I recommended Williams and Grinnell as two academically excellent LACs that would most likely provide need based aid similar to Yale and other deep-pocketed privates. As I said merit scholarships can be a godsend but in many cases it’s difficult to predict what will come through until it’s too late to make adjustments to your apply list.
Many schools (including Yale) situate creative writing concentrations in their English departments. To me this is a positive as English literature tends to be a well funded mainstay of a liberal arts education. Some schools hire writers as full time faculty; some rely on visiting positions or yearly residencies. Some offer the major to all students; some have secondary admissions hurdles later on.
I like Williams’ for creative writing because of its rigorous academics, notably in its English department, its high name recognition among graduate programs and its commitment to undergraduate teaching and mentoring. If you have specific questions about the program. I’d suggest you contact the college. Perhaps they could put you in touch with a current student.
There’s no question that Williams is not an admissions safety. I may be wrong, but you don’t seem to be interested in pursuing schools that are both admissions and financial safeties. Merit scholarships don’t count unless they are in hand or guaranteed based on specific criteria.