For people who are interested in public policy, I am partial to capitals (state and federal) as there tend to be a lot of opportunities available. Since we don’t know the budget yet, I focused mostly (though not exclusively) on schools where merit aid is available, even if only to a select few.
Extremely Likely (80-99+%)
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Catholic U. (D.C.): About 3k undergrads. This Catholic university tends to be more conservative than Jesuit colleges.
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Louisiana State: About 31k undergrads
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Providence (RI): About 4300 undergrads
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U. of South Carolina: About 27k undergrads and a very well-reputed honors college
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U. of South Florida: About 38k undergrads and if you like it better than FSU, then this could be a possibility where Bright Futures would still come into play
Likely (60-79%)
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American (D.C.): About 7900 undergrads
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George Washington (D.C.): About 11k undergrads
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Trinity College (CT): About 2200 undergrads
Toss-Up (40-59%)
Lower Probability (20-39%)
- U. of Richmond (VA): About 3100 undergrads
Low Probability (less than 20%)
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Brown (RI): About 7600 undergrads (no merit aid available)
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Emory (GA): About 7100 undergrads
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Vanderbilt (TN): About 7200 undergrads
For both American and GW you will need to show a lot of demonstrated interest, as they do not want to feel like they’re a backup for Georgetown. If they don’t think they’re a serious contender, you’re unlikely to receive an admission.