[Eugenia Gabrielov]

Let me also mention a few financial aid things to keep in mind:

Some state schools offer minimal aid to out of state students, except for certain huge scholarships. U of Michigan, for example, is an excellent school, but I didn't quality for any of their "Michigan student" financial aid, so I gained no aid.

Also, some schools only do "need-based" aid. What does that mean? It means that they judge how much they give you based on how much your family is capable of contributing. Note: this is usually somewhat flexible, but not always. Let me cite an example, as because of this particular financial aid policy I may have to take out many loans.

My university gives me about $16000 a year straight up need-based scholarship. Let's say that...I get a $4000 scholarship from my High School for a science achievement. I have to report this to NU, I'm not sure about how all the legality works, but it's pretty ridiculous. Anyway, my family is now able to contribute 4000 more. This means that my financial aid from the school itself goes from $16000 to $12000. See, if you get outside scholarships...they decrease your package. I ended up not applying for many scholarships at all because I did a cost calculator and realized that would be the aid I'd get. Since then the school offered me a bit more merit, but that's it.