Disgruntled applicant wants to be gruntled for ED2 [NJ resident for chem, 97.1 GPA, 1570 SAT, need FA]

Rutgers is a terrific school with strong academics, so it sets a very high bar as a Likely/Safety.

That said, having a 2nd Likely/Safety is never a bad idea. Since you are National Merit, you may be interested in the following thread which describes the schools that give big merit (up to a full ride) for NMSFs/NMFs. Maybe throw in an app to one of these?
Big merit NMF/NMSF schools and their specialties

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