<p>I second (or is it “third”?) Rice. Closer to home, for a top LAC strong in science, consider Swarthmore. For a larger school famous for biomedical research, with abundant undergraduate research opportunities, consider Johns Hopkins (though it does not match the desired rural/suburban environment).</p>
<p>Farther from home, but not as far away as Rice, is Grinnell College (Iowa). Good facilities, generous aid. Somewhat less selective than Swarthmore. Swarthmore does not grant merit aid (except to a small number of applicants from the Delmarva area). Grinnell grants merit scholarships, averaging ~$10K, to about 1 in 5 students. In general, the Midwestern LACs are much more likely to grant merit aid than the Northeastern ones.</p>