@prezbucky Personally, I find the Brandeis campus quite unpleasant and ugly, and am unsure of how well I would fit socially, which is why I am still conflicted.
As to why I prefer certain LAC’s over others:
I have yet to visit Bowdoin, however I think the campus is beautiful (from what I’ve seen in pictures, anyway), I love the location (its proximity to both a plethora of outdoor activities and civilization/urbanization), and I also value the high quality of life there, whether it be the food, dorms, etc. But, as I said, even though I do play sports–although I don’t plan on playing varsity in college–I am wary about the prevalent jock culture (and preppiness) at Bowdoin.
I visited Middlebury and absolutely loved the campus – the location, environment, facilities, everything. I also might like the size of Middlebury over that of Bowdoin, both regarding the student body and campus, in general. However, I have the same social concerns as with Bowdoin.
Admittedly, Middlebury and Bowdoin are my top considerations right now, but I have kept Wesleyan on there because of the different, perhaps more desirable, culture there than at Bowdoin and Midd (more open-minded, laid-back, hippy-ish).
Even with the differences, I feel as though I would be able to fit in well at any of them