<p>Also....in Philadelphia. St. Josephs kept sending my D stuff stating that she could go almost tuition free, and her stats didn't measure up to yours. Maybe you can try there.</p>
<p>Whoops...I didn't mean to say her stats didn't measure up to yours, I just meant your SATs.....D is also a 4.1 gpa student, etc., with all honors/ap classes from freshman year. (Sorry daughter)</p>
<p>226 PSAT is good enough to be a National Merit semi-finalist. Take a good look at the info colleges will send your way--some will be for full tuition, room & board, and an allowance! And not all of the colleges offering such inducements are academic basement-dwellers.</p>
<p>Being a top student at one of these colleges can land you at a "highly selective" school for grad school--and grad school can be subsidized by stipends, etc.</p>
<p>The College of New Jersey gives a full free ride to students with above a certain SAT and class rank. My son's friend, who had family problems which limited their ability to support his college expenses, takes advantage of this and is attending at no cost.</p>
<p>I know you have said you don't want "southern" schools, but Rice is pretty quirky, and offers some full-tuition scholarships for engineering majors. My DD loves it there, and she's very liberal. If you don't mind religion, Baylor offers full-tuition for NMF, as does UF in Gainesville.</p>
<p>Another possibility would be Illinois Institute of Technology - they offer lots of merit money to top students. It's decent for engineering, kind of a campus you have to visit. Another "off the wall" recommendation would be either Purdue or South Dakota State U - good chances of merit money at both. Finally, you may want to consider a 3 plus 2 program at some of the LAC;s that are strong in math. (A 3-2 program is where you do your first three years at the LAC then finish up at a university - you get both a BS and an engineering degree.) Some schools that have these programs where you might stand a solid chance at merit money for the first three years: Lewis & Clark, Whitman College (pacific northwest), the College of Wooster (ohio), St. Olaf (Minn.). But there are others out there as well. I like the suggestion of Union as well.</p>
<p>You have had several suggestions to cast a VERY WIDE net. I agree with it. If you open your criteria a little and become willing to look at larger public universities you will definetely find someone (likely several) that offer you full rides. </p>
<p>My D is in a similar situation that you are in. She applied to 23 colleges hoping for full rides or close to full rides. University of Florida and University of Arizona are two that offer full rides for NMS. </p>
<p>I don't think you need to apply to that many colleges, but a do some research of ones that offer full rides for merit and then sort them out by majors that fit. If number is less than 20 apply to them all without using any of your criteria.</p>
<p>Look into University of Rochester. I understand they give good non-need based scholarships and it might be a very good match for your musical interest too.</p>
<p>Footfit, I'll echo Mini: check out Smith. My D is doing a double-major including Math and loves it there. The Pickering Engineering scholarship may help a fair amount. Your stats and profile are around my D's or a little better and you might be able to get a STRIDE on top of it, which provides a research assistant position as well. I don't know if they would double up a Pickering with a STRIDE but there's no harm in asking. But, as suggested, cast a wide net in your applications and then see how the offers pan out. </p>
<p>Finally--and I guess you don't want us to tread into why your parents have money but won't support you at all in college--don't be afraid to take out some loans.</p>
<p>Thats right...If you are a New Jersey resident, then the College of New Jersey will be your best choice. It is the place in New Jersey that Jersey kids go who either didn't make it in, or decided not to go, to Ivy league. It has become very, very prestigious. it takes only the best of the best, the top of the top, New Jersey students.</p>
<p>The OP should check out "Discounts and Deals at the Nation's 360 Best Colleges" (or something very similar to that" by Bruce G. Hammond and "The ABC's of Merit Scholarships" (again, or something very similar to that). </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Echoing Weenie on the University of Rochester, which offers significant merit aid and has one of the best physics programs around, especially if you are interested in optics (Bausch & Lomb supprted). Excellent in many engineering fields and with one of the best music schools in the country. About as far from the South as you can get.</p>
<p>Call RPI now and see if you can apply directly for the RPI Medal, which is awarded to juniors by their high schools. If you get that, it's $15K/year of merit money. And RPI is an excellent match for what you want. (My H went there, so I'm very familiar with it.)</p>
<p>A number of perfectly good but not great schools offer full rides to National Merit finalists, which your scores should make you. My son (who isn't even female and is a pale shade of white) was offered a full ride--tuition, room, and board--and cash ($1000/semester) by UTexas Dallas. It doesn't meet your geographical requirements, but you could always blow through in three years (with placement from your senior year courses) and then go someplace interesting for a master's--and most places will pay you to get a master's in engineering.</p>
<p>Another approach is the service academies--Air Force, Navy, Army, Coast Guard. Again, all expenses paid and a good summer job too.</p>