<p>Pomona and Williams are great choices with strong sciences and broad hum/SS offerings. Settings will be very different, almost at opposing ends of the spectrum you’ve defined, LA suburban vs. buccolic rural. Scripps is a wonderful but much more niche place, beautiful jewel boxed campus, but academics, even with cross reg, make it a weak sibling to Pomona for someone with your interests (for some overlapping/some different reasons would also not support CMC).</p>
<p>Outside of Pomona and Williams, I’d probably add Carleton and Swarthmore to round out the top four fits among LACs. Carleton in a historic (think Jesse James) small town lovely semi-rural setting 50 minutes from Minneapolis-St. Paul, Swat with a very pretty suburban locale (think arboretum) with easy access to Philly. Both have very strong sciences and, again, great hum/SS depts. Swat probably the most academically and intellectually intense of all your LAC choices (? of all LACs), Carleton, academically intense as well, but probably the most quirky-fun-refuse-to-take-myself-too-seriously of the bunch.</p>
<ul>
<li>Haverford is certainly worth a look, but its small size and the Bryn Mawr connection must work for you. Jointly, academic offerings are very strong. </li>
<li>Wesleyan is the largest of the LAC choices with broad offerings complete with a small contingent of grad students but still very much a LAC. Strong sciences and probably the best performing/creative arts options among small schools anywhere. </li>
<li>Middlebury may have the prettiest campus of the bunch but competes with Williams for most isolated. Personally feel IR/language strength is overbilled unless there is a particular, obscure, language draw. Athletic, prep, ? alcohol culture may feel stronger here. </li>
<li>Bowdoin, small town Me. with access to small city Portland, feels much less isolated than Williams and Middlebury. Will offer strong sciences, esp. bio/environmental. </li>
<li>And Wellesley, the school I believe could possibly become the most competitive college of any size in the country were it to go co-ed, is a beautiful place a stone’s throw from Boston with great history, great teaching, and, of course, no boys - ball in your court. </li>
</ul>
<p>Amherst, Vassar, Hamilton, Whitman and Davidson are all great places, but seem less of a fit to your profile, esp. with so many other great fits out there (unless remaining in the Pacific NW or heading to the SE is a goal).</p>
<p>And now for unsolicited advice: as much as I love LACs, I would strongly suggest you owe yourself a visit, if at all possible, to at least 1-2 larger schools (maybe not quite as large as UW) to make sure you sample all flavors. Stanford is a reasonable two state drive or plane-hop away and is a phenomenol place. Too large? Maybe. Worth a look? Probably. If you’re willing to cross country, I’d suggest stops at Brown and Princeton, smaller, more historic-traditional. UChicago, as much as I love it, is not just in a “huge city,” it’s very hard-core “city.” Not what comes to mind when I read your query. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>