@SculptorDad, are you an engineer? Do you work in engineering? I’m curious because a lot of the very strong opinions you’re stating here don’t match up with what we were told by folks working in the industry back when we were looking for answers to similar questions a few years ago.
UAH is an excellent choice if you’re interested in aerospace or if merit money is vital. It won’t be the same campus experience as some of the flagships you may be considering, but that may not matter to you.
And, I’m sorry, anybody earning 3s on AP exams is unlikely to be admitted to an Ivy or comparable school unless they have some other amazing hook.
Those 3+2 and 4+1 programs are VERY expensive and, in my experience, FEW students complete them. That 4+1 Penn master’s in engineering program, for example, does not offer financial aid for that fifth year. Do the math on that one.
Top students in chemical engineering get good job offers pretty much everywhere, but don’t assume because you were an A student in high school, you’ll be graduating summa from even an ordinary flagship. There’s lots of competition at all of these schools, and the publics, in particular, can be ruthless in how they weed out lesser students.