OP: You stated that you “don’t want to go anywhere in the south.” As several posters have pointed out, that is sweeping a little too broadly. Tulane, for example, has much if not most of its undergraduate student body from New York, California, Pennsylvania, and places other than Louisiana. You need to scratch beneath the surface.
Ohio Northern University. Also, how about a local branch of OSU and transfer in after 2 to Columbus?
Findlay College? Univ of Toledo. PS: I went to BGSU ages ago:)
Note regarding co-ops: U-C is THE pioneer for co-op education and for OP a much more sensible choice than Drexel, which is like the rich-kids version of U-C. Since money isn’t an issue, OP could consider it, but it’d be a waste of money imho.
For safeties: Hiram, Beloit, Capital (OH), John Carroll (OH), Suquehanna, Elizabethtown, St Mary’s of California, Simmons, Whittier, URedlands.
For matches: Hendrix, Agnes Scott, Centre, Sewanee, Santa Clara, Chapman, Willamette, Lewis&Clark, St Lawrence, Ohio Wesleyan, Wooster, Muhlenberg, Goucher, UDayton, UScranton, Clark, Wheaton.
For reaches: St Olaf, Lawrence, Denison, Dickinson, Rhodes, Bryn Mawr, Trinity (CT), Connecticut College?
(BGSU has a low graduation rate - colleges listed above as safeties would be similar in selectivity but have better academics, overall more focused students, and better graduation rates.)
Hanover? It’s close to Cincy. Interesting school.
Is an hour and a half close?