<p>I'm from CT, and I'm not really a fan of it here. I want to go far away for school, but I'm not sure how I would do without my family. I'm also finding that a lot of schools nearby either don't have my major or just don't appeal to me. I'm thinking of applying to Gonzaga (WA) and Flagler (FL) but.....
How far is too far, in your opinion?</p>
<p>It really depends on the individual. I live in Iowa and I’m going 25 hours away (by car) to Los Angeles. I wanted a college experience entirely different from my Midwestern city. My other college choice was in Boston. </p>
<p>I love my family, but they drive me crazy. I felt like I needed to be far enough away where I could no longer depend on them. </p>
<p>If you find a school far away that you like, go for it. Even if you lived reasonably close, how often would you actually visit your family.</p>
<p>That’s the way I see it, too. I want to go somewhere more relaxed and down to earth, and I’ve heard that the west coast is more like that.</p>
<p>I guess I see what you’re saying. I’m a family person, but I’m gonna have to leave them sooner or later, aren’t I?</p>
<p>finsong8 and nodilEMMA, </p>
<p>I had to laugh when I read this. We are from CA, and our D was interested in going in the opposite direction. Accepted in the states you are looking to leave (Univ of Iowa, UConn) and a few other midwest schools, and planning to attend The Univ of Iowa…I think same reasons – she wants to experience a really different part of the country, and ready to try life on her own. </p>
<p>I personally think going away for school is good, and using it as an opportunity to try a different part of the country is great, if you feel ready to be that far away, and if the finances work out. </p>
<p>I think each of the west coast, midwest, east coast and large city/small city have something to offer, and it is great to try different places while you are young. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>In my opinion, the ideal would be a few hours away by car. Far enough to put some distance between you and the parents, but close enough to come home now and then for a weekend. As the distance exceeds 600 miles or so, it becomes increasingly difficult to move your belongings back and forth by car in a single day. Then you get into shipping not schlepping.</p>
<p>On the other hand, with greater distance you can get a little admission advantage.</p>
<p>Thank you, rwehavingfunyet! I think that I am just going to look for schools I like academic-wise, etc and then pay attention to location. Like you said, I’m young so the time is now. 
And tk21769, I see what you’re saying about shipping my belongings. That could be a hassle. 
But is it really true that if I applied to a school in Washington, I may have a greater chance getting accepted?</p>
<p>I also will be attending the University of Iowa this fall and excited to spend my undergradate years there. For me it will be 7hrs from home which I see close but far enough. I guess I won’t be in a differnt region (Michigan resident) though certainly a different environment (out west). A school is only too far when you can not at the least fond a way to get there.</p>
<p>I’ve always wanted to go somewhere completely different than the area I’m from, because the way I see it, this may be the only opportunity I’ll ever have to live somewhere new without completely uprooting my life. Once I’m out of college and have to worry about a job/house/family, I won’t exactly be able to leave New Jersey and head for Texas or Florida or California, so I’m doing that now, while I have the chance. So for me personally, there is no “too far”.</p>
<p>That being said, I completely understand why some people choose to go close to home - I currently attend boarding school, and it’s a huge benefit to be able to go home for weekends and never have to worry about long car rides or flights. Also, obviously some people have difficulty being away from their families - luckily I’m already used to that.</p>
<p>My first undergrad school was maybe 45 minutes from home. That was far enough - I told my parents, “no visiting without an invitation,” and they respected that. One of my teachers had suggested I not return home until Thanksgiving, and I followed her advice, except for a two-hour visit to cast my first vote in a presidential election and see my new niece.</p>
<p>Two years later, I transferred to a school on the opposite coast. I went home for Christmas after that, and also spent one last summer with my parents. I’ve lived here now for over thirty years.</p>
<p>While going to school far away from home didn’t pose a lot of issues for me, it did lead me to settle in this part of the country. That means buying four plane tickets whenever I want to visit my family of origin. That’s a factor to keep in mind. It’s not unusual for people to settle where they went to college. It’s easier to find a job close to where you live.</p>
<p>It would be interesting to see statistics on this – I went to an in-state midwest school and wound up in California (where there are many, many people who went to school on the east coast and in the midwest). My niece went to school near her home in the midwest, and is now on the east coast with plans to try the west coast. So I think it may have more to do with personal preference and timing. I think it is easy to go back home to find work if desired, after school as long as it is a major metro area and/or if the economy there is doing ok.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input everyone! Like I said, I’m young and I’m just going to go wherever I think I will do my best. Thanks again!</p>
<p>I hear you man. CT has no good schools other than Yale (which I wouldn’t get into). UConn is okay, but it’s just not where I want to be. Boston doesn’t have any schools I am interested besides a little interest in Northeastern, but it’s not a strong academic school. Since I’m in the same position as you, I can tell you that my school list ranges from Georgia to Illinois to Pennsylvania. Just about all my serious schools are in that triangle.</p>
<p>Yeah, Yale is definitely out of my league. I have good grades, but not quite that good. And I feel like everyone from my school goes to UConn, so that’s a no. Plus they don’t really have what I’m looking for. Boston is where I would love to be. I really liked Emerson, but I wasn’t really a fan of BC or BU. I’m looking at Northeastern over the summer sometime, but yeah, they don’t exactly thrive in my department. My schools are all over the place. Still putting a final list together, but it’s from Maine to Boston to DC to Florida to California to Washington…kinda all over the place.</p>
<p>I personally would not settle back in my hometown after I graduate from undergraduate/ graduate school due to my preference of other cities not within the state. Though as other posters pointed out I know many teachers who have left their hometown ( sometimes state) for school and come back to work.</p>
<p>I tell my kids they have to go 3 hours away or further as that’s my arbitrary line determining what’s comfortably drivable for a weekend. In other words, go far enough that coming home often won’t be a temptation, as in my mind frequent trips home do not make for mature, independent young adults. My own experience 25 yrs ago, and that of my friends, bears this out.</p>
<p>But I think one has to be careful when going well outside their own region and should have clear understanding of regional differences in culture. No matter where you’re from, kids in other parts of the country ARE “different” from you, which is neither good nor bad, it’s just a fact and it’s important to know how. You want to avoid that crushing realization, come November or so, that “kids here are really __________” and in a bad way. Visit, read, talk to people. Understand the culture before committing.</p>
<p>Anything over a two-hour drive will discourage people from dropping by. My mother surprised me once in four years (90 minutes from home) and luckily, it was a day my car had been towed. For child number one, we looked at colleges that were a five-hour or less drive OR were close enough to an airport that was served by Southwest Airlines–for cheap flights.</p>
<p>nodilemma… Funny, you are from CT and considering Flagler (which is 10 miles from me). My son is from here and dying to go to CT… </p>
<p>Flagler is nice, not really a typical college campus but being in downtown St. Augustine there is so much history and things to do in the area that are fitting for a college student. It doesn’t necessarily rank very high academically compared to many other schools, but for someone who isn’t from Florida, would offer a very neat 4 year Florida experience.</p>
<p>Haha that’s too funny! And yes, I love St. Augustine so I thought that going to school there would be a great experience. Whereabouts in CT is your son looking?</p>
<p>beastman: That’s a great point. I want to go somewhere with a very different culture than New England, but I know that I also need to do my research carefully to make sure it’s somewhere I’ll feel comfortable. I went to a college fair yesterday and asked reps from two southern schools whether they thought northerners had difficult times adjusting, and they both stressed that it was crucial to visit and see what it’s really like down there. Also, good for you for encouraging your children to go far - I wish my parents were like that.</p>