I always love the Bryn Mawr lantern night photos you link and your description of the lantern tradition there. One of my friends has been faculty there for a while and has said nothing but great things about the college.

Echoing lassarina's comments about feeling a little bittersweet but, on the other hand, I wouldn't want to trade the experience I had at a small handful of major research uni's either. But major research uni's aren't community or cohort focused in any way.