<p>
</p>
<p>I agree with this advice.</p>
<p>Full-need, need-blind LACs in the OP’s preferred “triangle”:</p>
<p>Amherst College
Bowdoin College
College of the Holy Cross
Hamilton College
Haverford College
Middlebury College
Swarthmore College
University of Richmond
Vassar College
Williams College</p>
<p>As for LACs where merit aid is a strong possibility, the OP may need to look beyond that triangle. Here are some selective LACs that award merit scholarships:</p>
<p>Colorado College
Davidson College
Dickinson College
Gettysburg College
Goucher College
Grinnell College
Muhlenberg College
Rhodes College
University of Richmond
Ursinus College</p>
<p>Some of these are a bit less selective than the first group, so they might make good match/target schools. </p>
<p>As for which are the best in biology, that’s hard to say. There’s no reliable department ranking for LACs. You could look at PhD productivity ([COLLEGE</a> PHD PRODUCTIVITY](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/ir/phd.html]COLLEGE”>Doctoral Degree Productivity - Institutional Research - Reed College) or <a href=“https://webcaspar.nsf.gov/[/url]”>https://webcaspar.nsf.gov/</a>). Swarthmore and Haverford do well by that metric, and also meet the OP’s other criteria.</p>