<p>If you want to go into the South, you might look at Duke, Wash U in St. Louis, Emory or Vanderbilt. They are all mid-size research universities with the emphasis on undergraduate education. However, at least some of those schools have pretty extensive core requirements. </p>
<p>Applying to the extremely selective schools can be a crap shoot. For everyone accepted, there are four or five virtually identical candidates candidates who are denied. It is ironic, but the better the schools that you apply to, the more schools that you need. This is because of the lottery nature of the process.</p>
<p>I will mention Rutgers (New Brunswick) since it would be both an academic and financial safety for you. However, it is not in the same league as MIT, of course.</p>