<p>All very nice, but you do need to sit your parents down and ask them how much they are willing and able to pay for your education. Unless your parents are able to come up with USD 60,000 each year for four years, there is no such thing as a “safety” school for you in the US. You need to know that now. Even if you are full pay, as an international student it will be harder for you to gain admission than it would be for a US candidate with a similar academic profile, and what might be a “safety” for a US applicant will be a “match” for you.</p>
<p>If you haven’t already done so, you should read through everything at [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/) Then you need to make an appointment with the counselors at the advising center closest to where you live. There are several in South Africa. These counselors are expert at helping students from your country find good places to study in the US. They will be able to tell you where students with academic records similar to yours have been admitted in recent years, and whether or not those students received enough scholarships to make that education possible.</p>
<p>I don’t know if you have discovered the International Students Forum here at CC, but it is definitely worth reading through for more ideas. [International</a> Students - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/international-students/]International”>International Students - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>