<p>…and Mom2gals: you are spot-on with your advice to cast a wide net, and roll with the changes! in what I’ve read, this is exactly the strategy we’ve adopted thus far. it is like a lottery … you spend anywhere from $50-$100 on application fees per school, and it’s like a $500-$1,000 lottery…and you hope that front-loading will pay off in need-based (or merit) aid…</p>