It may offer some additional insights, and there are most likely other similar threads that you can see other comments about.
I’m not an engineering person, to be upfront, but some things I’d like for you to keep in mind, mainly regarding cost. You stated the following in your post:
However this can mean a variety of things. Being that you are applying as an international student, financial aid is severely limited. While some colleges do supply full need to international students, those are hard to come by and most don’t give any at all. If your family is willing to front any cost, than you can disregard this.
With the Student Visa you will need to enter the United States (if you apply to the US), your family will need to demonstrate that they can afford to pay 12 months of college and potentially more, something to be cognizant of as you calculate using NPCs and more.