For Texas kids SMU, Baylor and TCU are good choices, good academics, nice crowd, good merit scholarships, smaller yet not too small student body, great campuses, good faculty members, great alumni network, good athletics. They aren’t crazy crowded like UT Austin so very warm and welcoming environment, no crazy competition. Campus experience is million times better than UTD, UTSA and UTH.
I would suggest BC, Vandy, and UVA. They all have a similar uber-preppy, attractive, predominantly wealthy student body. They all have gorgeous campuses (like SMU), and they all have a work hard-play hard vibe. In the end, though, I would go to the one that offers the best value. Like others have said, SMU with merit $ will quite possibly be more affordable and in the end, the difference in reputation/opportunities is negligible.
OP, are you still looking for schools on your list or have you already applied? If you are a senior I presume most of these deadlines have passed.
I agree with the advice that if you really like SMU, then that might be your first choice. I wouldn’t assume that a safety won’t be sufficiently challenging or reputable for you - SMU is a great school.
SMU is perfectly fine. Sure, it suffers (suffered?) from a reputation of being a college for “lackadaisical rich kids” but I know two SMU alumni whom were hard workers (award winning students) and went on to graduate from the same elite law school. If you like SMU, then by all means enroll at SMU. You won’t be doomed. :-h
SMU has a great reputation, is nationally ranked and a very well known name. I have no connections with it at all. I’m a northerner and I know of it! I stumbled on this post while looking for schools with a specific major my D is interested in. Don’t think anyone should worry about its reputation. It may not be Harvard - but it is a very, very good school that people respect.