<p>I also would think about what environment you want: Urban versus Rural. Small versus Large. Nurturing versus competitive. It looks like you have already decided against going west, so that is good. But think carefully about the living experience you want. New York and Boston are very different cities and the experience of living and studying in them will be very different. Oberlin’s social scene is entirely campus based. Eastman is in Rochester, which can be snowy and dark in Winter. Hampshire college is going to be a totally unique experience. If you have not visited any campuses then you might want to take a weekend and do some campus visits. You don’t need to go to all the schools, but you do need to figure out what living environments you think you can tolerate for four years.</p>