So - first thing - go on the American Net Price Calculator with your folks - and see how much it will cost.
So many private schools want “demonstrated interest”…meaning, they want to know that if they admit you, they have a chance of getting you vs. you’re someone who just put in apps for the sake of putting in apps.
So they want you to demonstrate interest.
So first off, you should, for all schools, get on an email list. I suggest you set up a generic gmail that’s college only - and get on the lists of any schools that interests you. They’ll send you info - and maybe an application fee waiver.
So how can you demonstrate interest? Many ways.
Nothing demonstrates interest like applying ED - but you cannot do that if it’s unlikely you can afford to go there.
So to your point - getting on the email list, attending a virtual session or two, visiting, if they send out emails with videos - playing them. Some schools - like Tulane - send out games - play them. Some say you can communicate with the AO.
In my daughter’s case, we visited on their big full day session - at great expense. She did online sessions. We played videos. We went overboard at it was initially her #1 school. Her stats were higher than yours - and we got $15K. I was thinking we’d get $25K - the most I’d read about.
But it’s basically showing them that you are interested - that you are invested. They’d rather admit someone they know spent time interacting with them than someone who applied but made zero effort to learn about them.
You have to remember too - many schools don’t stack need and merit - so if you got $20K merit and $15K need, you’re just getting the $20K. Not sure about American.
For you, American is a reach - a target academically but unless you can show huge need (hence the NPC), it’s highly unlikely.