I would really look at what extracurricular activities the rural college affords and what appeals to you. When there isn’t easy access to activities beyond campus, things like Greek life and on-campus clubs and associations become very important. Don’t underestimate culture: tons of kids post on this site being made miserable about a perceived lack of friends/connections, too much partying, too little/too much Greek life, etc. at their respective schools. I would definitely try to do an overnight and grill the actual students as to what they do with their down time. If you fit into the culture, you will less likely to be homesick (which happens to most every kid who lives away at college, regardless of the distance); if you don’t, you will be quickly looking for the escape hatch.