Being in a city was very important to my older son. He only applied to universities in cities, and even felt Madison Wisconsin was too small, which surprised me given that State St is so busy. He ended up at Vanderbilt. But, freshman year, he hardly ventured off campus!! There was plenty to keep him busy and entertained on right there. But later, he did benefit from being in a city with an internship with a sports team, and then the over 21s enjoy the lively Nashville nightlife.