<p>I have visited alot of schools in my life, and interestingly I have spent alot of time at most of the colleges on your list. This might be the least PC post I have had on CC, but helping you out honestly seems worth losing a little credibility.</p>
<p>Harvard: Not much fun, way too much angst. Everyone seems out to prove themselves or become even more elitist (like going to Harvard isn't enough.) My friends who went there love the prestige, I am not sure they love Harvard at all. Worth applying though, its a powerhouse.</p>
<p>Stanford: Fun but not as amazing as I though. The campus is pretty spread out. I thought it would be better, but the party scene was cool though and the kids were cool. Just being in California is cool. Totally worth applying.</p>
<p>MIT: Nerdy kids who think they are fun but honestly its depressing. The girls are not cool. Who cares if Boston has clubs. Personally I would want to party with kids I go to school with, and truthfully I wouldnt go there for anything. Prestige isn't worth losing the best four years of your life. </p>
<p>Princeton: Lots of kids who party, but whereas harvard has an intellectual elistism, here an annoying "whiteboy" rich kid elitism exists. But truthfully the eating clubs are pretty fun and there are plenty of kids who are laid back and have a good time. Totally worth applying.</p>
<p>Duke: Same as princeton except replace elitism with jockiness. The community atmosphere is there and girls do sunbathe on the greens. Its a big campus though, so it seems decentralized. Overall a fun place and totally worth applying.</p>
<p>Northwestern: Lots of parties and cool people, but people ride on shuttle busses and the community isn't as tight as Duke or many of the other top schools. Its Worth applying.</p>
<p>Michigan: Huge state school, fun campus, ann arbor is cool but honestly its a little big. Great safety.</p>
<p>Berkeley: Never been there.</p>
<p>You are missing some of the most "not nerdy" top schools and some of the best college experiences out there for a kid like you.</p>
<p>UNC: Could not be more fun. Have been there alot and compared to places like Michigan and UCLA there is no comparison. There is a (personally) annoying NC- way to preppy frat - contingent, but there are scores of cool people to compensate. Honestly, the school is amazing for a big school. Oh yeah, it also has one of the best male/ female ratios anywhere (if you are a guy, which you are). Their main strip, Franklin street, is raging on Sunday. Its that much fun.</p>
<p>Dartmouth: Of the top schools it could not be more fun. There are parties every weekend, people who smoke and ski, and in the summer those people jump in rivers. The place has a big weekend EVERY quarter. In the fall freshmen run around the HUGE bonfire for homecoming, in the winter they have winter carnival with a "polar swim", in the spring "Green Key" has bands and open containers, in the summer "Tubestock" has hundreds of kids on inner tubes drinking in the amazingly beautiful connectcut. On the weekends the streets are lined with people on party circuits, and girls make out on the dance floor like its a bad habit. Not to mention everyone goes abroad and sophomore summer is the time of your life. I cannot imagine a better college experience. A hidden gem, once someone vists for a real weekend they are always sold on it immediately.</p>
<p>Brown: Its harvard without the elitism and more parties, and its way too overlooked these days. Lots of amazingly cool kids. Thayer street is amazing, its hip and fun. The bar scene is great, the off campus party scene is even better. Tons of pretty girls. I don't know anyone who didn't love it. Way too many cool people and way too great an atmosphere to not apply.</p>
<p>And finally, there are the schools to avoid in my opinion for someone who not only wants a great education, but also wants the best four years of their life:
Columbia, Chicago, MIT, Swarthmore, Haverford.</p>