<p>Hey could u guys help me in making my college decision. I got accepted to Purdue and I have actually been thinking of going...but then i heard that west lafayette was a disaster and it is in the middle of nowhere...and my counselor went and she sid that she would not recommend me living there.
I am used to a relatively posh lifestyle...i also applied to ucd and ucsb...shud i start thinking of those if i get in?
how's it really like at purdue? would i be able to survive? thanx</p>
<p>I wouldn't use the word "nice" and West Lafayette in the same sentence. Let's just say, son wouldn't apply after seeing the place. If you applied to Engineering, consider it, although you won't be living that "relatively posh lifestyle." Sounds like you'd better stay in Cali.</p>
<p>how bad is it though? can you please describe...i want to know how it's like? thanx for the feedback though</p>
<p>oh, and by the way...i am just worried i won't get into UCD/UCSB or BU (which are the ones I applied to)</p>
<p>There's been a fair amount of discussion on this topic in other threads. Do a Purdue search and you'll get the drift after reading a few posts.</p>
<p>I actually go to Purdue, and I am from the suburbs of Chicago. Honestly, most of the schools in the Midwest are in small towns. West Lafayette is not as horrible as it sounds. Within walking distance of campus, we have Chauncey Hill, a strip mall type thing w/ food places (like Taco Bell, Arby's, Fazoli's, Jake's [a restaurant/bar]), a University Bookstore, convience store, etc. There are also many other restaurants and stores in this area (which is by the Union). The Union itself has many good restaurants like Villa Pizza, Starbucks, Pappy's (kinda like Steak n Shake), Oasis (a cafe), the Union Market (where you can get basically any type of food you want, and which they are going to be remodeling next year so it should be even better), and a Smoothy place. As far as things to do, you can go to the bowling alley in the Union, which also has pool tables (the dorms have these and ping pong tables too) and video games. Off campus, you can easily take the trolley (it's possible to walk too) to the Levee, which has movie theatres (there's only 9, but they are really nice), Buffalo Wild Wings, a new BBQ restaurant, and a bunch of other stores. You can also take the trolley to Wabash Landing, which has Border's and some other stores too. There are buses that can take you to the mall (and it's a nice mall),Applebee's, and Wal-Mart. The adjoining city, Lafayette, is bigger than West Lafayette and you can get there by taking the trolley and buses. You can go to Wal-Mart, Meijer, Target, and a bunch of restaurants. You can also go to downtown Lafayette (which is closer). They have a bunch of stores and restaurants. It's kinda like a small city. I have only been there like once or twice though... Usually, most people just stay on campus and hang out. There are actually a lot of things to do. It's not some small, ghetto, rural town. It's not gigantic or anything, but I definitely don't mind living here. I would recommend visiting it for yourself, if possible. Don't just take the word of your advisor or the other poster (I do believe she is a fan of our rival, Michigan ;) ). If you have any questions about Purdue/West Lafayette, feel free to e-mail me, message me, whatever. Hope this helped.</p>
<p>Plain and simple, WL is a college town. I would be more inclined to call the town "Purdue", because there in no area I would consider "downtown" WL. </p>
<p>No, it isn't a densely populated urban area. Once you get beyond the first semester of college it doesnt matter, because by this time you're immersed in the college atmosphere and you have little contact with the surrounding towns. And if you need a weekend escape, Chicago is 2 hrs north and indy is one hour south.</p>
<p>Purdue is a school of approx 40,000 students located in an appealing small city community. I highly recommend it.</p>
<p>Just remember, most people on these boards have an agenda. If their experience was negative, they will bash, if positive, they will promote.</p>
<p>I agree with machman. You don't really have time to be worried about the town you live in. And he's right- the town is more Purdue than WL....... which is not a bad thing :)</p>
<p>Thanks so much for ur reply...it helped a lot. I was just worried cuz my dad went to purdue and he does NOT promote it, even though he says its a good school...and my counselor is even from indianna and she says its a disaster and she would never live there again! But i also trust you (space_cadet) because u go there. But is purdue/ WL a developed suburb? If anyone\s been to CA can u pls relate it to a town/city in CA...thanx again</p>
<p>It's not bad by any means, probably one of the better college towns I've seen. The town seems to be moving in the right direct with the new small shops and restruants.</p>
<p>I agree with the above poster. I'm not sure what the burbs are like in CA, but WL is kind of like a more rural version of a suburb.....There aren't any cornfields in the immediate area...I really don't quite know how to explain it :-/My guess is that when your dad attended Purdue, it probably wasn't as developed as it is now. I don't want to mislead you into believing that WL is super developed and super nice, but it's not a craphole either. :) Honestly, I was kind of blah about going to live in the "country", but a lot of time around campus you get an "urban" feel because of the buildings, buses, people, shops, etc. I don't know...it's something you have to see for yourself. The fact that I am in Indiana freaks me out more than the fact I am in West Lafayette. :) But, in general, I think WL is a nice town. You'll survive here. It has all the amenities you would need. (The mall here is nice too!! And I come from an area w/ a huge mall.)</p>
<p>The surrounding area is a hicktown but a little diner called XXX is amazing!</p>
<p>I love it.....someone from Wisconsin is calling Lafayette/West Lafayette a hick town. Gotta love midwesterners.</p>
<p>this is a question of if Purdue/WL is a good fit for YOU and that is all that matters. </p>
<p>I LOVED going to a big university in a relatively small town so the school was in many ways the focal point of the town; and I knew as soon as I visited that that is where I wanted to go ... and others absolutely hated my school/college town when they visited. </p>
<p>Check out big schools in small college towns locally and see how it feels ... and given your "posh" lifestyle I assume you can afford a trip to Purdue to check it out if it's on your short list of schools.</p>
<p>Relative to Madison, WI, Purdue IS in a hick town.</p>
<p>and you in Madison are the Berkeley of the midwest right?</p>
<p>Actually Madison does not need to be the anything of anything. Madison is unique in its own right and has been for many years. They did not need Berkeley as a model.</p>
<p>ok i goto purdue, originally from bay area. </p>
<p>and yes it is BAD. </p>
<p>ive been to several college towns, and none of them are as bad as Purdue.</p>
<p>Davis is >>>>>> Purdue in terms of college town. </p>
<p>and everybody from CA makes fun of davis so you know just how bad purdue is.</p>
<p>msg me for more info.</p>
<p>"my counselor is even from indianna and she says its a disaster and she would never live there again!"</p>
<p>Ha ha ha! No wonder you are misled! Your counsellor went to IU, our rival! She will definitely give biased reviews about our college. Hell, I will say IU s**ks! WL is a quiet town with not much happening but you got enough stores/shops to support your college life. Its not quite a suburb but I would say a small urban town. Not ultra developed but you get the picture. And if you do feel bored, Indy is 45 mins from our place and Chicago is 3 hrs.</p>
<p>As for the guys who hate Purdue/WL, no offense but I hope you didn't expect a party town when you came to Purdue.</p>
<p>wow, after reading your posts.... i feel more happy about my choice to go to purdue.
At first i was worried of being in the middle of no where.
but now i see its not too bad</p>