Look at the stats of the state schools. They tend to be VERY competitive because of smaller class size and cost. So I'd say that is far from a guarantee, and possibly even an unrealistic reach depending on the schools. You might have luck at a cheaper but still expensive private school, but nothing is guaranteed and you have the loss of year, which is worth a decent amount of money depending on what your current job is. Even the cost of applying to 12 schools is a lot. While I'm always in favor of the cheapest option available, right now you've got one option, so I'd say take it.