Identifying (competitive vs collaborative) culture at private liberal arts schools

Also very major dependent.

You will likely not find many uber-competitive Classics or Renaissance Studies majors. You may find-- even at a pretty chill college- some grinder/competitive types in econ or bio.

What do you think you want to study? That will help. Had a relative at Middlebury- a pretty relaxed, collaborative place- but chem and bio were the exceptions (a lot of med school wannabees).