<p>Thought I’d add just a bit more about the Big Ten. I recently toured Iowa and Indiana with my D, and I attended UIUC. My niece recently graduated from Michigan. I think all of those (plus Penn State, Northwestern and Wisconsin in particular) may be fantastic matches for what I believe you are looking for. (beware that Indiana does not have Engineering, and I did not look closely at your GPA/Test Scores, so this may help you focus your search).</p>
<p>My D chose Iowa, because it felt like a great blend of a Big Ten school with a fantastic college town, yet the feel of a liberal arts school, and all with a warm Midwest vibe and incredible school spirit. Top it off with strong and respected, yet not over-the-top academics. She really liked the smaller size and scenic campus, which sounds important to you. It was also a plus that you can fly into the Eastern Iowa airport in Cedar Rapids, very close to Iowa City, and the Quad Cities airport is an hour away. </p>
<p>One thing I really want to stress – even though Iowa (and in fact UIUC) are in the middle of the corn fields (at least Iowa is rolling hills) – the towns really are very nice and the campuses is very energetic and cultural, plus Chicago and major cities are not that far away from any of these schools (3-4 hours by car or bus). </p>
<p>I would strongly recommend a week in the Midwest – you can easily hit Iowa, UIUC, Wiconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and Northwestern in 6-7 days, if you do not mind 3-4 hours of car travel per day and the daily grind. Otherwise, pick 3-4 that looks like the best match and focus on those. I would definitely short-list Iowa based on what you described.</p>