<p>I've applied to schools in 2 big cities (NYC and Boston) as well as some of the 5 Colleges in MA (Amherst, UMass, etc). Big college campuses (i.e. Penn State) and small campuses (Byrn Mawr, MHC, Smith).</p>
<p>I'm fairly set that I want to go to school in NYC or Boston but lately people have been telling me that there is actually more to do in a great college town than a big city esp for college freshmen. They tell me it's a) cheaper and b) more geared toward college kids than a big city would be.</p>
<p>Would Smith (or UMass Amherst) actually have more to do than Northeastern (considering variety as well as cost of things to do)? Would Penn State or another big campus get boring after a while? Is there really anything to do outside of Bryn Mawr? </p>
<p>How does everyone else feel about Big City v. College Town?</p>
<p>I think it’s obvious that there is more to do outright in big cities, but in small college towns, a student will do more activities with other students and faculty. There are plenty of events on every campus but lack of a larger city will actually foster a greater sense of community at the college which is very rewarding. in terms of making friends easily and getting to know people.</p>
<p>It all depends on what you are looking for . . . small school in a big city . . . small school in a small town . . . big school in a small town . . . big school in a big city . . . the experiences are all different. </p>
<p>One thing is certain, a small school in a small town - particularly an isolated, rural small town - can be a big challenge for a lot of city kids.</p>
<p>Many urban colleges tend to have students who leave campus on weekends or go places together in small groupls, which can be great, but it is a very different college experience that going to a college town where there is a really strong sense of connectivity among the entire university family and every cafe, movie theater, restaurant, etc. You just have to know what you want. If the college town gets a little small, you can always spend a semester abroad in a city or a summer session in a big city.</p>