<p>Qflux, I don’t know much about Stony Brook so I’m not going to try to give you a comparison. I would, however, ask if you’ve taken the time to understand how financial aid works at private colleges – LACs and universities alike. </p>
<p>If your family qualifies for NEED based aid then you are likely to receive financial help to attend from most private schools . If you don’t qualify for need based aid, but actually do need (or want) financial aid, then you could look at private colleges that offer MERIT based aid. You have an excellent profile and would be a contendor for merit aid at many colleges.</p>
<p>Again, this isn’t a reason not to consider Stony Brook. However, if you really want to attend a private LAC you should probe deeper into what financial aid is available.</p>