You mentioned Ashland and they have a good program. Good new coach there in Tom Scott. The GLIAC has lots of solid programs: Grand Valley (you might not make the team there), Hillsdale, Saginaw Valley, Walsh, Ferris State, Lake Erie, Michigan Tech, Wayne State, Findlay. If you're religious, check out Malone or Cedarville. What is your major? that will eliminate some schools.
I'm thinking either English or some sort of engineering/ physics for my major. Ashland came to mind because I know how much tuition would be and I think I could make the team at a lot of gliac schools.
My advice to reach out to some coaches and see who is interested in you. You may have to get a release from your athletic department for them to contact you, not sure if that is still a rule.
I think I have to get a release in order to talk to other coaches. I would like to know a little bit more about the process as a whole and all of that. If anyone know that process well I'd be happy to hear it. I have done some online research but don't quite know it all to the extent that some people on here do.
Hastings College one of the top schools in the Midwest and has a great Physics program. As for running their program is building and you would have a great opportunity to get in before they become a player over the next few years.
Good Luck
I really don't understand your obsession with wanting to be a perfect for a team. Currently I'm a college sophomore who came out of high school with nearly your identical times. I passed up the D2 offers and D1 promises to focus on my education and it was the best decision I've ever made.
So screw this prestige you seem to be looking for with a team and I'll plead with you to check one thing out: NIRCA. The National Intercollegiate Running Club Association is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. There's a good chance your D1 school already has a club running team. If you're as confident in your running as you seem, take that jump and coach yourself. Like I said, I had nearly identical times as you in HS. Coaching myself for the past year and a half, I have worked myself down to a 8:5X 3k and 25:3X 8k with no one to thank but myself. At the same time, I didn't have any stuck up coaches trying to tell me what to do, so you know what I did? Ran a damn marathon. And qualified for Boston. And again, no college coach can take credit for that. Find your schools club team and start training yourself if you have the legitimate commitment to the sport.
We have no club team
Can you start a club team? Also I understand where you are coming from with everything but I do think you should overall reassess your thinking about divisions, etc.
I run for an NAIA school called Indiana Wesleyan University. We have a great running program (3rd at nationals). Plus you can also get a good scholarship. We have 4 or 5 runners who will go sub 15 in 5k this track season. It is a Christian university and you would be expected to uphold the policies such as not drinking alcohol and attending chapel 3 times a week. But it is a great academic institution with an amazing coach and program history.