| You are aware that only five of the 12 schools on your list are part of the Illinois state system (i.e. public universities)?
As for prestige, Northwestern stands out from the rest of the schools on your list, followed by U of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana). I would not discourage you from applying to private schools that you like. In addition to merit aid, you may be eligible for more need-based aid than you suspect because you have older siblings currently in college (all depending upon your parents income of course). |