<p>wait, i didn't phrase that well. i didn't mean for it to seem as if i was basing schools on prestige</p>
<p>You might think about Carnegie Mellon. It's not as well known for its humanities programs as it is for computer science or the arts, but it has many of the qualities you're looking for (green campus in a city, low-key Greek life, respected academics, merit aid) and might not be as much of a reach as schools like Brown.</p>
<p>I agree that Chicago and Brandeis (despite the architecture) should definitely be on your list.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the replies! They have helped me a lot!</p>
<p>Bowdoin, Bowdoin, Bowdoin.</p>
<p>They don't have merit aid, but they do have good financial aid. And excellent food- they're constantly vying for the #1 rank.</p>