@philbegas - I would suggest you decide what type of school you want, and then apply to a few that align.
Swarthmore and NYU Stern are about as opposite as you could find (although geographically close). Stern is in the center of the universe, Swat students struggle to find food locally after about 10pm. Stern will have classrooms with hundreds of students, Swat will have economics classes of a dozen. You will be a number at Stern…People will get to know you at Swat. Both are great experiences if that’s what you’re looking for, but most people don’t see themselves equally happy in both environments.