If part of your interests lie in earth sciences, then I’d think you would want to look for interesting electives through solid geosciences/geology departments. This might be a distinguishing aspect for your schools of potential interest, more so than even strong biology and political science programs, which tend to be more widely available. Nonetheless, you could still identify stronger and weaker departments in your core fields of interest. Duke, for example, would be notable for its offerings across the biology spectrum. In terms of a school that would fit the theme of your tentative list, look into URochester. You could also screen by location: http://www.newsweek.com/25-most-desirable-urban-schools-71889; http://www.newsweek.com/25-most-desirable-suburban-schools-71867.