<p>Hi, I have a question about choosing schools.</p>
<p>I'm an international student and I don't know much about America. Could you please tell me the main differences between the regions of America?
Can you give me more information about weather, life style, generosity of schools, etc, anything that has something to do with education? I have started selecting schools and I badly need these information.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>I live in the Midwest, which is easily the most down-to-earth region of the US. The people here are the friendliest, with a good mix of both conservatives and liberals. Socially - a wonderful place. Geographically...not so much. The midwest is basically flat, especially around southern Illinois, which is basically all cornfields. The weather here is variable - around Chicago (where all the good schools are:)) the winters are very harsh, with a lot of snow and piercing winds, and the summers are usually very hot and humid. Wisconsin is somewhat better in the summer - don't know much about the other states. The LACs here are pretty generous, at least from my experience, but the top LACs are still on the East coast. The top Midwestern universities, imo, are UChicago and Northwestern.</p>
<p>The South and Southwest have the best local food.</p>
<p>I reside in the Northeastern part of the US, in NY. New England, as the Northeast is formally called, is one of the coolest places in the US. You'll meet some of the nicest people here, although some aren't so nice, but that's typical of anywhere in the US. There are many, many colleges and universities in the Northeast, some of which are the top schools in the country. Yale, Columbia, Harvard, Brown, and MIT are some of the most prestigious schools in world, and all are here. A little below New England, there's New Jersey, home to Princeton, and Pennsylvania, proud owner of UPenn. If you're not looking for an Ivy league, or painfully similar college, there's no need to worry. There are over fifty colleges in NY, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. U of Rochester, Boston U, Boston College, Rutgers, Penn State, and NYU are just a few. Oh, and don't forget the dozens of SUNY schools, most of which are competitive, but definitely within reach if you're a decent student. </p>
<p>Lifestyle is pretty much the same throughout the Northeast. There are many scenic places here such as the Appalachian mountains, the Great Lakes, Cape Cod, New York City (one of the greates cities in the US in terms of scenery and size), Boston, Plymouth, and Niagra Falls, which is on the border between the US and Canada, but you don't need to cross it to see the falls from up close. The region is very "hilly." There are alot of beaches and lakes, as well as mountains, which is great because hiking is one of most fun things I get to do with my family. Very relaxing ;) . Weather is the way it should be: cold winters, though it hasn't been snowing much lately, warm summers, and cool but convenient spring and fall. It gets humid in the summer, but it's definitely better than dry weather, where your skin turns into fish scales like mine does whenever I go to Vegas or California. The natural beauty is magnificent. Flowers and blooms EVERYWHERE. Lots of trees and rivers too, moreso than out West.</p>
<p>All of these are vital to your education simply because no sane human would want to go to college in a smelly, ugly place. It's a pleasure attending college in the Northeast, and most people will tell you that. (Ignore the ones who say differently.) There are many kinds of people attending colleges here, from just about every country in the world. Very diverse region. Hope this helped!</p>
<p>While I live in the Northeast, it is OK. There isn't a lot to do with exception of New York and Boston.</p>
<p>It isn't like California where you can drive 4 hours and go to say Comic-Con.</p>
<p>New York State is actually two states in one: The State of Metropolitan New York City and the State of Upstate New York. </p>
<p>The State of Metropolitan New York City is shaped like a stealth fighter -- New York City is at the nexus with Long Island and the counties on the east side of the Hudson River up to Albany forming the wings -- bearing down on Philadelphia. The State of Metro NYC is where most of the wealth and population of New York resides. This state is welded together by a network of commuter rail and frequent Amtrak service. The major SUNY schools are Stony Brook, New Paltz and Albany. Columbia and NYU are the most prestigious universities and this state also boasts such notable LACs as Bard, Vassar and Skidmore. RPI is the major engineering school in this state.</p>
<p>The State of Upstate New York is characterized by post-industrial cities, farms and vast stretches of forest. A former Governor of NYS characterized this region as "Appalachia." Winters are long and harsh. Unemployment is high and young people are fleeing the region after graduation from college for jobs and warmth in the Sun Belt. There are some bright spots -- Ithaca, Pittsford and Niagara Falls State Park (not to be confused with Niagara Falls, New York). Most SUNYs are located here, including Binghamton, Geneseo, Buffalo, Oswego and Oneonta. Top notch universities in the State of Upstate NY include Cornell, the University of Rochester and -- a bit further down the food chain -- Syracuse. Good LACs include Colgate, Hamilton, Union, Hobart and William Smith and St. Lawrence University. This state's major tech schools are RIT and Clarkson.</p>
<p>The State of Metropolitan New York is known for the international flavor of its cuisine (and it boasts the Culinary Institute of America in Poughkeepsie). The State of Upstate New York is not lacking in dining excellence, however, and notable regional cuisine includes Buffalo Wings, Beef and Kimmelweck sandwiches, Fish Fry, Garbage Plate Specials, Dinosaur Barbeque and spiedies. Upstae NY also boasts more Italian restaurants and pizza joints per capita this side of Naples.</p>
<p>Excellent edicational opportunities exist in both States of New York.</p>
<p>Corrections: Should read "Upstate NY also boasts more Italian restuarants and pizza joints per capita than anyplace this side of Naples."</p>
<p>Also, it's "educational," not "edicational" (except in those remote parts of the State of Upstate NY that actually ARE Applachia.</p>
<p>"Appalachia!" I give up. It's just not my day.</p>
<p>hudsonvalley51, I was about to say something offensive to the above post, but I saw your name and didn't...just...lettin' ya know.... And as for your actual post, what's a Kimmelweck sandwich? Buffalo wings..<em>drules all over his new shirt and curses to himself...</em> are the BEST food in the world, besides the awesome chinese food. I'm sorry but I'm a die-hard, pro-chinese delicacy type o' guy. What's funny is I'm not even American. For all international students reading this post: Patchogue, NY, is the BEST PLACE ON THE PLANET!!! <em>Evil laugh...muahahaha....</em></p>
<p>Benham -- I am currently a resident of the State of Metropolitan New York City but in the past I have resided in the State of Upstate New York. I've also lived in Boston, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Detroit. I'm sure I could prompt a few offensive retorts about comments I might make about those places as well.</p>
<p>As for Kimmenweck (Kemmelweck), it is the name of the roll that they put the roast beef in. I think it is of Polish-American origin and is notable for the salt (sort of like rock salt) on the top. Maybe a Buffalonian can give us a better definition as it has been years since I've enjoyed this particular delicacy.</p>
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<p>It's not true that Chicago is "where all the good schools are" in the Midwest. Chicago has two outstanding private universities, the University of Chicago and Northwestern. But the Midwest also has some other very good private schools, like Notre Dame (Indiana), Washington University in St. Louis (Missouri), and Case Western (Ohio). It also boasts some of the best public universities in the nation, led by Michigan and followed closely by Wisconsin and the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana (UIUC). In fact, all the Big Ten Schools (Michigan, Wisconsin, UIUC, Minnesota, Iowa, Purdue, Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Penn State) rank among the top 25 or so public universities in the country. (Northwestern is also in the Big Ten which actually has 11 members, but Northwestern is private). </p>
<p>The Midwest also has some outstanding small liberal arts colleges: Carleton, Macalester, and St. Olaf in Minnesota, Grinnell in Iowa, Oberlin and Kenyon in Ohio all rank among the top 50 or so in the nation, led by Carleton at #5. Others like Beloit (Wisconsin), Kalamazoo (Michigan), Earlham (Indiana), College of Wooster (Ohio), St. John's (Minnesota), and Knox (Illinois) are not far behind. </p>
<p>I agree with Olgita that the Midwest is very friendly and down-to-earth. I also agree that the weather is not our strong suit, unless you like cold and snow (some people do). But we also have some great cities: Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul, to name two. And contrary to what Olgita says, we also have some outstanding geographical features, like the Great Lakes which are a beautiful and priceless environmental, ecological, and recreational asset, especially in their northern reaches; great northern coniferous and mixed hardwood forests; terrific fishing streams; the Boundary Waters wilderness area in northern Minnesota, the largest wilderness east of the Rocky Mountains offering unparalleled canoeing across a chain of lakes stretching across a vast swath of the US-Canadian border; even small mountain ranges in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northern Minnesota, studded with lakes, streams, waterfalls (including Tahquamenon in Michigan, the largest in the eastern US after Niagara), and hiking trails. Olgita wouldn't know about these things because she's from Chicago, the heart of the flattest and geographically least interesting part of the Midwest.</p>
<p>Since I'm politically oriented, the main difference that I think of is social attitudes. Get a map and see what states voted for whom and you'll notice that some regions (read: southern) are distinctly conservative -- meaning opposed to gay marriage, not as comfortable with nonwhites, and a having a good deal thinking the earth is 6k years old and evolution is a hoax.</p>
<p>That said, remember that colleges towns and colleges in cities will no doubt be more liberal regardless of location. Cities will of course be more metropolitan with a variety of stuff to do and places to get things done.</p>
<p>Personally, I enjoy diversity and easy access so I much prefer the Northeast or Cali. In a lot of western and southern states there is a LOT of driving to get anywhere and sidewalks are unheard of.</p>
<p>The weather is, for the most part, as you'd expect: closer to the equator, it gets hotter. Farther away, you get four seasons and wonderful, lovely snow.</p>
<p>There is no distinct educational trend that I can see. You'll just have to look up your schools and get a feel for what their missons/accomplishments/majors are, etc. It's not like x region=y majors more common or anything. It's scattered.</p>
<p>Writing from NYC, </p>
<p>The northeast and california are very provincial. </p>
<p>See aaa12321's post for details.</p>
<p>Well I'll give you the reputations of both:</p>
<p>Northeast: Liberal, Intellectual, tough, angry
Midwest: Friendly
West: Radically liberal
Southeast: wealthy, conservative, mix of friendly and not so friendly, where northeasterners go to die (florida at least, and I disagree with that for the record)
South: Friendly, conservative, radically conservative (internationals probably want to stay away from most southern schools)</p>
<p>I mostly agree with Titan, although I have some additional things to say</p>
<p>Northeast: Busy life style for most, and probably the most prestige-obsessed region in the country (because this is where most of America's prestigious schools are). But there are countless other great schools here, too, that are worth a look. As far as weather, there are hot summers, and the winters can be brutal. The four seasons tend to be pretty defined in the northeast. There are lots of woods here, also. The political climate here is very liberal.</p>
<p>Midwest: The people tend to be friendlier, and the pace of life is slower. Not as many prestigious schools here, but still great schools. Don't know too much about the weather, although there are definitely more tornados here than there are in the northeast.</p>
<p>West: This depends how you define west. If you are talking Colorado, Idaho, and Utah, the landscape can be gorgeous (many national parks), and these states are much more like the Midwest than they are like the West Coast. These are Rocky Mountain states, so of you move here, bring your heavy coat. Also, the west is pretty out-doorsy, and politically conservative. Don't know too much about the schools here, though. Sorry.</p>
<p>West Coast: Nice weather in Southern California, colder in the North and in Oregon and Washington. Very liberal, and Californians tend to be more laid-back than their East Coast counterparts. Also, there are some great schools here. Think Stanford, UCLA, UCB, and Caltech. But there are also smaller gems here. Think Pomona, Harvey Mud, etc. Oregon and Washington tend to be out-doorsy, and also liberal.</p>
<p>Southwest: Hot, and you don't get the four seasons. Don't know too much about the schools here. You have Rice in Texas, though. </p>
<p>Southeast: Friendly, but ultra conservative. Vanderbilt has the reputation of being a very southern school. Others - think Duke, Emory, and Tulane - are known to be more like their Northeastern counterparts (they draw a lot of northerners). The weather is hot, and the winters are very mild in the Carolinas, and non-existent in Florida. Florida is an older state (population-wise), and more like the Northeast than AL, GA, the Carolinas, etc. I love the South, though. It has its own unique culture. And if Tulane interests you, there's no place in the world quite like New Orleans.</p>
<p>bclink,
There's tons of good schools near Chicago. UC, NW, DePaul, Lake Forest and Loyola of course. Notre Dame is in a exburb. Illinois, Wisconsin, Marquette, Beloit and MSOE lie just outside and are associated to the Chicago region economically, socially and geographically.</p>
<p>By my count, of the roughly 30 good schools located across the 7 Big Ten (sans PA) states and St. Louis, a third of them are in the Chicago region (n & c IL, n IN, s & c WI).</p>
<p>^ I never said there weren't good schools in or near Chicago. I was responding to Olgita's claim that "all the good schools" in the Midwest are "in" Chicago (she didn't say "near" Chicago). And that's just demonstrably false. </p>
<p>And sure, if you're going to define "the Chicago region" to include everything in a three-state area extending from Madison on the north to Champaign-Urbana on the south to South Bend on the east---a span of about 250 miles or so from end to end---then you'll find a lot of good schools in that "region." But then you might as well say all of the Ivies except Dartmouth and possibly Cornell, and half of the top 20 LACs are "in the New York City region." I doubt you'll find many people in Madison or Milwaukee thinking they're "in the Chicago region," any more than you'll find people in Philadelphia thinking they're "in the New York City region"---although Philly is actually much closer to NYC than Madison is to Chicago, and about the same distance as Milwaukee to Chicago.</p>
<p>Ummm, a few things:</p>
<p>First, someone said that New York is a part of New England, also known as the Northeast, thats not exactly correct. New England (Conn, Mass, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Maine) and the Mid-Atlantic (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and, depending on who you ask, Delaware and Maryland) together form what is traditionally known as the Northeast.</p>
<p>Second, that same poster associated Italian food and pizza with upstate new york, when that association should obviously be made with the metro new york region. </p>
<p>Also, Northeasterners get a reputation for being nasty, i think blunt or honest might be a better way of putting it.</p>
<p>I'm not sure there are regional differences in generosity of schools.</p>
<p>Here are some of my impressions-- some formed 20 years ago so very dated.</p>
<p>On the East coast people dress up to go out for the evening. On the West coast you will find jeans in nearly every social setting. The same is probably true of the Midwest (not so sure about the major metrolpolitan areas of the Midwest).</p>
<p>Twenty years ago there was more "big hair" and peroxide blonde in Texas than in other parts of the country.</p>
<p>I found people in Virginia to be more insular than in other places I've lived. (Impressions formed away from the D.C. area and 20 years ago.)</p>
<p>Unfortunately, much of my impression of the East coast is informed by a stretch of highway 40 north of Baltimore-- busy, conjested.</p>
<p>People use "ma'am" and "sir" more in the South than in other parts of the country. It is good manners, but it can make people in other parts of the country a little uncomfortable.</p>
<p>I think the plains states (Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota) have the worst weather. In the South, summers are hot and humid and winters marked by ice storms. IMO, ice is worse than snow. In the North, winters have a biting wind. The snow is relatively dry and stings when in blows in your face. It is not good for making snowballs. Snow flakes in the Great Lakes states are bigger and wetter, like a snow globe, more likely to stay put, and make better snowballs.</p>
<p>I am from the Midwest, so I have to agree that Midwesterners are friendly. But I have to say New Yorkers were friendly the last time I visited. They offered help when I obviously needed it even though I hadn't asked. (My face turned skyward as I walked out of Grand Central was a dead giveaway that I was looking for the Empire State building, and my falling face on an express subway going up the West side led one helpful commuter to suggest that I wanted the local.)</p>
<p>Some parts of the country were largely settled one ethnic group. I don't think it makes much difference today except for some of the local festivals and foods and churches. And its fun to look at some of the regional differences in names in the phone books. I could find pages of Van-this and Van-that in my hometown phonebook, but there are very few in book for the Northwest community where I live now. </p>
<p>Communities in the West are much more mixed that are communities in the Midwest. I guess I mean no one northern European nationality dominates. As for racial diversity, that is another story.</p>
<p>Different regions have different minorities, though that picture is certainly not static.</p>
<p>The content of weather reports vary. Weather reports in the Midwest will mention the relative humidity in the summer and wind chill in the winter. In Alaksa, the weather report includes the hours and minutes of daylight and how much of a change that is from the day before. In the Northwest we have a few different words to describe the rain. (If it were winter, I could tell you what they are. But with so little rain in the summer, its vocabulary has left my mind.)</p>
<p>Every part of the country has natural beauty.
Every part has its pluses. As for minuses, that depends on individual likes and dislikes.</p>
<p>bclin,
ask UWisconsin and Illinois students where they fly into and where they visit on weekends. The answer is Chicago. Heck, UIowa has a significant population from the Chicago area. Visit Chicago and its suburbs and then visit Indiana and Wisconsin. You'll hardly notice a difference between the people. Chicago is the social, cultural, economic and geographic center for well over the 250-mile span.</p>
<p>Aside from Northfield MN, there's no greater concentration of good schools in the midwest than Chicago.</p>