Vassar is already on the trip itenirary!
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My parents and I are definitely the plan-ahead types, I think this might just come down to personality.
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Yes, this is just to choose where to tour since I live in the South so a trip up North requires time and planning.
A lot of it depends on family situation, location as well. Here in bay area high schools in CA, students entering 9th get a checklist of courses needed to be eligible for UCs and CSU, since they know many will apply. So they’re starting already thinking about colleges, at least the in-state ones. Since affordability is the biggest factor in college decisions, parents are told to plan early for the financial aid part of it, definitely 9th, maybe earlier.
Anyway, OP - have fun on the trip, glad to see Vassar added! I didn’t attend but have a soft spot for it since I grew up ten minutes from it.
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That same social divide seems to persist at Skidmore College as well.
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I’ve not been to Lewiston, but I’ve heard mixed reviews. I think it’s safe to say SS is easily the best of the towns among that group by a margin. Brunswick and Middlebury are cute and charming, but very small and don’t have anywhere near the offerings of Saratoga Springs, which is beautiful architecturally, super historical, one of the coolest collections of bars on quaint city blocks off of Broadway that a college kid could hope for, an amazing array of restaurants and is near fantastic outdoor opportunities like Lake George and Saratoga Lake. Waterville is not a draw for Colby. SS is one of Skidmore’s greatest assets.
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Totally agree! It has the small town feel with shops and restaurants a walk away. There is also regional bus service (CDTA) that students can ride for free with their ID so they can get to Walmart, Target, Chipotle and stuff within 15 minutes.
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I don’t know if it’s too late to offer advice on the OP, but if you want a LAC and great prep for law school (I am a lawyer btw), Wesleyan’s CSS program is worth your consideration. My D’s roommate went through it, so I saw it from somewhat of a distance. The roommate was a Lawrenceville kid and was used to rigor, but CSS kicked her butt. It’s not a curriculum for the faint of heart, but when I would talk to her (she was and is a very engaging young person who likes talking to adults) and she would tell me about what she was doing, I always thought “this is such great prep for law school,” although that’s not where she’s heading. Then again, there are many ways to prep well for law school. You could, for example, narrow in on Philosophy alone at any of the schools you mentioned and you’d be quite prepared. Law school is reading, writing and critical thinking. Lots and lots of reading … be warned. 
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