@Thinkofalogin U of Dayton is a very different type of school than the others you are looking at. It does not surprise me that you say you had a warm and positive experience there. I am a UD grad and know plenty that are successful and in all different fields. It was always known more for engineering but everyone I knew was from all other majors (education, business, etc.). Since it is a Catholic school, there are many service opportunities and special events/traditions like Christmas on Campus. Although I was from a public school, I found that many kids attended from other private/catholic schools from the Midwest. It is a “community” and always is welcoming. Also, a high stat student will get good academic money from UD. Most who look at UD will look at Xavier or (like many of my friends from Chicago) Marquette. The daily atmosphere is different than a Miami or OSU, not bad, just different.
I always resort back to “what you do with your school” mentality. After students leave high school, their “resumes” are wiped clean. They need to start over and find new things to get involved, jobs during their college time, etc. If they do nothing but attend classes, there will not be great job opportunities after college. Currently, they are compared to each other to get into colleges; after college, they will be compared to each other for great jobs. All schools have the opportunities for the students, it is the students job to seek out those opportunities.