What colleges in New York would be right for me?

I'd stick with just the SUNY schools. No sense going to a Tier 2 school with 3 times higher cost when you can go to SUNY Buffalo, Albany, Binghamton, or Stony Brook (all are Tier 2) for the same level of education at fraction of the cost. If you want something local in NYC, then the CUNY schools would be a good choice. Very good education with cheap tuition and also good career placement.