<p>Another alternative would be either Vassar or Skidmore. "Creativity matters’ is/was a Skidmore slogan. Also, there is no social mold at Vassar - the school is a mix of very creative individuals who are very accepting of each other. The freshman fellows program at Vassar works well and you bond with your ‘fellow group’ during freshman year. Your fellow group are freshmen who live on your floor. Since there are mixed upperclassmen and freshmen in dorms, it helps ‘ground’ the freshman experience. Since I have no experience with Rice, I can’t comment but Wesleyan is probably more similar to Vassar. You may want to look at a few more schools to have more options in the spring.</p>