<p>I'm a rising senior and wanted to get people's thoughts on a city school vs. a rural school. I've grown up in the suburbs my whole life and I've heard varying opinions on which of the two is better.</p>
<p>I know that getting the big city life would be fun and there are a lot of cultural experiences (opera, theater, etc.) that I haven't really had in the suburbs. On the other hand, I can always get that when I decide to work but having a true college feel would be great too.</p>
<p>I'm mainly focused on New England and Midwest schools so any thoughts are appreciate !~</p>
<p>Then there are also suburban schools w/access to cities that have attributes of both. I think once you start looking you'll know which you prefer.</p>
<p>I'm going to go to a city school, but it isn't really a city school as such. It has a defined campus and there is still some social life that revolves around the campus and the surrounding area. I think you can find a mix of both at some schools. By the way I'm going to the University of Minnesota. UW Madison is another school that comes to mind that kindof blends the two. But as has been said, above all else, VISIT! </p>
<p>I go to a city school (literally in the center of Boston), and I love it. I grew up in suburban FL and was more than a little nervous to experience such a radical change, but I know it was the right decision for me. I have many friends (I'm a rising Junior) who grew tired of their campuses after freshmen year because their isolated location lead to a lot of drinking on the weekend and not much else (I think the not much else is the important part). I love that I have something new to do every weekend, and that there are lots job and internship opportunities. But, I also know people who find this to be distracting, and their GPAs definitely reflect that.</p>
<p>I think it depends on what you want socially and well as what you need academically. Definitely visit and get a feel for a variety of campuses before making your final decision (if not before applying).</p>
<p>Definetly visit one of each type of school. I was away the summer before senior year (fiddle camp, yeahhh) and decided to visit some schools in the area - one was in a city (Halifax, NS, Canada) and the other was in the middle of nowhere (Antigonish, NS, Canada). It made me realize that I would be really unhappy three hours away from anywhere! From there, I only applied to schools that were in cities. </p>
<p>I ended up at UBC in Vancouver, and it's great. The campus itself is pretty much its own small city, and when you want to get into Van, everything is right there.</p>
<p>I definitely understand what srcameron is saying. Right now I am a freshman at a pretty small liberal arts college in a rural setting in Pennsylvania. All there is to do on the weekend is drink. Sure, drinking can be fun and exists at every college but here it is out of control. There is nothing to do besides drink so I am going to transfer to an urban school for next fall, probably Northeastern(in Boston and actually has a campus feel for a school that urban).</p>
<p>Its strange because in high school I loved going to parties because I drank like once or twice a month but now I'm trying my best to find more stuff to do to avoid it.</p>
<p>I'm from a suburb too and I chose a city school (Los Angeles) My bro on the otherhand chose a rural school (ithaca, NY). If you like rural better, make sure to choose a rural school with a city near it so you can go every now and then. (syracuse is too far away from ithaca imo, it should be 20-30 minutes away at most, not an hour drive!)</p>
<p>Like febregas says, there's nothing to do but to drink in rural schools sometimes...</p>
<p>I visited a few rural schools and felt very uncomfortable in the quiet and secluded campus setting. Sure, many were nice with the classic college style buildings with the ivy, and the large quad with endless grass and trees. But most of them were far from any real cities. Sure, there were things to do, but I prefer a bit of excitement and noise once in awhile. I visited Boston University and loved the city atmosphere. It has its quiet places to work and study, and you can still find a million things to do at any given time. I personally like the city atmosphere. I grew up in a suburb and wanted a place with a bit more excitement. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to go to a "college-y" looking school like I described earlier, but I am enjoying my time at BU too much to worry about it.</p>
<p>On the other hand, in LA, the amount of time it takes to get from point A to point B in Los Angeles proper or Los Angeles Metropolitan area is 90 minutes, regardless of distance.</p>
<p>College life does matter but usually, you would be too busy in college to enjoy citylife. Unless you're just there to graduate. and there's different advantages to rural and urban. depends on your personality. id suggest city though cause you'll meet tons of new people, learn to communicate, and maybe make connections and networks with other people. also city is better for jobs and internships</p>