<p>Seems like you basically have the top 20 national research schools on your list, plus a few match/safeties. </p>
<p>Can you get some visits in to help you gauge your reaction to certain types of schools. For instance, there are a number of urban schools on your list – even if you cannot visit any of these specifically, can you visit, for instance, Rice, to see how you like that kind of urban environment. If you hate it, that is information to use to trim your reaches. If you love the urban feel, then you could take Princeton, Cornell and a few others off your list. </p>
<p>UIUC is an excellent science and engineering school and if your stats are good, would be a good match. Keep in mind with UIUC that students apply and are admitted directly to specific colleges, and it takes higher stats to get into College of Engineering and College of Science than it does College of Liberal Arts. </p>
<p>What about differences such as semester vs. quarter system? People say that the quarter system at Chicago drives the pace of the program. Or the open curriculum (Brown) vs. core curriculum (Columbia)? These are characteristics of schools you can investigate and consider. Or consider the social aspects of schools that may matter to you – frats at UPenn and Columbia, eating houses at Princeton, the residential colleges at Yale, houses at Harvard. </p>
<p>These are the type of factors, in addition to academics, that you will want to consider over the next 6-9 months to help you refine your list. </p>
<p>Good luck, it is an exciting time.</p>