<p>Most of these "generalizations" have more exceptions than examples of those who fit the rule. So be careful. Attitudes about "other regions" of the country abound and they are often false. In fact, a LOT of southerners go to school in the Midwest and Northeast and a lot of northerners are going to school in the south, partly because they wanted to experience something different than their hometown and high school genre.</p>
<p>Weather and topography are the BIGGEST differences in the regions. There are a LOT of asians on the West Coast from Seattle and Portland to San Francisco and Los Angeles. But plenty of asians in other regions as well. In some regions...and more specifically at some college athletic conferences or schools, athletics plays a bigger role and is a HUGE part of their social scene. Some schools are decidedly UN-athletic. Princeton Review gives a nice GENERAL synopsis of this so check there for specific schools. But again, generalizations can be dangerous so take it with a grain of salt. Some schools can be snooty and preppy and VERY fraternity/sorority oriented, while others are more laid back, inclusive, welcoming. So its helpful to visit a campus to see what the student looks like and acts like and if that is you, or if that is something that is NOT you. </p>
<p>Some schools are known for political involvement bordering on radicalism (I wont mention any names to avoid any egg throwing here) and some are very a-political or apathetic to politics. </p>
<p>The point is, our country provides a myriad of choices, which is what makes us so special and lots of fun. If you dont like something somewhere, for whatever reason, there are plenty of other choices: big, small, athletic, academic, hot, cold, rainy, sunny, classic, quirky, liberal, conservative, inclusive, exclusive, etc etc.</p>
<p>The differences in our "regions" have melded over the past 30 years or so as Americans moved around for jobs, careers, schools, opportunities. And colleges are marketing themselves all over the country more and more.</p>
<p>What used to be a local school (and hence their local name often was the name of the town) is now a national school with kids from all over and a growing number of internationals.</p>
<p>Do your homework on each school individually. Even a school literally a few miles or blocks away from another school can be radically different in its culture and emphasis. For example, NCState is not UNC or Duke or vice versa. But they are all very close to each other and VERY competitive.</p>
<p>Ditto for USC, UCLA, Pomona, Stanford, Claremont McKenna, Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount (LA), Occidental College. </p>
<p>St. Louis University is not Washington University in St. Louis. </p>
<p>University of Washington is not Seattle University, Seattle Pacific, Pacific Lutheran or University of Puget Sound.</p>
<p>UChicago is not Northwestern or Loyola Chicago or DePaul University.</p>
<p>U Wisconsin is not Marquette, Lawrence University, St. Olafs, St. Thomas, etc.</p>
<p>NYU is not Fordham, Columbia, St. Johns, SUNY Stony Brook, Manhattan College.</p>
<p>Boston College is not Harvard, Tufts, Boston University, MIT etc.</p>
<p>U Texas is not Texas A & M, U Dallas, Univ. Houston, Rice, SMU, Trinity.</p>
<p>Now there are SOME schools that still largely draw from their own regions: Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, Missisippi, (Ole Miss), South Carolina, Clemson, NCState come to mind among state schools. (I suppose Oklahoma, Iowa, Arkansas, Oregon, Oregon State, Nebraska are the same.) But most schools are reaching out way beyond their regions to attract students from other parts of the country and internationally to bring a more diverse student body..and doing it successfully. </p>
<p>So its really up to you to determine what it is you want from a school and its experience, and to some extent the region (weather and social scene.) Some kids really want something DIFFERENT from where they grew up. Other kids prefer to stay closer to home and remain "inside the bubble". </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>