And there are many colleges near Vassar. Only one (a branch of u Maine) is even close to Bowdoin. Bowdoin is remote.
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Bowdoin is not remote, U Maine is nowhere near Bowdoin (it’s north of Bangor and is not a discussion here).
But there is no need to debate - I made a comment, If you disagree, fine.
I happen not to agree with your comment.
We’re both entitled to opinions and there’s really no need to debate. In fact, it’s not allowed.
OP knows all these schools and will decide what is right for them.
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I am on the phone with my neighbor who lives in Maine for 3 mos every summer. Her comment is the whole state is remote! LOL!! She mentioned the branch of u of S Maine in Portland which in the past didn’t even have dorms. It was a commuter college in her day. This is not helpful to the OP. My neighbor said many in the area drink in Maine b/c there is not much else to do 
Going to Poughkeepsie is not the same as visiting Vassar. Marist is on the Hudson River side while VC is on the extreme opposite side with urban PTown in between. Both schools don’t feel urban at all.
Adjacent to campus is a variety of small town feel businesses on Raymond Avenue that serve the VC community. You also have alumni house just off campus. If you go a few blocks west you start to hit PTown (city of sin nickname). Very urban and not often part of students experience.
I would respectfully suggest those offering opinions about VC share if they have spent time at Vassar (and how recently) or just visited the city of Poughkeepsie years ago with college buddies and are extrapolating. The school and city are in proximity to one another but completely different.
For disclosure I visit campus frequently.
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If you are going to split hairs, I said it’s almost twice that. Which it is.
And perhaps some are confusing rural with remote. Bowden and Vassar could both be considered rural, but Bowdoin is IMO more remote (kinda like Williams). But it is not far from the Freeport outlet Mall! Shopping opportunities!
Brunswick is cuter than Poughkeepsie, that’s true, for sure. We used to call Poughkeepsie the armpit of Dutchess County!
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A branch of UMAine is near. Not the Maine UMaine campus.
Right. My neighbor said she attended that school. When she did it was a commuter school in Portland. Not sure if it still is. (I was trying to type what she was sharing with me while I was talking to her).
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Bowdoin is not remote nor rural. Students do go in to Portland for concerts (punk music included) and the like, but not all that often. There are plenty of restaurants and shops within walking distance of Bowdoin’s campus, it is a cute downtown area.
With that said, it does seem to me that Vassar might be the best fit for OP based on their various comments.
I look forward to hearing how the admitted students days go for OP!
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I think it is best if the OP visits and makes their own determination.
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OP- are you financially able to visit the schools? You mentioned you have already visited Bowdoin. And you mentioned elsewhere that you are low income and applied to Questbridge. That said, if you attended the Williams fly-in, how did you feel about that community and size? If you can manage that, all the rest of the discussion about the rural areas and size of the environs is really moot. But based on the very first thing you brought up about yourself in your OP, that you like alternative and quirky, and you clearly like the curriculum flexibility of Vassar, it seems like your best fit.
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While Williams students can reach the capital of New York State within an hour, trips to the west (or east) from Williamstown, such as this, tend to involve mountainous terrain.
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Before you dismiss Georgetown, check out the CALL (Capitol Applied Learning Labs): https://thecall.georgetown.edu/
Undergrads can live for a semester on the Capitol Campus, doing internships and other professional development, as well as taking classes. It’s a new program—taking advantage of Georgetown’s growing downtown campus, including a really nice dormitory—and students seem to love it. Here’s an article from the alumni magazine talking about students’ experiences: https://today.advancement.georgetown.edu/georgetown-magazine/spring-2023/2023/destination-dc
The CALL prioritizes equity, so there is no additional cost, and internships are structured to ensure all students can participate.
If you’re interested in political science, the connections at Georgetown are hard to beat. And you said you’re low income—are you also first generation? If so, check out the Georgetown Scholars Program, which is a pioneer in providing support to first-gen students: https://gsp.georgetown.edu/. (Great article from Harvard Magazine about it: https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2017/10/mastering-the-hidden-curriculum.)
Best of luck to you in your decision!
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And can be a real challenge in the winter months, as Williams is not near major highways. I remember having to keep a straight face when a Williams alum was trying to convince my s that he could easily drive to RPI or SUNY Albany to take engineering classes as a Williams student. Um, no. On many fronts.
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NH reporting here. Not sure Bowdoin is the right place for OP as it does have a bit of a New England athletic preppy vibe.
However, to be factually accurate, Brunswick has a nice downtown and is near the coast. It’s not remote like Colby or UMAINE-Orono. You can walk from Bowdoin to the Amtrak Downeaster station and be in Portland Maine in a half hour. Friends kid is at Bowdoin looking at internship opportunities in Portland at Maine Med. University of Southern Maine and Maine Law are both in Portland (and USM has dorms.)
Appreciate the spirited disagreement, and again, Bowdoin may not be a fit, but saying the population of Maine drinks for want of something to do is not a fair characterization, particularly of any Maine coastal town.
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That came directly from my neighbor who grew up there, went to school there and still spends every summer there. 
There are wonderful tourist destinations there. And as mentioned, she summers there and still has lots of family there. Assume she was referring moreso to the cold winter months and lots or rural areas (her family home is on the coast, closer to MA.) But those were her words, not mine. Just passing along.
ETA: To clarify, IMO if the OP is used to a more urban environment, Poughkeepsie, with all its faults, is going to feel more familiar as it likely has more “industry” than a New England town. And if they want to get to a “big city”, NY is easier to hop to (by train). Many Vassar students taking art history have gone to The City to the museums for assignments.
But your other point is well taken and a strong one. If the OP wants quirky/alternative and not preppy, the difference between these 2 schools, environs excluded, is clear.
I attended both the Williams and Bowdoin fly-in, and they are both flying me out again to visit. The plan is to stay on the east and go visit the rest of my options, but since we’re on a limited budget, I can only visit two more (choose between Vassar, Swarthmore, and Georgetown). I’m leaning towards Vassar and Swarthmore, but my parents are really pushing Georgetown since it’s really the only school they’ve heard of from my list.
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I am 1st gen, and they sent me an email offering the Georgetown Scholars Program, which is great but also led me to more confusion lol. I think my biggest worry with Georgetown is the competitive atmosphere.
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its a little annoying, but not as bad as some other schools i’ve seen. i would honestly say swarthmore’s is more intense!
If you’re not going to Georgetown only because you’re a little afraid of it, then do it. Not only is it a fantastic school, but it will take you out of your comfort zone, which is an important lesson to learn now. All your choices are great, though. Good luck to you!
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i would say i’m afraid of the competitive atmosphere and grade deflation 
i’m not sure how easy it would be to establish relationships with professors (as close as they would be at LACs) at such a big school! i just don’t know many people who have gone to college in general (especially in the US) so i’m not sure how much these little things outweigh.
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