<p>I am a high school senior trying to decide where to go to college next year.</p>
<p>I needed some opinions/ advice as to what I should do for college next year. Basically all my colleges are small liberal arts schools, and a good number of them are rural. Starting off before I applied I made sure the college was at least gay-friendly. But what I recently realized was that what I really wanted were options for dating/ relationships etc. Throughout high school I have missed these opportunities and I want to make sure I wont miss them for the next four years of my life as well.</p>
<p>My high school will be a graduating class of 42 so I thought 2,000 was seemed big enough even though it is considered a small school. By no means am i scared of a larger college population, i just figured smaller schools would be what I was used too. But i see the downside now of smaller schools not providing as many dating options especially if they are rural.</p>
<p>I am smart, athletic, and everyone I meet likes me. Definitely not flamboyant just because that isnt my personality. Any advice from college students who are gay/ have gay friends? </p>
<p>To sum it up: Do you think going to a small liberal arts rural college would mean there would be very few dating options for a gay student?</p>
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<p>I would stay away from rural areas, unless it’s in the Northeast…for obvious reasons.</p>
<p>Cowtown, Alabama = Bad.
Farmville, Vermont = Good.</p>
<p>Which reminds me. Stay away from religion affiliated schools, and schools in religious communities.</p>
<p>I wish you were more specific with your question though. Could you list these schools?</p>
<p>Can you provide a list of your choices??</p>
<p>Sent from my SPH-D700 using CC App</p>
<p>Sure heres the list (a lot haha) but I was encouraged to apply to a variety
Some may seem inconsistent but I did have a reason for each one, but was prodded to apply to some as well.</p>
<p>So far Admission at: St Lawrence, University of Puget Sound (I like both these schools a lot)
Wait listed: Pepperdine University, Colorado College
No Admission: Northeastern University, Brandeis</p>
<p>Waiting to hear: Bate, Colby, Colgate, Dartmouth (a reach), Hobart and William Smith, Lewis and Clark, Santa Clara, Skidmore, and Tufts.</p>
<p>I think you’d be better off at University of Puget Sound, Bates, Lewis & Clark, Skidmore and Tufts.</p>
<p>You definitely want to stay away from Pepperdine, get off the waitlist. </p>
<p>Colorado College would be fine.</p>
<p>Yea I havent heard the best things about Pepperdine… But would you mind saying why you choose those schools? Does choosing UPS, L&C, Skidmore, and Tufts mean that you think a rural setting would not be ideal? But then you choose Bates, which is rural (and not Colby? which is a very similar school), and if Bates, why not St Lawrence?</p>
<p>I really do appreciate everyones comments, so please post more! I am trying to get a feel for different peoples opinions and why. Anecdotes if you have them would be great too!</p>
<p>Pepperdine University- STAY AWAY! Pepperdine is so religious that it’s almost an impossible task for straight people to get laid, let alone gays. Also, because pretty much everyone in Pepperdine are devout Christians, you’ll also be in constant scrutiny because of you’re sexual orientation. Like I said, STAY AWAY!</p>
<p>Santa Clara- Bad. For the same reason as Pepperdine but to a slight certain extent.</p>
<p>The rest- You should be fine.</p>
<p>Skidmore has an extreme devotion to the arts and as a result, has a lot of gays which means more options for you (and me)!! Haha.</p>
<p>Sent from my SPH-D700 using CC App</p>
<p>Sweet thanks PrinceMuzic, NJCollegeBoy, and paradox3!</p>
<p>@NJCollegeBoy: Good to know to stay away from Pepperdine and Santa Clara, I heard that jesuits are pretty chill but I bet there are extremes which could be…yea… But you said the rest are fine? Does fine mean “eh ok” or fine as in “pretty good” or…? </p>
<p>@PrinceMuzic: Sweet! My sister’s gay friends thought highly of Skidmore but im a little offput from the 64% women and 36% guys. From what I heard those 36% are mostly gay haha, but I still like the idea of a more even stat</p>
<p>So essentially rural LACs would be ok? Im trying to drive at that because Im especially interested in St Lawrence.</p>
<p>OK, but please don’t base your ENTIRE college decision on this. you’ll be missing out on some good opportunities if you only consider the “gay” colleges and nothing else.</p>
<p>@antipacifist your absolutely right, my whole decision would not be based off of this, and in fact I don’t necessarily want to go to a “gay” college. But I do want there to be gay options which is why I am asking on a forum if people think there would be enough gay options in a rural small college environment. I’m not saying I want gays everywhere, I just need to know I have options. Its been hard going through high school and not making a connection with anyone (in terms of a relationship) so I just want to make sure that doesnt happen for the next four years.</p>
<p>If you are looking to “play the field”, a small college in a rural area that has few other colleges nearby is definitely going to limit your options. Better you go to a city or a town with a number of schools. If you are a male at some of these colleges, the ratio is very lopsided, sometimes a 35/65 split which means that there could be fewer than 600 males at the school. What percentage of those are gay? Kind of a limited field, in my opinion, though you do get an annual turnover. But with the out of college prospects dry, it really does limit the scene. Now a school like Hampshire College would not have that issue because of the larger UMass and the large post college liberal population in those towns in that area. But if you are looking at some options, yes, it is limiting. </p>
<p>This is not just a gay issue. My son felt that there was a dearth of “dateable” women at one school he visited, at least those that were his type. And definitely the case when compared to many other schools he visited. He got burned going out with someone in his high school that was small and close knit when the relationship tanked, and he was not interested in going through that sort of thing again, and tended to go out with girls from other schools his senior year. He definitely was acutely aware of the issues that can arise in a small, contained environment.</p>
<p>@cptofthehouse yea that seems about right. I guess I was just hoping I would get some magic story that would make me feel more comfortable about small rural LACs. But Im pretty active so I should be able to keep myself busy… and if all else fails theres always transferring.</p>