These may lock you into applying to one school before you have really made up your mind. Take advantage of discounts for children of alumni. Inquire about remission for student leaders. You may have some costs waived for your involvement on campus. The same is true for work remission.
Some schools have recruiting incentives for gifted students.
If you are unsure about attending a certain school, ask if they have a trial attendance policy. If so, they may allow you to attend at a reduced rate just to see if you like it. If you are majoring in a highly specialized field, you may need to attend college out of state. It is especially important to present an honest but needy picture of your family to the FAO while filing for you first year of aid. When applying for aid at the colleges be sure to include the entire family's medical expenses even if you could not itemize them on your taxes.