<p>I would clarify your financial position first. You don’t want your parents to take out $150,000 in loans, so you’ll have to nail some substantial aid either need based aid or merit aid. Have your parents used some the colleges’ financial aid calculators to determine how much need based aid you might be eligible for. With an income of $150,000 you’re really out of the guaranteed big need package range, although circumstances are variable.</p>
<p>If you decide against going directly into engineering, you should consider some academically rigorous LACs. As a high achieving African American you would be a person of interest to many LACs, especially those that actively recruit non-Whites. I would look at Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Pomona, Hamilton, Bowdoin, Grinnell. Swarthmore actually does have an engineering program. Williams offers good access to winter sports.</p>
<p>As for your major, I think you should step back a bit and leave your options open. A good liberal arts education – whether you major in economics, political science or something completely different – will prepare you for just about any non-professional career. The top schools – small, medium and large – have excellent entrees to excellent graduate programs. What’s important is how you build your resume during your undergraduate years with summer jobs and internships, alumni/ae connections, professor relationships.</p>