<p>I strongly recommend you visit the Claremont consortium schools (Pomona, CMC, Harvey Mudd) and, if possible, the Philadelphia-area Quaker schools (the Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore “Tri-College” consortium). These schools balance the intimacy of a small LAC with the variety that a consortium brings. Both sets of schools have strong science programs. Both have schools that span a fairly wide range of selective-very selective-super selective (Bryn Mawr,Haverford, Swarthmore; Pitzer,CMC, Pomona). Neither has a big rah rah sports or Greek scene, but both have healthy levels of intramural, D3 intercollegiate, or recreational sports activities. Both attract many learning-for-learning’s sake students (in addition to many pre-professional types). Both are at arms length from major cities.</p>
<p>Harvard, Yale, or Stanford will give you more access to bleeding edge science research with the facilities, money, and famous professors to match. Harvard in particular will not necessarily be a happier place for you to go. And of course, there’s the competition to get in (the challenge in your case probably being to show more than “involvement” in your ECs).</p>