<p>What about factors other than east coast: size of school, campus vibe, Greek, urban/suburban/rural, any specific major requirements (eg. engineering), etc.? </p>
<p>Also, is the rest of the country out? I ask because the NE tends to be a desirable region, making admissions and merit more competitive. If the midwest or south are possibilities, that might give more options.</p>
<p>It’s a generalization, but usually merit recipients are academically in the top of their class, so while some do have problems (particularly fr) holding the required gpa, I don’t think it’s a huge problem.</p>