Congratulations on your hard work and success!
Please don’t think of it as not being Ivy material. Students accepted to Ivy schools are usually strong academically but so are many students at many other schools. So much more goes into admissions than straight-up intelligence, however defined. Many, many students at non-Ivy schools are just as hard working and bright as those at Ivies. Many will do “better” after college.
It’s not WHERE you go to school it’s HOW. Work hard. Embrace opportunities. Learn from the amazing people around you–faculty, staff, and fellow students. Treat everyone with respect and dignity. You’ll do great. Of the ten most successful people I know (personally and professionally) one attended an Ivy. Almost everyone went to public universities, most not on any Top 100 list.
If cost is an issue, obviously look at your state schools. You seem a likely candidate for your state flagship or state engineering school. For OOS, look for schools that provide lots of aid. Among publics, University of Alabama is known for merit scholarships for OOS students. Many private schools offer lots of aid, Case Western, University of Pittsburgh, Miami of Ohio, RPI, RIT, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). I love to tout WPI–highly ranked, great campus, nice part of the city. Students have some of the highest starting salaries of all schools. It has one of the most hands-on programs with lots of project-based learning. Students take 3 classes per term, which are shorter than at most schools.
A lot of these schools offer merit aid pretty frequently at 25-40% of tuition, though that obviously varies a lot. Try to find lists that show what schools meet full financial need. I believe Clark University, also in Worcester, meets financial need. A lot of the schools that do are the wealthiest and most competitive, but not all.
Some ideas: Visit schools if you can, taking advantage of the fly-in programs if that is applicable. For smaller or mid-size schools that seem interesting, you might reach out to the admissions officer (AO) for your state. These are usually listed on the people section of the admissions page. Now/summer are good times of the year; Class of 2017/21 rush is over. Let them know just the basics about yourself and why you are interested and if the school will be visiting anywhere in your area. College AOs often travel in the fall to get the word out about their schools. You may be able to talk to someone from the school in a nearby city. Or you can discuss visit opportunities. It’s great to open a dialogue. Admissions can be personal at smaller schools.
One additional tip: Always be positive in your correspondence. That is important in admissions and many other areas of life. They will know from the info provided by your school that it offers a more limited range of classes than other schools and will take this into account. No need to tell them. Focus instead on your hard work and goals and what you will bring to a college community.
Good luck!