<p>If you’re looking for freedom, you can forget Uchicago and COLUMBIA (columbia has one of the strictest cores in the country). Chicago also doesn’t have engineering. Someone above mentioned Brown, which truly gives you free reign. Swarthmore is pretty open as well, and one of the few LACs with a real engineering department. Johns Hopkins and University of Rochester are also both strong in engineering, and both have similar freedom of curriculum (a writing requirement and distribution requirements where you choose your courses).</p>