An addl comment on travel that may or may not help. It can be a big consideration when looking at schools for a jr and sr in high school. But remember to think about your kid as a 20 yr old sophomore or junior too.
If your kid is a true homebody and does best close to family (or you don’t know and your kid is giving you strong vibes for that), I would be sure to have a school or two close by. Let them get excited for a couple of schools in the area. Then have a few further away. Do the trips. Let your kid know that how they feel on the first trip at 17 may be very different at 20.
My D was leaning towards LACs for a year. We did visit a few big Us…and she applied seriously to one (and not seriously to our local big U…just in case). After a couple of visits (lucky us pre-COVID), what had felt so comforting at the small schools suddenly felt too small to her. Also the distance to the big U didn’t seem as daunting anymore. There’s no right or wrong…just your kid’s honest reaction. And sometimes…it changes over time. Their first reaction may not be their last.
So when in doubt, spread it out…and give you kid some time to inhabit each choice…hopefully by the end, she will have a good idea of what environment and distance is right for her.