^ I don’t know enough about the public transportation systems in Portland v. Colorado Springs (and surrounding areas) to compare them well. At CC (and most American colleges) you should be fine without your own car. You can access many shops and services in surrounding neighborhoods by foot.The terrain is flat and the climate is pretty good (with something like 300 days of sunshine). On weekends and block breaks, many CC students go to ski/wilderness areas or to downtown Denver. As long as you can make friends, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a ride. Or, just hang out on campus. Most residential colleges generate plenty of on-campus activities.
All 3 colleges are good. In my opinion, strictly from an academic perspective, Reed seems to be best for physics. CC seems to be best for environmental/earth sciences (geology is a popular major). None of them offer engineering. Oberlin might be best if you can’t make up your mind about a major. The data on per capita alumni-earned PhDs seem to reflect these relative strengths. Reed has very high numbers in physical and life sciences (and across the board). Colorado College is one of the top LACs (behind Carleton) for alumni PhDs in geology/earth sciences. Oberlin’s numbers are relatively high in social sciences and humanities. But look at the faculty bios and course offerings to judge for yourself which school aligns best with your academic needs and interests.
Have you been accepted at all 3? Are there significant differences in the net costs?