<p>I just visited Lehigh and Lafayette and wondered if the town around each college really matters when choosing schools?</p>
<p>That depends on how much you’ll be going downtown. Both my DDs got off campus regularly (not quite weekly but certainly more than monthly). Try the respective college forums on the boards here to see what students do with their free time at those schools.</p>
<p>Both of mine are at schools where the surrounding area isn’t so great- and their focus is primarily on-campus. It helps to check the campus activities calendar to see just how much is offered at the school, versus needing to head into town.</p>
<p>There are varying opinions on this on several threads elsewhere here-safety, esthetics, rural vs. urban, proximity to healthcare more advanced than the school clinic, etc. What atmosphere does your student want? What do you feel more comfortable with?</p>
<p>My D loved her small town college at first but found it stifling that she couldn’t go anywhere without a car, and had a health scare where the town’s one taxi wasn’t available and had to take the one bus to the ER. She wanted to transfer somewhere in a large city but her father (my ex, in charge of a college fund) refused to pay for her to live in one, so she’s moved back to my city and will pay her own way at school. What’s OUTSIDE the school matters that much to her.</p>
<p>My younger D won’t even consider a college in a small town. She’s a city kid and wants access to all the cultural options a city offers. She wants good public transportation to get around, and lots of options when it comes to ethnic foods. So when it’s time to look we’ll use those parameters.</p>