Good points. Large campuses do have some advantages, particularly in the form of a wide-ranging curriculum at the cost of personalized attention. At least a couple of them would prioritize a smorgasbord of interesting courses over small class size. In terms of nurturing, there are lots of intangibles that go into that. The atmosphere in some campuses is outright frigid, and others very warm and welcoming. But due to the pandemic, not all these students have been able to visit all these campuses to get a first-hand look.
The choice between urban and rural is a difficult one. No easy answers as each has its pros and cons.
GW, interestingly, isn’t on the list of any of the students I know. Georgetown, on the other hand, is a stretch college for a couple of them.