“Pitzer is a desert landcape” (#21)
I believe because they practice xeriscaping. As the drought has intensified, Pomona as well has recently more seriously considered this. If El Nino is strong and rain inducing this coming winter, the discussion will be postponed.
I was surprised to find that Minnesota nd Wisconsin have sunny winters. Its very cold but often extremely bright and sunny with blue skies.
LAC. Beautiful campus. Feels like a park. This is Rollins. (no idea about music opportunities)
Actually, from what I’ve been able to tell, Rollins is super strong in music, right up near the top among LACs without a true conservatory. They had 30 musics majors last year, which is a ton for a LAC. Just check out how many music ensembles they have:
http://www.rollins.edu/music-department/ensembles/index.html
To be frank, however, Rollins is not of the same academic caliber as some of the other schools on your list, just looking at test score ranges and such.
Brevard College.
I live in Minnesota, where St. Olaf is located.
Here is the basic rule: If it is cold, it is bright sunshine out. That is because we are under a Canadian high pressure system, which brings cold air but bright sunshine.
When it is overcast–which is not common in the winter–it usually means a storm is coming and snow. The bonus is that it is usually much warmer, in the 20’s typically.
But is the OP does not want winter, scratch off St. Olaf. Otherwise, it fits perfectly. Perhaps a visit?
Good luck!
I actually did visit, but during the spring. That’s reassuring to hear!!
@AmeliaCharlotte Though Bowdoin is in Maine, the weather is somewhat milder (warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer) because of its proximity to the coast. I went to grad school in upstate NY/mountains and the cold weather there was much harsher and more bitter than the Maine coast.
Northern schools from the original post, by average January low temperature:
Warmer to Colder
Vassar (17.7°)
Hamilton (13.1°)
Williams (11.9°)
Bates/Bowdoin (11.7°)
Skidmore (10.1°)
Colby (7.4°)
St. Olaf (2.6°)
(Source: Sperling’s.)
Bowdoin has a lovely, park-like campus and a vital music department. (And it is much prettier than Bates, and located in the charming and lively town of Brunswick. 
)
Bowdoin is also within easy reach of Portland, which has a lively music scene ranging from a professional symphony orchestra through indie bands and venues, and Brunswick/Portland have a number of high quality amateur classical vocal ensembles. The train to Boston now stops at the edge of the Bowdoin campus, and the musical resources there are just about unlimited.
Note that at any school you go to the average low temp for January will not be the actual average temp for January. It represents an extreme.
It is true that it gets dark early in the middle of the winter in Maine.
Vassar’s campus is an arboretum and its music program is one of the best at an LAC. We have attended many choral performances over the years our sons have attended Vassar and the performances are at a very high level. Vassar is located in the Hudson River valley so the weather is milder than in most of New England and more upstate New York.
I hope you can visit all of your schools and listen to some rehearsals!
Call me crazy, but both times I’ve visited Bowdoin I have thought the campus was just o.k. looking and the buildings are rather shabby and the dorm rooms downright ugly. Not as beautiful as many other campuses we’ve visited. Pomona is beautiful, but you have to like Spanish style architecture. We thought St. Olaf was gorgeous even though it was January when we visited. We loved the common rooms in the dorms that all had working fireplaces and pianos (I do wonder whether the smoke is bad for those poor pianos!) It was cold, but quite sunny when we were there. Williams has that classic New England look and a gorgeous new library - simply stunning. We’re visiting Skidmore and Vassar next week. I’ve heard Vassar is gorgeous and I’ve never heard that said about Skidmore.
We loved Haverford! The campus is beautiful and we loved all the Quaker and honor code stuff and the black squirrels! But I don’t think the strings program and orchestra are great there. Please correct me if I’m wrong about this.
Hands down SMU and Rice. They are both ridiculously difficult to get into though.
Some of these colleges are distinguished by their topography:
Colby: On a sweeping hill.
Williams: In a valley surrounded by mountains.
Pomona: Mountains form its backdrop.
Hamilton: On the edge of a plateau overlooking a valley.