What is it about Brown that your son likes? What else besides being in or near a city/urban environment does your son want? What is the preferred budget (without stretching)? Under what conditions are you willing to stretch? If the northeastern schools are sounding so cold, does that mean your son would prefer a school in a warmer climate? What kind of vibe does he want? Does he want to continue with debate in college? Are there particular interests he would like to pursue? Is he interested in liberal arts colleges, but just not the price, or would he prefer a minimum size?
Any additional information you provide could help users in offering suggestions.