@Al73 I enter a bunch of scholarship competitions and write lots of essays. I do the ones that are only for $500-$2000, but they add up! I also won $5k in a science competition once : ) lmk if you have any more questions, I can help you out!
Before you even apply to a school, you need to sit down with your parents and make sure you can afford it. Most parents don’t have $200k lying around to pay for an expensive private university. If it’s going to require you to take out more than 30k in student loans for a bachelors degree, it’s not worth it. Price is a precondition before you even send the application
Also, it sounds like you’re making decisions based on school rankings. That’s not a good way to choose a school. The criteria U.S. News and other school rankings use have nothing to do with educational quality. It’s based more on popularity. The main criteria for choosing a school are affordability, cultural fit, and potential major.