What looks good on a college application? (please..help needed)?

State schools are not a tragedy. Many are excellent schools. And if your brother is majoring in music, the cheapest school he can find is the best option - that doesn't pay well or have good job opportunities. If you want a shot at a top school for something related to science or engineering, the best thing you could do is to find a way to get involved in your future major while in high school - summer classes, research positions, internships with companies or hospitals or the NIH, things like that. That's what top schools are looking for - passion, motivation, drive, and potential. And of course, extremely high grades and test scores.