Finding what college is right for you is a tough task. Too many people choose a school because it has a particular program that they really want to get into. If you choose a school completely based on its reputation in a particular field of academics you may be disappointed if you decide to change majors (which a LOT of people do).

I think it's best to get a handful of options that have good programs in what you want to study, as well as a generally good reputation in other areas. Then go visit the schools and see how you like the scene there. It's really hard to tell if you'll be happy at a school without visiting it and seeing the campus and the people. You really get a better idea of what life would be like at a school from visiting it.

There are a lot of factors that go into a college being "right" for a person, including academics, social scene, cost, location (distance from home), and other things. Decide what is most important to you in going to school, and then you can go from there.

Just so you know, you don't have to take time off from school if you want to transfer. You can complete your freshman year and start the next year at another school. Of course, if you really hate it you can always take a semester off and then transfer, but then you'll have to graduate later.