Non-target College Search

Hello all,

First-time poster here. I was wondering if y'all could give me some help concerning choosing a college for next year. I have a bit of experience with business through family, and I know that I either want to go into investment banking or management consulting after college. I have a bunch of questions. If any of you could shed light on any of them, it would be much appreciated.

Does being the top of a non-target school's class mean anything? I got invited to the Top Scholar weekend at the University of South Carolina Honors College, and thus know I would get all the attention of faculty and career services should I attend. There is also the potential of winning a Stamps scholarship if I interview well here. I also got into UGA honors (my in-state flagship).

I am also looking at Texas schools. For UT, I got rejected from BHP but into McCombs. Is this option better or worse than SMU, where I got invited as a BBA Scholar with their highest scholarship given with admissions decisions. I think I would be competitive for the alternative Asset Management program.

What do I pick among these four? And what should I do when I get there to have a fighting chance of breaking into finance?

I did not apply to any real targets because my father, despite making a good amount of money in private wealth management, has said that he will not pay more than UGA tuition for my college education. He believes that where you go to undergrad is irrelevant as long as you do well. I may apply to transfer after my freshman year anyways and just take out some loans.

I'd appreciate any and all insight!