<p>First of all ELIMINATE the "need based" schools from your thinking. The effort must be to find merit aid & low COA schools that mimic the qualities she likes in those need-based schools. Seems like those qualities are intellectual, humanities-rich, smaller schools. There is NO way to get 1/2 off the tuition at a need based school even if your EFC is $20K, because the aid package may be half loans. </p>
<p>Urban, northeastern schools are the most highly sought-after schools, which means that there will be slim chances of sufficient merit aid unless your D shoots significantly lower than her Stats would suggest is her level. Also her current math score presents a problem.</p>
<p>Choices: (1) shoot lower than dream schools, but stay in NE and urban; (2) shoot elsewhere than northeast, but still high caliber & urban (3) consider rural areas in NE, with high-caliber schools. (4) Go for low COA publics with nice honors programs for "school within a school." Some have programs that will match your in state tuition (U Conn is one?) I don't know much about these but they are out there....</p>
<p>She might get attention at a slightly higher-caliber "urban" if it was outside of the northeast, because her NY homestate is less plentiful at many of those schools (for example, Rice, Occidental, Lake Forest, Vandy, Emory... esp if math score goes up.) If she is willing to go out of the area there are lots of possibilities. Grinnell is midwestern & non urban but VERY similar to Wesleyan in "feel" and it is a tremendous merit aid school. Where would she rather be? Grinnell, or Drew? This is her choice to make.</p>
<p>Urban or urban-close northeastern schools where merit aid may be possible-- all somewhat less selective than her dream schools:
Syracuse
U Rochester
Union
BC
Emerson
Temple
Drew
Fordham
Sarah Lawrence (not sure if there's merit aid or not)
Womens' colleges-- Smith, Bryn Mawr, etc.</p>
<p>I suggest these for northeastern humanities-strong LACs (none are urban):</p>
<p>Bard
Wells (*can take classes at Cornell)
Hobart & William Smith
Hamilton
St Lawrence
Muhlenberg</p>
<p>Others out of area:</p>
<p>McGill has a relatively lower COA, is urban, and is great-- in Canada. Might be worth checking into though.<br>
Also U British Columbia.
U Maryland College Park (LAC feel) is a nice lower COA.
U Miami big city, nice school
U Richmond, nice LAC</p>
<p>again by opening up geographic zone you get many more choices.</p>
<p>Good Luck,
SB</p>