Are my safeties actually safeties? And how much of a reach are my reach schools?

That’s great - but you can only borrow $27K and they’d have to cosign more and why would you take debt when you don’t need to, especially in CS.

In any case, you have some additional triggers I’d pull now to ensure you max merit money (often, when it’s gone, it’s gone) - because if you wait, you’ll be able to get in at your cost - but it will be schools like Bama, Mississippi State, WVU and more - and they are clearly out of your desired geographic area.

Bottom line is a school list should be built based on budget first and foremost and I’m not sure that was done here. Have they run the Net Price Calculator for schools like Cornell, Tufts, etc. - because they have no merit aid and are over $80K for one year. If you don’t qualify for need based aid, how will they pay? That’s why many, who have income like yours, end up taking these type schools off the list - because they’re not affordable and if they’re not affordable then there’s no point in applying when you can apply to others that will be. So they may be affordable - but you need to run the net price calculator for each to determine if they are - or rather your parents need to.

In other words, if you know you’re unlikely to hit budget and unless you have need as determined by the schools on your list - you will 100% be way over budget -assuming that budget is just $20K a year) - at which only a school like Alabama and Alabama Huntsville - both fine - will hit but you already know you’re not interested in that part of the country - then you should attack other possibilities - like Maine or URI now - because later, since they don’t have auto merit, they might be out of money.

Debt is not your friend - especially when you don’t need it or need much of it (hence the government limits you to about $27K including only $5500 the first year).

Good luck to you.

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