<p>I’m sure that you’d be a person of interest to many colleges and universities. That said, everyone needs a range of selectivity. And if you require financial aid, you will also need financial safeties.</p>
<p>I’d suggest that you start with the money. You can’t be 100% certain of your eventual aid package but you can get a general idea. Ask your parents to use an online calculator at a few of the schools on your list to determine how much you may be entitled to. If that works, then you can put together an open ended list. If need based aid isn’t sufficient, then you should explore merit aid. This will be a different list.</p>
<p>Is Minnesota your home state? If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to go to Minnesota then it’s not a true safety. Keep looking.</p>
<p>There’s nothing wrong with having large, medium and small colleges on your list but of course that does increase the number of applications. If your objective is to eliminate then you need to focus. But first settle the money question. That may just solve your “too many” problem.</p>
<p>A small LAC can provide an excellent education – including research opportunities and access to excellent graduate and professional programs – but they’re not for everyone. Have you visited any of the LACs on your list? Talked to students? </p>
<p>I know you hardly need more suggestion, but if you’re serious about the LAC option you might investigate some of the academically rigorous schools that have a hard time recruiting hispanics. Bowdoin (and Colgate to a lesser extent) fits this characterization but so does Hamilton, Williams, Grinnell, Carleton. All have excellent sciences and offer good need based aid.</p>
<p>Lastly, I wouldn’t consider Michigan a safety unless it’s your home state, but you could apply early in the process under their rolling admissions policy. That way if you’re accepted early in the year, you could use Michigan as a safety. (Though financially it may be problematic.)</p>