Muhlenberg’s Financial Aid put out a piece titled “The Real Deal on Financial Aid” describing how the process works and giving some very good advice on getting the aid you need. Essentially they tell you that if you need money to attend you’re going to do a lot better at schools that really want you, where you’ll be in the top part of their class or bring something special to their campus. Sometimes these schools may not be your dream school:
“If a college gives you a great package, they probably really want you and that’s a great feeling. The trick, as with many things in life (and you might as well learn this now rather than later) is to figure out how to want what you can have instead of what you can’t.”
https://www.muhlenberg.edu/admissions/therealdealonfinancialaid/