<p>hehe this is fun, it is like my thinking: take X off, no, put it back on, maybe add Y. Only thing is I can only get it down to like 25 schools! And that's when I write off all the LACs!</p>
<p>I was just reading through your posts, and I'm not sure you interpreted your Scripps letter correctly. I believe they sent you a letter inviting you to apply for the James E. Scripps scholarship. This in no way guarantees you a half-tuition scholarship. Only after you've applied, been invited for the scholarship weekend, and interviewed with a professor at Scripps do you have a chance at the scholarship. Just to clarify...</p>
<p>zeusviolin, I know all that, but which sounds better, your version or mine? :)</p>
<p>University of Chicago and University of Rochester have a lot of the characteristics that you seem to be looking for, including good biology programs. Admission is easier to achieve than at places like Yale. Rochester offers a lot of merit aid, too.</p>
<p>I go to Smith and my sister goes to Rice. She definitely didn't have too many big classes (and they broke into small sections). In fact, during her first year she ended up taking a graduate sociology seminar with the professor whose research she's assisting...and now she wants to be a soc major!</p>
<p>I was also a research assistant for a soc professor during my first two years at Smith (both colleges have cool merit-based scholarships with paid research assistantships), but I am a government major.</p>
<p>Rice and Smith are REALLY different schools in a lot of ways: big city/medium-sized town; coed/womens'; moderate/liberal, established engineering program and consistent science focus/new engineering program and growing science focus, but still more humanities majors; Div I sports with football/Div III no football; Texas/New England. But both are wonderful small schools and my sister and I are both really happy where we ended up...and happy that we didn't end up at the other's school! Both also offer very nice merit aid, although you have to be quite close to the top of the applicant pool to get it. </p>
<p>If you can, I'd suggest visiting a large state school, a liberal arts college, a school in a rural area, and a single-sex school...even if they aren't the actual ones you're planning on applying to. You might get a better feel for what you like.</p>
<p>and in terms of trees, both Rice and Smith are arboretums with wonderful gardens. Smith's plantings were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, who also designed Central Park in New York City. There's also an amazing greenhouse, so you can get your plant fix even during the 5 month winters. At Rice, the trees don't lose their leaves (if you've seen autumn at Smith, you'll know this is a big loss) but flowers bloom all year round. It's just a matter of preference.</p>
<p>Actually, Rice has under 3000 undergrads. It's a BEAUTIFUL campus.</p>
<p>Big Guys: Yale, IUB, Harvard/NEC, Duke, UCSD and UCLA
Smaller Institutions: Amherst, Bowdoin, Vassar, Rice</p>
<p>Getting closer?</p>
<p>I wouldn't call Yale or Harvard big, especially when compared to IUB and the UCs. I'm not really sure about Duke's size.</p>