Yale is surrounded by “sketchy areas” but that does not seem to dissuade many from attending.
So was Columbia until recently.
Good thread. I like it because everyone is right. I’m going to let my D decide how much it matters to her. I feel like it will matter more in the decision process than once she has matriculated. One thing I hope for is that it is different than what she is used to. We are in a mildly diverse suburb next to a large city. I would love her to consider Temple. Kids need to learn (IMO) how to maneuver in the real world.
As a Junior in high school currently, I like to factor in environmental surroundings… It isn’t my primary factor that will really push me to go to a school, but I like to think of it as a beneficial factor. During the spring, summer, and fall seasons, I personally don’t want to stay cooped-up inside my dorm!! I want to lay down outside, by a tree, and study with some piano music on. Call me crazy, but when you think about it: it’s not a bad idea…
For example: I live in Michigan. Out of the many campuses I toured, I looked at Grand Valley State University, which did have a pretty campus that was filled with beautiful green grass and trees and flowers and whatnot… BUT THEN when I went to Northwestern in Evanstown near Chicago, WOW. THAT campus was absolutely, without a doubt, drop dead, gorgeous. Lake Michigan lined the campus coast; there were inlets where people could swim; little peninsulas where there were a bunch of trees, and people could rent hammocks and place them on the trees to lay down near the water and relax or take a nap. It was truly a gorgeous campus, and I would pick NW instead of GVSU anyday (surely there are numerous more reasons I would pick NW, but the surrounding area was definitely a reason).
Since you have a son, I wouldn’t worry too much. Yeah, it’s a big city and there probably is tons of crime, especially in NY. However, that means increased security that’s run 24/7 by campus & city police, and there are probably “safe rides” and “blue lights” and “home walk with another student” options during the evening/night times on the campus.
On the other hand, I don’t know how goal-oriented or study-focused your son is. He may be a kid who parties and blows stuff off (or does party but you don’t know it), or who gets good grades by studying all the time. If studying, I would still pick a beautiful campus just to enjoy the environment that I would be living in for 4 years, and a place where they have “thing to see and things to do”, such as plays, concerts, events, etc. However, if all I did was party, and blew school off, then environment would be not even in play for my college decision.
Good luck! 
My D attends a large state U in a small city. She walks into the neighborhoods around school quite a bit, for necessities from CVS and the supermarket, and for recreation on the weekends to restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. She also uses Uber for places too far away to walk. Even though there are plenty of on-campus activities, she wishes the city were larger–but that’s because she likes exploring cities. My S (in HS) is also looking for an urban environment. I don’t know how much time he’ll actually spend off campus, but the idea of being able to get to a pro sporting event or concert or just “downtown” is important to him.
I know you want to take the focus off Temple specifically, OP, but I grew up in Philadelphia and now live in the suburbs. The campus has quick access to Center City but also plenty going on right on the campus. Some students commute from home but many have houses and apartments within walking distance. Both my kids (one still in HS) really like the environment, and the surrounding neighborhoods are no worse than those in many urban areas, especially for a kid with, for lack of a better term, “street smarts” like yours.
I wouldn’t choose a college in a rural area, since I prefer urban. I’m from northern New Jersey, and I just couldn’t handle having to drive 20 minutes+ to reach a town
I’m going to La Salle, which is in an urban area. The area to the west of La Salle actually looked worse than Temple’s area. I’m from a “gritty” area, so I know I’ll do fine.
Affordability was my top factor. As a junior, I dreamed of attending a Cal State. 30k isn’t affordable for my family, so I had to sacrifice location a bit. La Salle is urban, but I’d rather be in SoCal than Philadelphia!
[QUOTE=""]
BUT THEN when I went to Northwestern in Evanstown near Chicago, WOW. THAT campus was absolutely, without a doubt, drop dead, gorgeous. Lake Michigan lined the campus coast; there were inlets where people could swim; little peninsulas where there were a bunch of trees, and people could rent hammocks and place them on the trees to lay down near the water and relax or take a nap.
[/QUOTE]
Ok, now I want to go to Northwestern.
If u go to a school where u want to explore off campus attractions , after 4 years u might have learned as much off-campus as on-campus. At the many many schools where there isn’t much off-campus, almost everything u learn will be on-campus.
Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. We’re still learning and this really helps as we get closer to the application season.
In sum, the answer to my original question seems to be - there is no answer. It depends on the student.
Just to be clear, we’re not worried about specific types of surrounding areas, whether they are urban, rural, suburban, “sketchy”, mountains, beach, etc. etc. I was merely hoping to get some students to respond as to whether or not the surrounding area of their college really mattered. And I got some really great and very useful thoughts and insights.
Thanks again!
FWIW, pretty much EVERYTHING depends on the student, even when they seem almost exactly the same, no two kids are going to have the same impressions of the same places, programs, etc. It’s always been that way with my own three kids, no matter what the topic.
I agree with newjerseygirl98, affordability is definitely a top factor. I also dreamed of attending a school in the West, but paying $30-$60K isn’t worth it either.
I also dreamed of going to college in a major city, like NYC,PHI,SF,LA, or Seattle.
I prefered a school in the West or Urban, but you have to make the best OVERALL choice, not just location.
I’m going to Rutgers Newark, which is in New Jersey’s largest city(has very a high crime rate). I’d rather be in NYC,PHI,SF,Virginia,SoCal, or Seattle even though RU-N is urban. The University Heights area is one of the better areas of Newark & the campus outskirts are heavily patrolled by police.
It’s not just the town itself, but also the immediate area & nearby towns.
“…plus Providence isn’t Morningside Heights.” The understatement of this thread.
Morningside Heights isn’t even Morningside Heights to those from central Harlem.
I’m interested in seeing this exact subject play out for my kids next year. S chose Pitt partially because of its great city access, especially for sporting events. D chose Oberlin, which has to be the smallest town I’ve ever seen. I’ve been told that the Oberlin students are particularly good at making their own fun, since the town is so tiny.
When I went to college, the surrounding area was too rich for college students. We stayed on campus 98% of the time. Don’t think that has changed much there.
@salmoncakes Haha, “smallest town I’ve ever seen.” I’m from a town of 1500, and a 9 town regional HS with fewer than 900 students.
And, “good at making their own fun” is code for …?
D’14 chose between a small town campus and an urban campus near downtown Chicago with easy access to public transportation. She chose the city campus, and she’s really enjoyed access to all the city has to offer. Art museum membership which she does use, opera tickets, baseball games, etc. She spends a fair amount of time in the city and does enjoy the amenities. D’16 has chosen a small town school 30 min from a big city. Time will tell if the location turns out to be important to her. I’d say that depending on the kid, the location can matter very much.
In my daughter’s case, she lives in NYC, so I figure a rural campus would be fine, because everytime she comes home she can get sushi, go to a play, a major museum, get her nails done, etc. I would think that she if she lived in a rural or suburban place, a city college would be more exciting. However, when I talk to her about what she’s looking for she says she wants a traditional campus right next to a very cute town. She said that the ideal situation would be like Indiana Univ with lovely Bloomington right there.
Temple is definitely in a rough area. If you son is looking for merit money and engineering, has he considered U Alabama?
@2018eastorwest My son goes to high school in the Bronx, so I’m not overly concerned about the area around Temple, unless that rough area is critical to daily life at Temple.
Yes, he is interested in engineering and will likely be eligible for merit so we are looking at Alabama, also Temple, Ole Miss, Ohio, U South Carolina, Louisiana Tech, TAMU, and several others.
SUNY Binghamton is his in-state choice (if he’s accepted) so all other programs and FA packages will be measured against Bing ($24k/yr). And he’s good with that.
I just thought of an advantage of going to a school in a big city. You don’t have to worry about drunk driving. I Most kids take subways, cabs or buses to get around. It’s a scary thought to think of your kid in a car driving with a bunch of kids after a night of drinking. One of my many fears.