A few quotes from your thread prior to this one:
If your family didn’t like Northeastern’s NPC result, I would throw it out.
If Virginia Tech doesn’t offer the depth in robotics that you want, I’d eliminate that one, too.
Right now, I have two main thoughts:
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I would focus less on the difficulty/ease of the applications and instead focus on which schools are the best fit (including financially) for you, and then apply to those schools. Submitting an “easy” app to a school with an unfavorable NPC result is just throwing money into the wind, if the school will be unaffordable even with an acceptance.
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This is nothing that you need to share on a public forum, but please talk with your family about finances. Originally your budget was $35-40k, then $40k, and now $45k. And then there’s some unmentioned number that is higher than $45k that your family is willing to spend for certain universities. I understand that families will often increase their budget from their initial thoughts, as they often need to adjust once they learn what current college pricing is like. BUT, please make sure that they are not jeopardizing their own retirement with their plans to pay for your college. There are no loans for retirement and being financially secure themselves is one of the greatest gifts that they can give you.
You have built a strong profile in high school, such that a number of colleges would be interested in giving you substantial merit aid that would make costs fall within your family’s original budget. In your last thread you were planning to apply to U. of Minnesota, SUNY Buffalo, Alabama, UA-Huntsville, etc. If some of them fell with respect to your level of interest, that is fine. But please make sure that you only apply to schools that will be affordable for your family and allow them to continue on a trajectory towards a secure retirement,