I haven’t ruled out looking at LACs (especially if they offer good need based aid) but I prefer larger universities with a higher population >5k students. Having decent athletics is great but more of a minor factor for me. I don’t plan on Greek Life but hope to get very involved in clubs and orgs on campus. I come from East Tennessee so I am closer to to drive to East Coast schools rather than Plains/midwest. I do prefer to be close to a big city or cool college town when on campus rather than rural small town LACs. Student pop size isn’t as important as how the school feels (small fewer clubs/opportunities vs larger amount of student orgs or programs). That’s mostly why I’ve stuck with well respected state schools.
I would put more privates on my list as they give great need based aid on my list but many have extremely low acceptance rates such as Ivys etc. If I felt more confident about my stats, ecs, essay I would place higher emphasis on Ivys or Ivy-Like private universities. I’ve also been considering WashU as it gives good aid and is a drivable distance but without ED chances are slim. Currently the top three for me are Georgetown, UNC, and UVA which seem friendlier money-wise.
Another big factor is whether outside scholarships are counted towards the need based aid I would already receive or first cover the student-parent contribution. If the latter, then many more schools are attainable. Unfortunately, it seems most state schools only give need aid to in-state residents rather than OOS. I probably won’t expand my list unless colleges will provide fee waivers if I ask (I’m not on free lunch or pell grant eligible).