Hey I am from NorCal and am thinking of applying to Boston University and Colombia. Have any of you had the exeprience of both places and could let me know if it will be a total culture shock? Will I like going there or should I save my money and reconsider?
THANKS!
<p>i am from NJ and i want to go to South Cali! hehe From what I hear, CA people are more laid back. Then again, Jersey has a shore life and I think people are okay around here. We have our share of snobs. Boston is an awesome city, but its pretty upscale and a "toned down" NYC. Its huge with colleges and everyone is different. If you want a city experience but not as in your face as NYC, then Boston is nice. Anytime you consider changing coasts, money can be a factor. But dont let it hinder your decisions. I would say go for it. If you dont like it transfer back home. Changing scenes is good!</p>
<p>California to me seems more casual or "laid back" as valuable1212 says. NY and Boston are more cultured, diverse and not afraid to show it. If you like having a huge amount of diferent people around you all the time than the east coast is definitly the coast for you. But if you prefer white and latino pop culture people than stick to Cali.</p>
<p>We live in SoCal and my D attends college in Massachusetts, wanted to go to school in New England. Columbia had been her #1 on paper but she visited it, didn't like it, and didn't even apply. However, she loves being on the East coast even though she'll be a Californian forever.</p>
<p>Personally, I don't think there will be much of a culture shock except for the transition to the city environment(I have moved around a lot and people are pretty much the same everywhere). SoCal has its share of laid back people, but also a fair number of those "valley girl" types. I live in Hawaii and it isn't too different from Cali because we have a lot of transplants here. Overall, if you want the city experience choose the east, but if you want good weather, go with California.</p>
<p>SF or LA isnt exactly too bad..... and uh... SF is probably the most diverse place u will come across. dont generalize (thicks)</p>
<p>We're in LA...over 90% of the students attending UCLA are from CA. With the exception of one, all my Bruin friends (way back when) were from CA...one was from Hawaii. D is in PA. Her suitemates are from PA, NJ, and NC. The difference is having a more global student population. Like TheDad's D, she is loving back east.</p>
<p>I think it is good to get a college experience away from what you are used to. You'll still have family here, so don't be afraid of going away and experiencing another part of the country. I say go for it! Live large. You will have some culture shock for sure. The Bay Area is hard to beat imo. But it's best to go away, so you can come back or not from a position of knowledge. College is a great way to 'travel' and get to know another part of the country in a semi-protected environment. I encourage you to do it, and you will really have the great away experience.</p>
<p>It kills me personally, but I support dd's decision to go away if possible.</p>
<p>Also, my dd grew up in the city of SF but went to boarding school in an LA suburb that is well known on this board for it's excellent colleges. The college students are largely hidden from her experience. She had a culture shock when she went to a mostly suburban environment from a city. Most of the kids have never been outside their suburban enviro. Everyone changed drastically and for the better after freshman year, and I suppose it is similar at colleges.</p>
<p>Good luck, and go for it.</p>
<p>i live in NYC and love it. I've been out west and liked it for a number of reasons (san fran area), but NYC rocks big time. oh, and as they say in spinal tap, Boston isnt that big of a college town, Hint, joke!</p>
<p>Boston is the biggest (and I'd say best) college town in the country. The city's population literally drops 20% during the summer, and considering most college students won't go south of Boylston Street more than a handful of times in their full four years, the city almost feels abandoned when students are gone.</p>
<p>New York is (along with Vancouver) my favorite place on the planet, but it really isn't a college town in the same way. Also, Columbia has a much different culture than Boston schools, in addition to a crazy core.</p>
<p>A note about BU: There are two groups of students who apply to BU: people for whom it's their high-match or reach, and people who want to go to Harvard or MIT but would rather go to a safety in Boston than a slightly "better" university in Pittsburgh or Ann Arbor. If you're in the latter group, BU will literally throw money at you. They have a number of full-tuition scholarships (though if you haven't applied yet, it's too late), and a ton of half-tuition onesincluding one for all National Merit finalists (I don't even think you need to get any further than that).</p>
<p>" NY and Boston are more cultured, diverse and not afraid to show it."</p>
<p>Interesting, because USC has the highest number of international students of any school in the country.</p>