My own son had a transfer option to USC. He is a senior at Bing and loves it. Most students do not actually transfer, tbh.
Be sure you like the school as the current YOU, not for the “just in case I transfer” scenario. Whatever school you choose, assume you are there for four years. Most of the schools you are considering have very high freshman retention rates. That means kids are happy and they stay.
Holy Cross does have a very high retention rate, at 95%, which is the same as Union College. Perhaps look at Union more closely.
I do not think the following colleges sound like what you want, which seems to be a bit of traditional mixed with a bit of creativity.
- Brandeis
- Clark
- Conn Coll
- F&M
- Skidmore
- Binghamton
@tsbna44 F & M says they now offer very limited merit aid. This student must have received that.
