I mean, my kid got 7 offers in DC coming from a regional public in SC, 5 paid - so i’m not sure DC is as tough as people make it out to be. She ended up at a think tank - all she did was write - but not the kind of writing OP would like…more like transcribing. I don’t think the schools have the lock on the market like they infer they do, like people think they do.
I think kids have to apply and hustle…regardless of where they are.