<p>I agree that we need some clarification from the OP. From the various posts it looks like his parents only WANT him to apply to Top 20 schools because those are the only schools that they will pay for.</p>
<p>I’m guessing that they won’t stop him (I guess if he uses his own money???) from applying to some other schools - such as financial safeties. However, they are threatening that they won’t pay for those schools. If that’s the case, then he’d need nearly free-rides from his safeties. </p>
<p>This is what I’d do…</p>
<p>Apply to the Top 20 schools that you won’t mind attending. If you have to apply to some Top 20 that you don’t like, write lousy essays for those and/or make it clear to the interviewers that you don’t want to go there. </p>
<p>Apply to some schools that might give you merit.</p>
<p>Apply to some schools that will (for sure) give you huge merit. </p>
<p>If you get into a Top 20 that you like, then go there. If you don’t, then you’ll have those other choices. If your parents won’t help pay for the ones that give modest merit scholarships, then go to one that gives you huge merit scholarships.</p>
<p>I think that if you apply to the Top 20 schools and don’t get into any, your parents are going to “fold like cheap tents”. At that point, I don’t think they’d want you to go to a CC…nothing to brag about there.</p>
<p>Are your parents moving to China no matter what? </p>
<p>NYU2013…You’re a transfer student to NYU, right? how did you snag a merit scholarship? Aren’t those really, really hard to get as a transfer student? Did you transfer as a soph?</p>