<p>Since you are a National Merit Semi Finalist, you need to add schools which offer guaranteed big money and opportunities for NMFs. Go look at [National</a> Merit Scholarships - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/]National”>National Merit Scholarships - College Confidential Forums) </p>
<p>You aren’t from California and you are concerned about money, so you cannot afford any UCs. The UC system does not guarantee to meet need for California residents, let alone out of staters. SDSU’s statistics may look welcoming, but there is a strong preference for students within their catchment area–meaning, those who live in the San Diego area. This is in order to provide a Cal State education to those who don’t have the means to pay for living on campus. The Cal State system, like the UC system, does not guarantee to meet financial need, so it will also be out of financial range for you.</p>
<p>I don’t know about odds of getting in or financial, but research some SoCal LACs like Occidental and the Pomona consortium, perhaps Pitzer.</p>