Definitely consider St Johns College in Annapolis (unless its small size is really a disqualifier). It is probably the most meaningful education you can get anywhere. All small group discussion led by tutors who ask challenging questions, which teach you how to really READ and question and discuss and deconstruct original texts. The admission stats may not look selective, but that’s because the students who apply are self-selected. Only serious, intellectually curious kids want to go. I did a master’s there and finally got the REAL education I had always wanted. I went to American undergrad in the 90s bc they gave me a merit scholarship. Maybe it’s different now, but I only had a few small group discussion classes, and I did not find the class body as a whole to be very intellectual (they were more ambitious than curious). I was in the honors program and lived on an honors floor in the dorm, so my circle of friends were very smart and challenged me, but there were also a lot of sorority/frat dummies on campus, too. I was in SIS, School of International Studies, which is probably the best college at AU.
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