<p>Let me make sure that I understand. </p>
<ol>
<li>You are a junior in HS with 4.0 and a 35 ACT. </li>
<li>You are completing an Associates degree in science</li>
<li>Your parents don’t want to pay for college (but would pay for Utah if they had to). </li>
</ol>
<p>Does that mean that you will enter University of Utah as a junior and graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in just 2 years? I’m not talking about just the number of credits, but of the “right” credits? </p>
<p>Most of the best schools award scholarships based on need only, and only to freshman. There are also a number of really good private schools that award competitive scholarships only on merit, but you may not get one. Though you are competitive, they are very difficult to get. </p>
<p>From where you are (if I’m correct about needing only 2 years), I would just go to Utah, and do what you can to prepare for graduate school. It’s one of the least expensive flagship universities in the nation. In-state tuition is only $5746, and room+board is only $6240. I’m not sure why you bothered with Southern Utah. I don’t see any possibility of getting rejected by Utah. This costs of Utah is not much more than the cost would be with a full-tuition-only scholarship at many top schools. </p>
<p>As other posters have said, you could wait a year and apply for a full ride at Pittsburgh, Alabama or Kentucky, the usual “full-ride” schools, but you lose a year and does that leave you any better off? I think that Alabama and Kentucky are comparable to Utah. Is Pittsburgh, while substantially higher ranked, worth wasting a whole year of forward progress? I doubt it. Furthermore, there is a good chance that these schools will view you as a transfer student anyway since you are earning a degree now!</p>
<p>I think that that track you are on is still a really fast track. You’re time might be better spent lining up serious research opportunities for the summer. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>