I think it goes to what @Lindagaf asked?
What’s your budget?
Will you qualify for aid? A good way to see that is to go to a meets 100% of need school - you can use W&L since it’s on your list - and fill out the net price calculator. What does it show you?
Some people will not get need based aid - we didn’t. So W&L is $81K listed cost of attendance and it’s likely more than that.
While I can afford it (at least the colleges say so), I chose not to afford it.
So that’s why the budget is key - what you are willing to pay or what the colleges say you have to pay.
You say you NEED merit aid. Do you need it because you don’t have money - in that case, you may find out a school will support you - hence fill out Net Price Calc for W&L.
If it’s - you don’t qualify but you don’t want to pay a ton (good call), then you go to the list of high merit schools 
There’s many people who can afford the “top” schools whose kids go to what most would deem 2nd tier schools. Yet a college like Alabama has as many National Merit Scholars as any in the country.
One other thing to look at - Journalism and Soc - both really interesting - the first typically poorly paid and the 2nd definitely poorly paid and likely grad school (more expense).
Keep the questions coming.