So, I’m in my last month of Junior year and I still haven’t compiled a full list of universities I want to apply to. Right now, I have a 1970 SAT score (but I’m doing the May SAT tomorrow and I’m looking at a 2050+ hopefully). I have a 98% GPA, not sure what that is on the 4.0 scale. I’ll be majoring in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering but I haven’t decided which yet. I’m pretty sure that I’m applying E.D. for Cornell but I know that my chances of getting admitted are extremely low so I need some other schools to apply E.A. or R.D. to. I’m also probably applying to UCSD, UCLA, UT Austin (even though I know that international applicant admission is very competitive), OSU, and NYU Poly. However, these are all reach or high match schools (except for maybe OSU) so I need some safety school suggestions! I prefer universities in large/mid sized cities (Cornell is an exception hahah) and money is not an issue.
Purdue comes to mind.
Pitt, Temple, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Northeastern . . .
Maybe U Arizona for a safety. Also look at UC Santa Cruz, U Colorado, U Mass-Amherst, Penn State, Purdue, U South Carolina for likelies to matches. Boston U, Stevens Tech for private matches.
Cornell is a high reach. Consider making your ED app less risky to make it count. Check out Rensselaer, but it needs to be a top choice, for ED.
I guess I don’t look at most of the schools mentioned as safeties. Matches, yes, but safeties not so much. Purdue has gotten more selective for engineering especially for OOS. Safeties for engineering would be like U of Toledo, Ohio University, perhaps U of Cincinnati. I am sure there are schools all over the country that would be safeties for those stats.
Purdue
Maryland
RPI
Virginia Tech
UCSB
Georgia Tech (if scores improve)
It sounds like the OP is full pay, so that increases his odds somewhat, but I agree with @lvvcsf, engineering can be a tough admit so he needs to be careful with defining a “safety”.
@Dunboyne Thanks for the recommendations!! Cornell is actually the only school that I am one hundred percent comfortable with applying ED to so I don’t mind wasting my application on it since I won’t be using it anywhere else 
@Jcannon1023 Virginia Tech is a great school; only con is the location but seriously thinking about applying there. Same goes for Purdue
Maybe a Western (not UC or UW) flagship: UNM, ASU, UAZ or Colorado-Boulder might all be solid matches, if not absolute safeties.
@radicalien The problem with that strategy is that you’re not maximizing the huge advantage that ED can bring. When 2250+ SAT students use ED for an Ivy, it’s more reasonable because the Ivy is the next tier up for them – they’re likely getting admitted to a top 30 school with RD, anyway. In your case, with a 2050 SAT, ED could make a big difference to the top school you get admitted to. IMO, ED won’t do much for improving your odds at Cornell because it’s a high reach for you in engineering. If you could find a high match or low reach school for ED, you have so much more to gain because admission is more realistic to begin with.
If Cornell is the only school that you can find that you really want to be bound to with ED, then your strategy is perfectly fine, of course. As you’re aware from your comment, you have to be pumped about your ED school! It’s still early in the process, though, so maybe you’ll find another ED target. Good luck with the hunt.
If you’re seeking warmer climes, UCF (Orlando) or USF (Tampa) could satisfy your requirements for safeties.
If you are going into ECE or EEE, DO NOT apply to UNM (University of New Mexico). It is NOT a good school for engineering, especially that field. The other ones are pretty good. Look at Kansas universities too, they are some of the easier ones to get into.
@albert69 Thanks for the heads up!
@Dunboyne I totally get what you’re saying but I’m hoping that my ECs and the fact that I’m a girl (?) will help me get in. Who knows though, I might fall in love with another school and apply ED there but at this point, no universities come to mind.