Look up teacher salaries in all your states where you are thinking of attending college to learn more.
Whatever you do, don’t go to low teacher pay states like New Mexico, or Arizona, if you want to become a teacher, you will regret that move. It will be next to impossible to compete in Chicago for jobs, with a teaching degree from a lower ranked teaching program.
. Yes you can return to Illinois for your teaching job, but if you are doing to do that, it would be better to get a degree from the top teaching program in your state of choice, to get the best teaching position later! Teaching is competitive in Illinois, with top salaries, so look at your top education programs in Illinois, that will lead to the best job, especially if you aim on getting a job in a high school in a top Chicago school district, thats tough to land !!!
Also look at where you can student teach, (Urbana HS is great ! ) in Illinois if you plan to remain in Illinois to teach. If you prefer to teach in a different state, then look at the state you prefer. Tennessee? Look at U of T Knoxville for instance. You do not need a Vanderbilt degree to teach, but I agree its one of the very top teaching programs in the nation.
As far as value, if your parents are quite wealthy, double income in Chicago, I would guess you are paying cash for your undergrad education. . Nail down the exact amount they have today. Just give them a spread sheet with full costs at your top five choices, including Vanderbilt and Brown
and ask " will I need a loan for this?" " Will you co sign a loan so I can attend Brown University? "
Take a look at this website to understand more about Illinois and teaching careers, and certified programs for
teachers in your home state. Some of these offers masters only, so roll down to the credited section.
It may be wise if you want to teach in Chicago to stick with in state programs that lead to teaching jobs in Chicago.
https://www.teachercertificationdegrees.com/schools/illinois/
A degree in New Mexico may lead to a job in New Mexico. Do you want to live there? You may not know much about New Mexico but I would not risk that, if you are likely to want a Chicago teaching position at a top school district. Its competitive ! Brown and Vanderbilt can get you there. State schools that are not the top ranked programs, probably not in today’s competitive teaching world in Chicago.
Penn State is a waste of an application fee as it would be $50,000 plus per year and you will get zero merit or need-based aid.
Any interest in Catholic colleges? Xavier in Cincinnati (Jesuit) might be worth looking at, as with the merit you are likely to receive, your price will be competitive with UIUC. Don’t know if the program is as good, but it is a free application.
@prezbucky it wasn’t meant as a shot at UIUC lol. I meant private school prestige…as OP seems to have a predilection for private schools that she might not be able to afford or have the stats to be admitted at. Loyola Chicago has an excellent reputation (I think it was on a lot of peoples lists, who are interested in smaller LAC like schools, well before March). Was trying to give her an affordable option, closer to home, since we don’t actually know why her parents want her at UIUC (could be money, could be health, could be social/family reasons, who knows) I could have suggested Marquette University too, they would likely be in the $35K range too. If she were looking for prestige in her backyard…Northwestern; and now that UofChicago has dropped their test score requirement and is offering very nice scholarships to lower SES families (but we don’t actually know her economics), she might even be able to add UofC.
Frankly, if I were OP, I’d be darn happy with UIUC and call it a day!
Still think OP needs to talk with her GC at the very least!
I just talked to my mom again about what we can afford and she is still giving me vague and uncertain answers. She said that $50k or more a year is unaffordable (without loans at least), then she also said I should “try to get a full ride,” but she wouldn’t give me any more answers.
Well of course any prudent parent would like their kiddoto get a “full ride”.
Oof. Well… here are a few programs to look at…
https://www.goldenapple.org/golden-apple-scholars
https://www.isac.org/isac-gift-assistance-programs/illinois-settw/index.html
https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships/teach
Have you tried approaching your parents with the… "What schools do you suggest beyond UIUCand our local CC " instead of approaching from the what can we afford angle, it might open up the conversation amd not put the on the defensive.
@aquapt Thanks! I’ll look at those!
When I asked if $40k was affordable, the answer changed from “no” to “probably not” if that makes any difference.
So it sounds like they’re not really thrilled about even the cost of UIUC or Alabama, but they’ll probably make it happen if need be, though they would really love for you to get something like the Golden Apple scholarship.
But it doesn’t sound like they’re prepared to commit to the cost level of UVA and upwards. Seems like they may be horrified enough at the low-30’s cost of UIUC/'Bama.
Sorry this is casting doubt on your dream school options. 
If you want to teach anywhere in Illinois (including but not limited to the top suburban Chicago school districts) I am quite confident that you will not find a school that prepares you better for the job market, and provides you with better student teaching opportunities, than UIUC. Of course you may prefer oos publics or private schools for any number of perfectly valid non-job related reasons.
I don’t really know where I want to teach. I know that I want to go oos for college, and I’m fine with teaching in whichever state I go to college in. If I do go to a school in IL, it’ll probably be UIUC.
@Coloradomama W&M does not have a very conservative student body. You may be thinking of Washington & Lee.
^ Correct.
I know your folks are making it hard, OP, but until you know what they are willing to contribute, you can’t really commit to a school. Imagine if you were accepted to Vanderbilt and it was $15k over your budget, or if Illinois or Bama came in $10k over – how crapppy that would be. You can take what they are willing to pay and add $5.5k your freshman year and $7.5k(ish) per year after that – those are the loan amounts you yourself can take out – and make that your budget… assuming you wouldn’t mind those loans. If you do not want any loans, your budget is what your folks will pay plus some summer job money, plus whatever you could make while working part-time (if you needed to).
You have to tell them there’s no full ride at UIUC or at most flagships for an act below 33- that, in fact, full rides are exceedly rare nowadays even with an act 33 and full tuition scholarships rather uncommon. All universities have had huge budget cuts in the past ten years. Scores that used to qualify students for scholarships don’t anymore.
It’s also unfair that your parents expect you to earn scholarships without providing you with the information you need to find them - for all you know, Vanderbilt with its generous financial aid will be cheaper than UIUC… But may also be 60k and unaffordable. It all depends on their income and assets. (At meet need universities like Vanderbilt, scholarships depend on parents’income and assets. At universities that don’t meet need, scholarships depend on test scores.)
At least your parents have said that 50k is above what they can afford and 40k stretches things, so you have some parameters now. Next step is figuring out if Vanderbilt will be under 40k with need based aid and whether they’ll be ok paying that.
IL resident here. I must have been living under a rock for years because I was blown away by the cost of UIUC + finding out we were full pay. I was living in the past, when one could work their way through school at an in-state public university.
Our kid did her first couple years at community college, then the last two years at UIUC. Parents & student took out loans to make this happen.
Hello! I highly recommend that you check Elon University (located in NC) because the education program is outstanding! I think it is also a great match school for you. Appalachian State (also located in NC) has a great education program and it would probs be a safety school for you and you would get money as an OOS applicant. Hope this helps!