English Guy Picking US College! Help!

College Search & Selection
61

I hope you end up having a great time! Welcome.

62

Thank you so much guys! Americans are so helpful, I’m overwhelmed.

This is an updated list, removed many of the colleges you have advised me to! Already feel like I’m closer to a decision

Arizona State University

University of Arkansas
(including The Walton Business School)

Beloit College

University of California:

Berkeley

Davis

Irvine

Santa Cruz

San Diego

UCLA

California State University at Monterey Bay

College of Charleston

University of Colorado

Elon University

Florida State University

Georgetown University

University of Georgia

University of Kentucky

Louisiana State University

University of Massachusetts

Mercer University

University of Miami (Florida)

University of Michigan

University of North Carolina at Asheville

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Northern Arizona University (NAU)

Oregon State University

Pennsylvania State

University of Pittsburgh

University of Rochester

Roosevelt University

Rutgers, State University of New Jersey

State University of New York at Stony Brook

University of Texas

Tulane University

University of Vermont

Washington University

University of Washington, Seattle

REMOVED

University of Alaska at Fairbanks

  • far too cold and doesn’t seem like it’s even in America.

Reed College
Occidental College
Brooklyn College
Spelman College
Mount Holyoke College
University of British Columbia ( US > CA)
Purdue University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

63

One thing to realize is that at your state flagships many kids live off campus but they are not commuting from home. They live in apartments close to campus are purely college students. These are not commuter schools. Some schools provide housing for all four years but they tend to be your smaller schools. Also, you need to keep in mind that the drinking age is 21 years old and hence the local area and the specific school drives the culture for parties. Some campuses and communities are very strict while others are less so comparatively speaking. I get the impression you want to have a very fun social year.

64

Thank you! I will definitely post where I decide!

65

Florida State, Florida State, Florida State…try to join a fraternity there; I’m sure they’ll be open to you joining.

66

I think I agree with you, having watched videos of both universities. LSU seems to have more of a buzz to It and a community vibe. And the sports do seem incredible

67

Note that there was another guy last year from England who posted, who was in the same exact position as the original poster on this thread, and he chose UCLA. I’ll have to dig up that thread.

68

I would take off WashU from your list. I like the school as my son goes there. But it might be slightly too Oxbridge for you and the weather is variable (humid in summer and can get really cold in the winter) and it doesn’t have the social vibe for you.

I have to admit that it has the friendly Midwestern values associated with Americans and St. Louis people and Midwesterners are probably more open/friendly than Californians or people on the East Coast (less brusque, willing to say hello to strangers).

69

Not sure that you should eliminate the University of British Columbia as Vancouver, BC is a great city. Easy access to Victoria, BC. Stunning natural beauty.

Eliminate: Beloit College & the University of Arkansas & UNC-Asheville. Never heard of Roosevelt University.

70

And another school which is not on your original list that I would suggest is the University of Arizona. Decent academics as well as meeting your other criteria. And you are close enough to California for weekend visits to Los Angeles/San Diego. Or even Las Vegas if that interests you.

71

Take off University of Rochester- way too cold and studious for your criteria…

72

Rutgers I would remove. I am from NJ so just no and I will leave it at that.

Asheville I would remove. Its a beautiful mountain town and quite liberal like Chapel Hill. I don’t think thats what you are looking for.

Oregon State and Seattle it rains for months on end. One year it was months before I saw the sun. Schools in the Pacific Northwest are going to be like London in terms of weather.

73

I have a suggestion which is completely out of the box and they have a law school. University of Hawaii-Manoa.

74

If you want warmer and sunnier than London, strike Rochester, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh, Penn State, Michigan, Washington-Seattle, Vermont

75

Consider:

  1. College of Charleston (South Carolina). Over 9,000 undergraduates. 63% female. Beautiful, historic, romantic city.

  2. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Over 18,000 undergraduates. About 59% female.

  3. University of Texas at Austin. Almost 38,000 undergraduates. 53% female. Big time college football.

  4. Florida State University. Almost 30,000 undergraduate students. 56% female. Within an hour or so of gorgeous beaches. Big time American college football.

  5. UCLA. Los Angeles, California. Over 30,000 undergraduates.57% female. Has everything.

  6. Georgetown in Washington, DC. Will be a bit more sophisticated. DC is a formal town. 7,000 undergraduates. 56% female.

  7. Arizona State University (ASU). Desert. 39,000 undergraduates. 43% female.

  8. LSU (Louisiana State University). 22,000 undergraduates. 52% female. College football is a religion. Let the good times roll.

  9. University of Miami (Florida). 10,200 undergraduates. 52% female. Night clubs, beaches & football.

  10. University of Colorado at Boulder. 27,000 students. 44% female. Wealthy, fairly sophisticated city.

  11. University of Michigan. 29,000 undergraduates. 50% female. Big time everything. But cold.

  12. University of Vermont. 10,400 undergraduates. 58% female. No football. Located in a gorgeous city on Lake Champlain. Spectacular Autumn colors. Cold in winter. Lots of marijuana. Laid back. Great snow skiing.

76

UGA - 37k students - 57% female - Big SEC football school- in Athens which is a smaller town with a music scene ( REM and B-52’s started here) and bars about two hours from Atlanta.

77

Now I’m thinking either one of the CA schools…or Boulder (which would actually be amazing)…or Miami (an amazing place to spend a year).

78

If you want to experience things, it doesn’t seem wise to go to a highly academic university where you will put in a lot of time studying. I’d go with Arizona State if you want heat with low humidity, or U of Miami if you like heat with high humidity. You will probably put in more time studying at Miami.

79

so I miraculously found the thread from last year about another guy from UK who was coming to the US to study for a year. In his situation though it sounded like he had made up his mind for UCLA already:

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/21639105#Comment_21639105

oops, I accidentally posted on that thread and as a result I brought it back up to the top…

80

Definitely cross UW-Seattle off your list due to weather. Bad as London most of the year. I love Seattle but it you’re trying to escape London weather…

Personnally I’d go to UCLA. I like the UCSD campus more (and weather is great year round) but UCSD is not known as a party school. Also take UC Davis off your list. It’s hours from the ocean in the center of farming country. UC Berkeley?? The academics are fantastic but that is not a party school.

NOLA would be an incredible and unique American experience. Even if you decide not to go to school there, visit if you have the chance. Amazing city of music and they party like no other city.

Univ of Michigan? I think the winter weather should rule that out.