Colleges like emory?

It’s smaller than you’d like, and I’m not sure about your regional preferences, but what about Macalester? It might fit your other criteria – urban, strengths in the humanities, etc. If you’re interested in the law or adjacent fields, its location in the state capital would open up lots of possibilities for internships and applied learning (and Macalester places a strong emphasis on providing these opportunities for students). I believe it also has a relationship with the University of Minnesota that would allow you to take classes there and give you your big-school fix.

Another thought is the Claremont colleges in California (Scripps, Pitzer, Pomona, etc.). Each college has a different feel but meshes well together in a contiguous campus area, so you feel like you’re at a bigger school and can take advantage of their combined resources. It’s exurban more than urban, but it’s not that hard to get to LA if you want to do that.

Also in California, Occidental might be worth a look – not in a consortium and smaller, but more connected to LA than the Claremont consortium and a vibrant campus with excellent humanities/social sciences.

Lewis and Clark (in Portland) could be another option. If you’re open to Catholic schools, what about Holy Cross?

I second other suggestions above: Rice, William and Mary, Vanderbilt, Charleston, Richmond, Pitt, and University of Denver.

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