<p>Another place to check out might be Elon, a small university in North Carolina. Opinions of it on CC vary, but it has been pretty kind to smart high school underachievers in my neck of the woods.</p>
<p>(Good points about Hampshire and Bard by others above. Still, I wouldn’t write off Bard. Something about your post said “Bard” to me and to others; they might see it the same way.)</p>