<p>Do you like a cold snowy climate? Check out the snowfall totals in upstate New York.</p>
<p>Do you have an interest in politics and public policy? That is one of American’s specialities. Take a look at their male-female ratio. It is 60% female, which may affect your decision.</p>
<p>Can you deal with large numbers of political conservatives? Coming from SF, that may be a shock. Generally, southern colleges are more likely to have large numbers of conservative students and professors. I went to a southern college where the economics dept. was full of very conservative profs. There was one prof who was a “closet moderate” who was very happy when a student questioned the textbook and said things he was not allowed to say.</p>
<p>Are you interested in internships? They are easier at a college near a major metropolitan area, vs. one in an isolated small town.</p>
<p>If you expect to have a large amount of AP credit, take a look at AP policies on each college’s website. Some colleges have a strict maximum number of credits and others are very tough in granting any credit. Boston College and Providence College for example are strict in AP credit. American is very very permissive in granting AP credit. It may be the difference between graduating in 3 vs. 4 years.</p>
<p>University of Richmond still has remnants from when there used to be a separate women’s college and a separate men’s college. They still live on opposite sides of a lake. U. Richmond has also been accused of discriminating against females in admissions.</p>
<p>Think about what size college you are interested in. My personal preference is for colleges with between 2,000 and 10,000 undergrads. Any more, and it is easy to get lost in the crowd. Any fewer, and students complain that they get tired of seeing the same people and complain that there is too little to do and too much gossip because everyone knows each other’s business.</p>
<p>The one college missing from your list is the University of Virginia. They have always been known for excellent history and english departments. That long-standing well-deserved reputation helps to attract the best professors and graduate students in those departments.</p>
<p>Read what people say about the neighborhood around Trinity College in Hartford. The consensus is: beautiful campus, but don’t step off the campus at night.</p>
<p>I don’t know anything about the neighborhood around Fordham, but the Bronx still has many questionable neighborhoods.</p>
<p>Also, you might look at cost of living. Boston for example is much more expensive to live within than many other areas. That is particularly an issue for a college with little on-campus housing for upperclassman.</p>
<p>William and Mary is known for a beautiful campus. However, students complain about living in a tourist town.</p>