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<p>For that I would be going to either the individual college websites or the CB College Search function and making spread sheet of the 25:75 SAT/ACT scores, avg gpa and admission rate. Based on those numbers I would get a feel for which are safety/match/reach. I don’t have those numbers in my head, so you’ll need to collect your own admissions data and compare your stats to them.</p>
<p>And that’s just for admissions safety/match/reach, since you need FA/merit aid, that takes further, even more detailed research on the FA webpages of colleges of interest.</p>
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<p>That’s really personal, based on the size, location (eg. part of the country, weather, rural/suburban/city, etc.), character of the college, etc. You seem to have some very different types of schools on your list (eg. Mac vs. Grinnell, both LACs, but one urban and the other small town), but there may be something I’m not considering which is attractive to you. By reading threads or tour reports here on CC, or reading one of the big books on colleges, you will start to get a feel for the culture of each college and see if it seems right for you.</p>
<p>I didn’t know that you’d taken the SAT 3 time already. In that case, I ONLY recommend taking it again IF:</p>
<p>1) All of the schools you might apply to have score choice. If any of them require you to send all test scores, taking it 4x is not a good thing.</p>
<p>AND</p>
<p>2) You actually have time to prep for it enough to make a significant improvement, otherwise it’s not worth the cost.</p>
<p>About your financial situation, you and your parents need to fully understand how need based FA works. For this I recommend a book like Paying for College Without Going Broke and/or the FinAid.org website. Here are a few examples from your above description:</p>
<p>Family income is not adjusted for location, all places in the US are treated equally, even if the cost of living is high.</p>
<p>While the purchased the ranch when it was cheap, FA will also be based on what it is worth now and how much equity your parents have in it. Also, if the ranch is a business, this makes FA calculations more complex and often results in higher EFCs (I don’t know this personally but have heard it many times here from reputable parents on CC).</p>
<p>The fact that your parents spend a lot on your sister’s gymnastics will not be a factor, that is considered a lifestyle choice.</p>
<p>Supporting your Aunt may be considered in your FA (I don’t know this situation personally, but it is possibly a valid expense).</p>
<p>FA is complex and can vary significantly between schools that use the Profile. I have to urge that you get your parents involved and learn about this aspect as it does no good to be accepted by a college if you can’t afford to attend. Since you see Med school in your future, it is in your best interest to get through undergrad with as little debt as possible. I have one and possibly 2 premeds in my house, and this is the advice that I give them. Which reminds me, you should go to the PreMed Topics forum to learn more about premed coursework, what it takes to get into Med school, etc. The posters there are both experienced and helpful; but read the sticky threads and some of the current threads first, as many new members tend to ask the same questions.</p>
<p>You will be considered first gen to college by any definition. What you will be asked on college applications is for the college history (college, degree earned, year) of your mother and father only.</p>