I don’t think it makes sense to recommend OP consider applying to NU ED, if the NPC is unlikely to be affordable.
Until OP runs a few NPCs and shares the results, we can’t provide recommendations to this level of detail…OP might very well be merit hunting as you say, which would preclude applying anywhere ED, especially at schools that may be unaffordable like NU.
OP, here is NU’s NPC, I linked to Penn and Rice NPCs above: Net Price Calculator