<p>fiddlefrog, it sounds like you're looking for the kind of education that Columbia or Chicago would provide. Both schools have rigorous Great Books core curriculums, and many people who go there choose those schools precisely because they're looking for "generalized classes in all areas and specialized classes in one or two". In fact, Chicago doesn't even let students double major.</p>
<p>Personally, I'm not applying to either school, mainly because I've read all their core-curriculum books during high school, and I'm looking forward to specializing. If that kind of general education is what you're looking for, though, both of those schools are amazing.</p>