<p>
</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I wonder how much he would like UChicago’s required core curriculum if he has little real interest in a wider range of topics.</p></li>
<li><p>I have the same question as LurkNessMonster regarding merit money. I don’t think UIUC or UW-Madison are offering much in the way of financial aid or merit money to OOS, MI is very tough to get OOS, and a student I know who was admitted to top IVYs got nothing at UC-B. How about including Rice if merit money is of interest (I know students offered half-tuition who got nothing from some of the public unis on your list)? Some of the other top privates are also a better source of merit money for really top students than OOS publics–and they are also more generous with need-based aid because there is not a preference for in-state students.</p></li>
<li><p>I think nngmm’s comment is worth thinking about. UCB, WI, MI, UIUC are huge campuses. They even make your own flagship public look cozy. Harvey Mudd and CalTech are smaller than many high schools. Some students prefer large, some prefer small, but I don’t think the size factor is entirely irrelevant for most undergraduates.</p></li>
</ol>