Interesting. Grinnell and Oberlin I 100% see, excellent comparison. Occidental is certainly a competitor school, different vibes. But Lewis and Clark? Much less academically demanding, much more focus on sports. And Pomona is not nearly as close as Pitzer, which made the longer list. And where is Hampshire?
Speaking of the longer list, I don’t understand the inclusion of CMC (Claremont McKenna College, formerly Claremont Men’s College). I never took a class there but had ample opportunity to observe from the outside, and the culture is so frat in style (if not in actuality) that I really think anyone who was happy there would be miserable at Reed, and vice versa. Willamette is academically non-demanding, not sure what that has in common with Reed other than proximity.