<p>i am from new england where people tend to be stiff and un-friendly.
i have hard that northern california people tend to be chill and really nice.
does anyone know of schools/ places around the country where the people are genuinly nice?</p>
<p>Brown University--Liberal/Hippie/Open-Minded/Warm</p>
<p>Of the many colleges I've visited, the nicest students were at Rice and Washington Univ in St Louis.</p>
<p>I visited a couple schools in Maine when I was applying to college - Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby - and the atmosphere at all those schools seemed very laid-back and friendly.</p>
<p>I think that anywhere you go, there will always be nice people and crabby people.</p>
<p>Nice will often be in the mind of the beholder, but anecdotally folks in the South (with their excellent manners) and folks in the Midwest (with their lack of pretense) often are recognized for highest concentrations of "nice" people. </p>
<p>As for ten highly regarded colleges that IMO might be appealing, take a look at William & Mary, Wake Forest, U North Carolina, Davidson, Vanderbilt, Rice, Wash U, Notre Dame, U Illinois and U Wisconsin. High concentrations of nice people at all, generally leading balanced lives as students.</p>
<p>As said above, you'll find plenty of all types everywhere. Here in the South, it's more of a cultural norm to be outwardly pleasant and effusive, especially on the first impression. It's nice on a surface level, though there's often nothing in particular behind it. You'll develop long-term, in depth relationships with your classmates, so you'll probably tend to find that many of the New Englanders turn out to be more friendly and fun than you may have initially perceived, and some of the Southerners less so.</p>
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<p>I second what gadad says, but it's not only in the South. Here in Minnesota we have what's known as "Minnesota nice," a surface pleasantness, politeness, and helpfulness, but there's something about our predominantly Nordic-German cultural heritage that makes a lot of people here really reserved and difficult to get to know beyond that surface "nice." (Listen to Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion on public radio, you'll get it).</p>
<p>I've lived in many different parts of the country. In my experience, people in the West, although perhaps not as surface "nice" as Midwesterners and Southerners, are the most open and genuinely welcoming, with the fewest barriers to forming deeper relationships quickly. Of course, that's a gross generalization; you'll find many different types in all parts of the country. </p>
<p>But college campuses tend to be different. Especially at those that draw their student body from all parts of the country and go out of their way to embrace diversity of all types---ethnic, cultural, intellectual, regional---there's a kind of universal expectation among students that we're all thrown into this big mixing bowl together, and we need to be open to each other and embrace one another. Again, it may or may not translate into surface "nice," but the people who attend colleges like that are by and large looking for life-changing experiences, and that extends to forming deep, lasting, and meaningful relationships with their classmates.</p>
<p>i think the general perception is that northeast = rich and snobby, south and midwest = genuinely nice, and west = relax and laid back...in MY opinion, you're going to find some of each wherever you go, so find the people you like hanging out with, and spend time with them</p>
<p>Furman and Elon University should be added to the list. Not only are they friendly, but they are happy. Not over stressed and hyper competitive. Gorgeous campuses.</p>
<p>algore,
I agree with you about Furman and Elon (must be something in the water in the Carolinas :), but didn't include them in my listing as I was suggesting schools in the most selective and highly selective categories. At Furman/Elon's level of selectivity, the universe of colleges with "nice" students expands much further.</p>
<p>It's funny that you ask this because we are facing the reverse situation. When recently touring some schools in the northeast I told daughter that if she wanted to attend school in this area she would have to become a lot more agressive and assertive than she has had to be in the fairly laid-back midwest!</p>
<p>see if you can visit some midwest schools, especially during the school year so you can talk to some students.</p>
<p>U of I Champaign Urbana</p>
<p>duke (10 chars)</p>
<p>One incredibly modest, unassuming, fun-loving, inclusive, non-judgemental campus. Student body as tight-knit as they come - even after graduating.</p>
<p>nicest people i met were at emory.
i stayed at duke for 4 nights, and no one was anywhere near as nice as they were at emory.</p>
<p>Zen story heard overheard (sorry no reference):</p>
<p>A monk guarded the gate to the city. A wanderer came by and asked, "What kind of people are in your city?" The monk replied, "What kind of people were in the city you came from?" "Oh," said the wanderer, "They weren't very nice. Very not nice people. That is why I am looking for a new place to live." "Ahhh," said the monk. "I'm afraid we have the same kind of people here." And the wanderer left. A few hours later another wanderer arrived. "What kind of people are in your city?" asked the second wanderer. "What kind of people were in the city you came from?" asked the monk. "Oh," said the wanderer, "they were lovely people. Just wonderful - friendly and warm. I am wandering around to meet more wonderful people." "Ahh." said the monk. "You will find that we have the same kind of people here." </p>
<p>Moral of the story: There are all kinds everywhere. You tend to find what you're looking for.</p>
<p>i agree with Hugcheck</p>
<p>i cannot speak for many schools, since i haven't visited many... it seems to me that schools in the South are nice in general</p>
<p>my school (duke) is extremely nice in my opinion... people are always willing to help, and it's just a warm environment</p>
<p>people at emory and MIT were also very nice when i visited</p>
<p>Definitely take a look at Kenyon--top tier, excellent excellent school, gorgeous campus, and very friendly--well, you have to be, 'cause there are only 1600 students and a town of 600. But if you like small, it's fantastic!</p>