Submit your Pitt application (+ Fredericks Honors) ASAP.
Yes, the key criteria for Schreyer are the essays (another factor is the letter of recommendation; rigor and good grades matter, and they want a diversity of majors/colleges too). Apply to Penn State +Schreyer for Philosophy. If you’re not admitted to Schreyer, as a CLA major you’d be allowed to declare yourself a Paterno Fellow Aspirant, and thus join the 1st year Schreyer students in their special classes and opportunities. (Then you need to meet benchmarks and if you do, you’re in.) Finally, if admitted to Schreyer, I think you’d be interested in The Globe, a specific living/learning program within Schreyer (with the best dorm rooms/area).
For law school, criminology> criminal justice - the former is a branch of sociology&psychology, the latter is usually conceived as a less intellectually rigorous, pre professional education for future law enforcement officers, DoC officers… (unless the program has a clear specificity).
Do look into PPE or PPH programs.
What about Haverford? Denison (Lugar program)?