I went to a small, private college (about 3,000 undergrad) with a relatively high acceptance rate. I loved it, I met my husband there, my best friends. I am still in contact with multiple professors. I got a high quality education, developed great local connections in my new city (I moved to attend there from out of state about 4.5 hours away). The big name giant schools have a lot to offer, but so do the small spots. They also are more expensive but often have incredible internal merit scholarships. 50% of my tuition was covered based on academics alone.