<p>Your best bet for getting aid is to apply to schools where your stats are at the top of their common data stats (I think that is what it’s called). It wouldn’t fit your need to be near a big city, and it doesn’t have a big name, but my D will be attending a school as a Political science major (wants to work for gov. agencies doing analytical stuff) that gave her wonderful financial aid in the forms of merit scholarship and large need-based grant. She had been accepted to American, but we just can’t afford the “gap”. She wants to do internships with the government, so she will either do a couple summer internships, or, a full semester in Washington DC during junior year. There are ways to still get the experiences you want while attending a school “off the beaten path”, so to speak. You may have to work a bit harder to get the internships, etc, but at least your education won’t leave you so far in debt you can’t afford any fun, study abroad, etc while attending that expensive school!
Don’t forget that schools like Mt. Holyoke “meet need”, but that need is determined by whatever they do with the CSS/Profile, and could be much more than your FAFSA EFC! Look for smaller name schools that offer the major you desire, where you are well toward the top of their stats, and that offer merit scholarships.</p>
<p>You may end up at Bloomington, which is a wonderful school!</p>
<p>^^^ That’s what my mother keeps saying (though I would prefer to be on the east coast).</p>
<p>I have also heard that IU sends quite a lot of their International Affairs grads to palces on the east coast for grad school and law school, so I guess it is an option to consider.</p>