Tips on narrowing down college list?

<p>I'd like to have 8 schools (12 at most). does anyone have any tips on narrowing down schools? I most value quality of life, size (large or maybe medium), freshman retention, and quality of education (particularly in linguistics). I live in RI. The schools I'm interested in are:
Safeties: UMass-Amherst, UConn
Safetyish: BU, Penn State
Match: NYU, Brandeis, UMichigan
Reach: Brown ED <3, Columbia, Cornell, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, UPenn.</p>

<p>Oh sorry wrong forum</p>

<p>UMass-Amherst may not be a safety school for linguistics. It is the strongest department on the campus. You are probably better off there than at BU or Penn State for linguistics. And it rated right up there with your reach and match schools.</p>

<p>[World’s</a> Best Universities in Linguistics; Top Linguistics Universities | US News](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/worlds-best-universities-rankings/best-universities-linguistics]World’s”>http://www.usnews.com/education/worlds-best-universities-rankings/best-universities-linguistics)</p>

<p>Make sure you visit as many schools as possible and if you get a chance meet with the linguistics people, because that could determine the right fit for you.</p>

<p>Full disclosure: my son is going to UMass this fall, but not for linguistics.</p>

<p>Oh thanks ill reevaluate and make sure I don’t count on it as a safety!</p>