Dream colleges and money woes

Remember when you were a high school senior, waiting nervously for that acceptance letter from Princeton? Well, it's that time of year again. On April 1st (that's this Thursday), at 5:00 p.m. EST, Ivy League applicants will receive their acceptances and rejections.So, what are high school students and their parents thinking about this admissions season?The Princeton Review released its annual College Hopes and Worries Survey on March 24.With the Great Recession ongoing, the major worry is money.

• 86% of applicants and their parents said financial aid is "very necessary."
• 68% said that the recession has affected their college decisions.
• Due to the economy, 51% said they were applying to "more 'financial aid safety' schools," 25% to "schools closer to home" and 24% to colleges "with lower sticker prices."
• 39% said their biggest worry was that they "will get into first-choice college, but won't have sufficient funds/financial aid to attend."

But if money wasn't an issue?  What would be their dream college? Princeton ranked 4th among students, behind Stanford, Harvard and NYU. Among parents, we did a little better, ranking 2nd only to Stanford.