Well, P’ton is a small town. The pop density is actually about 1600 per square mile-- about 30,000 inhabitants spread out over around 18 square miles. (Wiki)
The term “bucolic” refers to rural pleasantness, pace, beauty, etc. It might not be rural, but P’ton surely has more of a rural vibe, relative to the other two. 
Princeton isn’t rural, it’s suburban. Very little of eastern NJ is rural!
Then how the heck is New Jersey the Garden State? hehe
^^^Excellent observation and inquiry there, @prezbucky.
And, yeah, Harvard is a pretty good school.
My D found Princeton way too rural for her tastes. The OP should visit and see if he (she?) thinks it matters.
You have much to learn about the ways of marketing, little grasshopper.
lol well – maybe at one point it was a giant garden, instead of a giant suburb for Philly and NYC. hehe
But back to the topic – OP, these three schools are all great and will offer you all the opportunity and quality anyone could ask for. H and P have more prestige but Brown really is outstanding as well. The three are fairly different from one another, though – evaluate them based on fit and choose accordingly. Whether it’s laid-back and free-flowing Brown (think JFK Jr. dating Emma Watson, if it were possible); or the leader of the class, Harvard (think JFK); or the brilliant nerd of the group, Princeton (think Einstein)… you can do well at any of them, but make this choice based solely on fit.
“but if a particular school had some good looking girls, it definitely wouldn’t hurt…”
“I am willing to suffer for four years if it will pay off in the long run.”
Don’t suffer go to a party school and join a fraternity. You will be happier there . Leave Harvard and Brown and Princeton for the kids who see it as a privilege to go there
@moooop I figured that much. I also hear that the combination of Boston and Cambridge makes for a truly can’t miss college experience.
@prezbucky I think you are spot on with the fact that all three will open so many doors later in life, regardless of the name. Ultimately, I believe your last point about the fit (I loved the analogies for each school btw) is what my decision should and will come down to. Thanks a lot! I think I really know what I should base my decision off of now.
@collegedad13 I didn’t mean to come off as entitled or in any way seem that I am not grateful for such an opportunity. My first comment was really my vain attempt at a joke (in poor taste I guess?) more than anything. The second, was an unclear connection between going to a college that would provide me with the best future, even if I have to suffer for that brighter future. I hope I didn’t come off as some ungrateful brat who doesn’t appreciate what is given to them, as I truly do see the opportunity to go to any of these schools as a privilege.
Rural? Princeton? Uh, I don’t think so. Yes, 40 years ago it felt more rural. Not today. It’s very developed and the area around it is completely built up with pharmaceutical company and similar office complexes. Suburban is a better descriptor.
I think princeton feels like a small town. Very far from being even a medium-sized college town, like Iowa City or Charlottesville.
It used to be! One of our worst cities actually was founded on beautiful rolling hills. The southern area of the county shown on “NJ housewives” is basically ruined; I was born & raised here. @prezbucky
But anyway, Princeton’s a nice town! Not a thriving city, but not too far from the largest city in the US!