It’s a very subjective thing in regards to pretty campus. I find Vassar dark & dreary. Bowdoin was too flat and my S hated that one of the dorms was a 1970ish tower. Skidmore’s old campus was much prettier, imo, then the one built in the 70’s - but Saratoga Springs is a lovely town. Bates is in an old mill town, but parts are being revitalized, and campus is only a few short blocks from “downtown.” .
As for the weather, Maine is very similar to upstate NY - though a tad milder nearer to the ocean. The one thing my kid complained about was how early it got dark in the winter. Maine is more north & east so it gets darker a good hour earlier in the winter then upstate.
Williams is beautiful but there is nothing in the town. We went to The Clark one afternoon and there wasn’t even a place to get a bite to eat after.
Skidmore isn’t as gloomy in the winter as Hamilton & Colgate - which are both affected much more by lake effect snow and clouds associated with that (all the time in winter) than either Skidmore or Vassar which are further east.