As for the ACT, even if they keep it on file, many schools will want testing that is no more than 2 or 3 years old.
Brandeis – along with a host of other schools – have a 3+2 engineering agreement with Columbia. Here’s a link to the combined liberal arts / engineering program:
https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/learn/academiclife/engineering/combined-plan-program
As a woman, you have a whole host of match schools in the women’s colleges (Barnard comes to mind, given the interest in Columbia). If you were to consider CA, both UC Berkeley and UCSD should be considered (San Diego is a pretty easy airport to get into and out of). And I second @intparent’s suggestion of Harvey Mudd as a reach with Scripps as a low match/safety (but with demonstrated interest of paramount importance).
I agree that Rochester’s worth looking into.
Have you looked into schools like Rose-Hulman? Olin? Purdue? Emory might also be a good match and has a solid biomedical engineering program. Virginia Tech and Wake Forest might make for good low-match/safeties.
Also, if Columbia ends up being your top choice, you might want to apply ED, but you’re a loooong way away from that.
You’re not at all being “too careful” with the list of high reach and reach schools you mentioned.