Funny you mentioned Haverford and Swarthmore. If you go to either of those (or, for women, Bryn Mawr), you can take classes at either of the other two OR at the University of Pennsylvania - though this last option will cost a little extra in money and time, I knew more than a few people who went to UPenn to take courses on esoteric subjects.
My first class at Haverford was at Bryn Mawr. Several Bryn Mawr students came to Haverford for the astronomy and particle physics courses, or music. Others went the other way, to take graduate math courses, or geology...
So, if you would prefer somewhere small but want some not-exactly-standard option, check out whether a small college enables outside courses. That will expand their menu significantly.
Since this fall I will be applying to college in the USA, I have compiled a hefty list of colleges based on the following criteria:
-4-year school;
-co-ed or all men;
-Biology major;
-"full-ride" financial aid available.
The problem's that I have quite a lot of choices, hundreds, as a matter of fact. So how should I narrow down my list even further, given that I don't care about other stuff, such as campus size or location?
Moreover, to how many colleges should I apply? As far as I know, mpst people apply to 6-9 colleges, but some even apply to 20! I guess that by applying to as many colleges possible, my chances of admission go up. But, I probably won't have time to write hundreds of admission essays, or the money to send in my application to all these colleges.
Lastly, as my objective is to gain admission somewhere, should I only apply to colleges with acceptance rates above a certain percentage? What should that percentage be?
If anyone would like to take this in private, I'd be more than happy to receive some advice from any member of the community!