Well, you’ve come to the right place to get advice!
My D had a fantastic experience at Bates and I recommend it above all the others. My son is currently a sophomore at Bing and he loves it, but I can say without hesitation that he certainly doesn’t get the professor and student interaction that my daughter had. He also always has to mix up his schedule during the add drop period, but he has mostly enjoyed his classes.
You can read more about my daughter’s experience here: How Bates prepared my student for her future - #4 by homerdog
I think the thesis requirement is one distinguishing feature that sets Bates apart from other schools.
Macalester is a fine school, but it’s a much different environment from Bates or Binghamton, which are both in large towns. I think Bates is more worth full price than Mac, but I also admit I am biased. Personally, I would never pay OOS tuition for UCSC. I don’t think it’s better than Binghamton. Re the waitlisted schools, I wouldn’t ever pay full price for BU, which I think has a terrible campus. Davidson is an excellent school too, but will have a very different vibe from Bates and Mac. In fact, I think Davidson is the odd man out on the list.