OP,
First, let me admit bias. I am an LAC fan. Thus, my recommendation should perhaps not be trusted, since given the choice between research university and LAC, I will choose LAC every time. Every freaking time. Harvard or Amherst? Amherst. Yale or Pomona? Pomona. Princeton or Carleton? Carleton. Heck, even if we go down the prestige ladder… Penn or Macalester? Macalester.
You want to go to Pitzer, yet you are trying to talk yourself out of going to Pitzer. For the life of me I do not understand this. Why would you not listen to yourself? Go to Pitzer. The fact that it’s part of the Claremont consortium only strengthens the case.
What doesn’t get mentioned, hardly ever, is that there are students who go off to Ivies and have buyer’s remorse. They do not realize how little focused these schools are on undergraduates, how seldom the professors care about undergraduate teaching. These are research institutions, and research/scholarship comes first. Teaching of graduate students comes second. Yet students head off to Ivies/Ivy equivalents and believe that their experience will be like what you’ll have at Pitzer: seminar-style classes, close relationships with professors (many of whom you’ll know on a first name basis), a culture in which intellectual conversation thrives among students and faculty together.
That’s not to say that an education at an Ivy/Ivy-like is terrible. Not at all! But the myth that the education quality at these schools is second-to-none is tiresome. Sure, there will be those professors who are dedicated to teaching, whose charisma and oratory skill behind the lectern is something to behold, but behind the lectern is where they’ll usually stay. Do not expect close contact or much accessibility. Of course, exceptions exist, as they always do, but at Pitzer you’ll know most of your professors, again, by first name. You’ll be invited into some of their homes. You’ll meet them for coffee or lunch. You’ll work with them on research. You’ll find yourself chatting with them as you do any good friend. Good luck with finding that at a research university.
As for the prestige factor, do your research. One study conducted by a Princeton professor and another researcher from the Mellon institute looked at earnings for those who attend Ivies and those who do not. At first, there did appear to be a gap, but when a new control factor was entered, that gap disappeared. When the researchers looked at the earnings for those who were admitted to an Ivy/Ivy-like but chose to enroll elsewhere (the state flagship, say), no discernible earnings gap was noted.
Of course, this study tells us what we already know using common sense. The name of the school does not do the work; the person does.
Best of luck at Pitzer!