where will I enjoy myself/receive merit aid??

It looks like you’ll need a full-tuition award. See post #4 for the automatic awards.

See here for the competitive awards (start at post #49): http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-p4.html

In your financial case, U Alabama Honors College is a good option, where you qualify as a Presidential Scholar: http://scholarships.ua.edu/types/out-of-state.html

Also check out Clark University’s LEEP Scholarship: https://www.clarku.edu/leep/scholarship.cfm