How do these colleges stack up against what I'm looking for?

[BBeatty]

@mamaedefamilia

@BBeatty The following from your list increasingly are becoming reach category schools although COVID may upend things. Vandy and Rice are the highest reaches among them.

Emory
Tulane
Rice
Wake Forest
Davidson
William & Mary (for OOS)
Vanderbilt

While it does not fit your preference for OOS and mild weather, Case Western might be worth looking at for premed. Also unpredictable for admission these days but worth checking out.

U of Southern California, which also a reach, would fit most of your requirements and at present offers half and full tuition merit scholarships for National Merit scholars.

The other USC (South Carolina) might be worth considering as a match and has a good honors program.

USC (SoCal) is a good suggestion, but isn’t it big? I know South Carolina is definitely big, but I thought SoCal was too.