<p>Your friends situation at Berkeley is rare. Your friend probably received a departmental scholarship based on her GPA. Not something anyone should count on.</p>
<p>Your version of a “good school” and mine are likely VERY different. As mentioned, there are many many fine schools in this country that are not in the Ivy League. There are hundreds and hundreds of schools…maybe thousands, where you can get a great education but their names may not be commonly familiar to folks from outside this country. So what? It’s not all about the name of the school…or how good it’s perceived to be. </p>
<p>Again I ask…what major(s) are you considering…and where do you want to be geographically? How much CAN your parents contribute? Answering those questions will give the folks here a better chance of giving you worthwhile suggestions.</p>