If I were in your position I'd choose whatever program allowed me to borrow as much money as possible, and use that money to load up on Bitcoins. I'd also learn a second or third language, get at least one passport and to my best to develop skills which are marketable internationally. Then I'd try to spend at least one semester studying abroad for networking. Then upon graduation, appearance of a great job opportunity, or the breakdown of civil order in the US (whichever comes first) I'd exit the country and being a new career somewhere else using bitcoin-based savings to help with the transition.
I forgot to mention that I'm not currently living or hold a citizenship at the US. I'm proficient in three languages (more if you include dialects), and English is my 2nd/3rd language. I currently have no plans of working at the US though, but that depends on what I'm offered after my graduation there.
Even the big schools on some level do offer something in the way of a compact environment. On most sufficiently large campus if you did engineering, that portion of your studies would be contained within the College of engineering for example. For your general education courses and such you would still be tossed into the sea of the larger university.
There are medium sized regional schools though that tend to have the strong engineering programs that liberal arts colleges generally lack. One example would be Missouri Science and Technology in Rolla, but the downside of studying there is being in Rolla Missouri. If you are looking at state schools though all but the most neglected campuses usually boast fairly solid engineering programs. Private universities in general tend to be a crapshoot for engineering though and even the large, selective, and well endowed can be shamed by mid tier states school in engineering if nothing else. Some of them might throw some serious money around trying to get you to enroll, and then you can take the money you saved and go to an prestige graduate program.
If you want to do computer science or computer engineering though a SLAC is a generally safe bet for the full course of study. I'm guessing you don't though because it seems all the prospective engineering always want to do mechanical with the exception for the three weirdos in every class who want to do civil out of the gate (the rest of the civil engineers come fleeing from the job market and apprenticeship requirements in architecture).
I'm skeptical of the 3+2 programs that involve a liberal arts college and another university's engineering school. It just seems way too much like the less expensive community college transfer option.
You mentioned Claremont McKenna, and if you apply there why not Harvey Mudd?
I'm probably doing a major on either Electrical and Electronic Engineering or Mechanical Engineering, and doing a minor either on Economics/Management/Comp.Sci. I'm originally sceptical about the quality of the 3+2/4+1 kind of stuff, but a lot of prestigious LAC's offer it (Williams, Pomona etc) and there's the added advantage of graduating with double degrees. (1 from the LAC as the pure sciences , 1 from the Engineering school, which is usually either Dartmouth or Columbia). There's even a course offering a 4+1 where you graduate with a Bachelors in Physics, and a Masters in Eng from UPenn. That way I could maximize my career options especially if I do a Bachelors in Math and Bachelors in Engineering.
I'll look into the regional schools too, but the fees might add up to the private schools' levels for a foreigner and thus be essentially the same as the private schools' ones. I've looked in Harvey Mudd too, but the entry requirements seem to be a tad bit selective for my taste as it's even harder to get in than MIT/Stanford due to its small size. I mentioned Claremont McKenna as it offers a double degree program (3+2) with Harvey Mudd as the Engineering school, and Claremont's easier to get in by leaps and bounds.
Caltech? It is pretty small.
Seems an awesome option, but it's so hard to get in that I basically skipped it. I could try my luck though...
Thanks for the informative input from you guys - I feel more knowledgeable now! Keep the suggestions coming in!
