<p>University of Chicago... wait thats my perfect school... </p>
<p>It fits a lot of your criteria though... look into it.</p>
<p>What I find interesting about this thread is that the many of the things the OP wants--diversity in background, political views, etc., wide ranging extracurricular choices and activities, and further educational opportunities without back breaking admissions requirements--are more prevelant in larger schools than smaller ones, yet except for Va Tech, the only schools mentioned are small schools. Either this reflects a belief that small classes, interaction with professors, and uniform high achievement among the student body trump all the other requirements, or it reflects the bias of many on these forums that only small schools are good schools; it certainly does not, in many cases, reflect actual reality. As just one example, Oberlin is a terrific school, and would be great for many who could get in, but the idea that it is filled with people of differing political views is about as accurate as would be the same claim about Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. One is very, very liberal, the other is extremely conservative. Nothing wrong with either, but to say that these schools are diverse in that sense (or that other schools mentioned with little minority representation (especially African-American) are diverse in terms of race or economic status) is simply wrong.</p>
<p>No school fits all the criteria listed, or even most of them. Many schools, some big, some small, fit several categories. It is up to each individual to choose which criteria are most important to him/her.</p>