In choosing a school, is it better to follow high school friends, or go where everyone is a stranger?
Neither…Go where you feel comfortable…and you can afford without too many loans.
Well, comfortable is where my friends are!
Are you looking to grow, meet people who are different from the ones you’re used to, make new friends and expand your horizons or are you looking for grade 13?
Do what you want? One daughter went 2000 miles away and was in the same dorm as someone from Kindergarten, and joined the same sorority as someone else from K (we used to live closer, but it was still a different state). Other daughter went 150 miles away and has 5 kids from her club lax team on her college team, plus knows 5 or so kids from our area who also chose her school. She has plenty of new friends.
My nephew attends a flagship about 40 miles from his home and knew 200+ people the first day, but the school has 27000 so there are plenty of others to meet too. He has a combination of friends from high school, grade school, youth sports, clubs he belonged to, plus many new friends and a girlfriend from a different state he’s met since starting college. It is not a continuation of high school, it’s college. My niece went 1000 miles away, roomed with her best friend from high school, knew 20 or so kids from her high school or another high school in town, and those were her core friends. She still met others, but stayed friends with her high school buddies.
It all works.
spread your wings and fly. high school ends at 12th grade and adulthood begins. take the chance and grow as a person. you can always move back home after 4 years of college if you want I am sure some high school friends will still be in your hometown 4 years from now.