Where Should I Apply?

[CrewDad]

they [Hamilton] had a fairly recent Apker Award winner.

That go by me. When? I’ll update the list.

Hamilton 1994
Williams 1995
Haverford 1996
Swarthmore 1997
Harvey Mudd 1998
Williams 1999
Swarthmore 2000
IL State 2001
Williams 2002
Harvey Mudd 2003
Williams 2004
Bucknell 2005
Harvey Mudd 2006
Oberlin 2006
Colgate 2007
Haverford 2008
Mt Holyoke 2009
Wellesley 2009
Williams 2010
Wesleyan 2010
Augustana 2011
Franklin & Marshall 2012
Wesleyan 2013
Loyola Univ MD 2014
Williams 2015

Wesleyan and Williams have won twice. Curcuitrider wrote:

Wesleyan’s physics prize was won against much bigger schools since the Apker is divided into two tracks, one for Phd-granting institutions and one for non-Phd-granting institutions. That explains why both Wesleyan and Williams won in the same year (2010).

@Koeing, I believe that you’re interested MHC? MHC won an Apker less than 10 years ago. The location is rural, although the college is located in the Holyoke Mt. range which gives it a unique feel.
MHC is the only school that I know that has an eel ladder. https://www.mtholyoke.edu/mwce/eelway

Both Smith and MHC offer significant merit aid and are less reachy than some of your other schools.

I want to do research as an undergraduate, and that is very important to me.

With a little persistence, you can do research at all your colleges
Vassar has a new $130,000,000 science center. This program https://ursi.vassar.edu/ is very unique and can combine many of your interests. Students receive room/board and a stipend

The Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI) is a ten-week, immersive program for Vassar science students to engage in cutting-edge research under the supervision of a faculty mentor.
URSI students have gone on to present their research at regional and national meetings, and have published their work in a variety of publications, including top-tier scientific journals.