If you match with QB, you are done. Full ride, first choice school. But that is a lottery ticket. With zero EFC and your excellent stats , less of one than for others, but a lottery ticket, nonetheless
Then you apply to the schools on your QB list. I believe you get to file. free applications. ( always check any info anyone gives you with most current, primary sources) Most all of those schools are wonderful schools that give excellent financial aid packages, and hopefully you get at least one acceptance there that is affordable.
If you do, that’s great
Then you have Lee University, Alabama UT-Dallas, any of the schools with guaranteed merit based on stats and you know you’ll be able to afford them. If it comes down to a free or nearly free ride to these schools, vs unaffordable packages, the choice is clear.
Yes, it’s very difficult to consider leaving home for a school one knows nothing about. Even though Emory might be further away and just as new to you as UA-H or any of the Bama schools, you can pick up any number of college guides and read about Emory. There is a familiarity to it due to name recognition and prestige factor to offset the strangeness and distance. Same with UT-Dallas. You seem very aware of what Lee U has to offer and are very familiar with that school
Just a personal opinion here. I’ve been reading a lot about UT-Dallas and keeping track of it for some years. It’s been on my “schools to watch “ list for a while in terms of excellent quality and value that a lot of the ratings just have not caught yet. It’s possible that they do never catch some of these hidden gems overshadowed by state universities with much higher name recognition. I look at UBuffalo, and UMBC (Maryland) as other examples of such schools. If brave enough to venture from your comfort zone, there is a lot out there. @mom2collegekids has had extensive experience with the Alabama schools and can give you first hand info on them. I’m personally discussing UT-Dallas with my youngest.