@thecardinal12:
If you cannot get merit aid at these “prestigious” colleges so you can afford to attend, then you have to lower your expectations and look for some very good colleges that would be affordable.
Where you go for Undergrad will not define you, what defines you is how you take advantage of the opportunities you are given. My favorite quote: “Bloom where planted”. With 4,000 colleges in the US, you can find a school the “fits”.