<p>There are thousands of great school out there, you have to narrow them down somehow. My D2’s first criterion was a place where she could continue her sport on the varsity level, second was a place with cold weather. Academic quality, financial aid, on campus housing, size were also factors, but I don’t see anything wrong with having preferences like weather or sport participation as factors. Doing so let us rule out all the NCAA Div I and II schools. And anything in the South or Southwest. There still were plenty of schools to have to sift through!</p>
<p>It’s only February. Your son doesn’t have to decide yet. Let him just live with the choices and my guess will be that when April rolls around he will have a favorite.</p>