A) Apply to more than 3 schools. You sound like you have great credentials, but these things are unpredictable.
B) Why only these 3 anyway? You want a great engineering school? What about Caltech? Harvey Mudd? I can name others.
C) Not to be a snob, but MIT and Stanford will open up doors that Penn State will not. I can imagine someone choosing Penn State over the other two.
D) Other than academics, what do you want from your school experience?
-Do you want to be close to home? Far away? In between?
-Do you want a very large school? A small school? Something in between?
-Do you want to be in a city? Rural area? Suburbs?
-What other interests do you have and can you pursue them at the schools you are considering?
Your credentials give you an abundance of choice. Take advantage of that by looking at all the options available and thinking about all the things you want.
Your credentials give you an abundance of choice. Take advantage of that by looking at all the options available and thinking about all the things you want.