WUSTL seems like a good fit for what you described, if the price is right. I agree with the replies above that UMN and Iowa should be on your short list, and I might add Notre Dame depending on how you feel about Indiana and Illinois etc. (and if you can get any money out of their tight little Leprechaun fists )AT9 wrote:I gotcha. I realize that the respective state schools will probably give me a better shot at their home markets (especially Minnesota). I like the idea of moving back to my roots in the Midwest/upper Midwest, but I'd don't necessarily want to be locked into any particular city or state. That's one of the many reasons WUSTL appeals to me!
Do grads get any love in KC? Or is it taken up by UMKC, Kasas, Missouri, etc?
I may be wrong, but I think you made a thread before about some roots in FL as well, so I think WUSTL would have the advantage that if for some reason you didn't want to end up in the midwest at all you wouldn't be as stuck as an Iowa or UMN grad. Obviously (if you have the stats) your preferences seem to align more with Northwestern or UMich than anything else, so consider those too if applicable.
But lacking the numbers to make T14 schools feasible, I think WUSTL matches your preferences quite well.