HA LAC's - Areas of specialization?

The problem is, these are all top tier schools. The reason for their excellent reputations are that these schools excel in a variety of fields, many of which aren’t known to students outside of the school. For instance, when I took mineralogy, I’m pretty sure I spent half my time on Wellesley’s geology site. Yet how many people associate Wellesley with a strong earth science program?

If you have a very specific interest (ex: comparative Middle Eastern history, Engineering, or geophysics) out are extremely advanced in a particular field, I think it would behoove you to analyze the strengths of the institutions you’re considering. However, if your interests are more broad, and will likely major in something like econ, environmental science, or English just choose which school you like the best.