Of course AP scores matter to tippy top adcoms. And especially the math-sci classes, when your interest is engineering. You can’t get credit for an AP until admitted. Adcoms are the gatekeepers.
OP is just applying to more now. It’ll be several months until he learns what his final choices are. It’s premature to tell him which colleges will get him a job four or 6 years from now. What he needs is the best opportunity to learn, thrive, and experience the field (internships, research, co-op, etc.) That will come at many choices and depend on his own drive and output.
Some on CC act as if only prestige matters, only that paper. There’s a lot more to consider.
No matter where you go, you’ll need to earn the next opportunities. If you do well, you will have choices.