<p>Thanks for everything you guys have provided so far. But I am looking for a school that will provide more grant aid than loan aid, as I have already accumulated a sizable amount of loans.</p>
<p>I guess I was under the assumption that a top ranked private school like an Ivy or Stanford would give out the most grant-based aid to someone as needy as myself. Is this a bad assumption to go by? Also, I’m looking to get into a school with a better physics program than Cal’s because my GPA is above average for Cal standards. With this, I feel like I could get accepted into one of the aforementioned schools. I don’t want to apply to a school that’s a step lower, but I know it’s always safe to do so. Will my senior-in-high-school plan of applying to colleges work again (2-3 safe, 3 match, 2-3 reach)?</p>
<p>Also one last question(s): Would transferring hurt my chances of getting accepted into a PhD program, and would it hurt my chances at coming back to Cal for a PhD?</p>