I am a rising HS senior and am trying to finalize my college list. I am looking at a few schools that are in rural settings (i.e. Middlebury, Hamilton, Colgate) which all have excellent academic offerings, but I am concerned about how I might handle the environment. I am a city girl – I have always lived within a few miles of major cities (Seattle and LA), and I really have loved living so close to so much.
Is anyone out there attending a rural college who came from an urban environment? What has your experience been like?
The major thing is, I cannot afford to go visit these schools (which I know would be the best thing to answer my question), so I am trying to get a perspective that might be helpful in my decision of where to apply. Any input is greatly appreciated!
I don’t know anything about Middlebury but we had family who lived in Clinton, very close to Hamilton. It’s small. It’s rural. Not too much going on and Greek life is kind of the center of the social scene. Can you find a rural school in your state with a similar student body size to go visit? That may give you a bit of a feel.
If you’re convinced you’ll be happier in or near a city, there are plenty of great schools with solid academics in/near urban places. If you’re looking for a different experience than what you are used to, you could look at schools away from the west coast, such as Macalester, Case Western, University of Pittsburgh, Haverford, University of Richmond, Emory, Tulane…
@ahraci13, you are looking at a combination of relatively small schools + very rural areas. Irl, most students spend most of their time on campus, even at suburban schools- there is usually a lot going on. However, when you add small + rural you are putting a lot of weight on that student body being able to generate enough interesting things for you.
Of course, we don’t know what you love to do- if [insert interest] is your life, then a tiny remote school with a strong [interest] element or access could be heaven.
If you like Middlebury/Hamilton/Colgate, you might also like Vassar, Boston College, some of the Claremont McKenna consortium, Emory, CMU, W&M, Rice, Vanderbilt & a ton of others that I am sure others will be here to suggest…
Of the three schools in your original post, Hamilton separates itself somewhat by offering regular transportation to a nearby suburban area, as well as to a small-scale urban area:
The above noted, I wouldn’t recommend choosing one of these colleges unless you regard its location as offering a draw of its own. Your next stage may offer you an uncommon opportunity to experience life in an area in which you would not be tied to the economic activity of a large city. This might hold appeal to you or it might not. Nonetheless, consider the possibility of this appeal as you continue to explore the many options available to a student who would be qualified to attend schools on the level you’ve indicated.
Think about what activities give you the most pleasure. Are there any new and different kind of things that might make that list that you can fo more easily in a rural environment? Thoughts along this line might help focus your decision.
I came from an urban area and went to college at a school in a rural area, but I felt it was important that 1) the school itself have a strong on campus community/life (which, for me, wasn’t centered on Greek), and also was in a fun college town, so there was stuff to do off campus as well. But my #1 priority was making sure the campus itself was hopping.
If you’re interested in a more rural environment, but want more city type stuff to do, either look for larger unis that have a strong campus scene, or else for colleges of any size that are in locations which suit your needs, but perhaps still give you some of that “out of the city” feel you like. So for example, I’m thinking Bard, Vassar, Smith, SUNY New Paltz, and if you want larger, places like U Vermont, UMass Amherst. Also perhaps Cal Poly SLO, the Claremont colleges, Cornell.
