<p>Hi, I have been trying to figure out what type of college would be best for me… trying to narrow down my choices! So… here are a few questions… any help would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<li><p>What are the advantages/disadvantages of going to a college with larger/smaller student body?</p></li>
<li><p>What are the advantages/disadvantages of going to an urban/suburban/rural college?</p></li>
<li><p>What are the main differences between a private and public college?</p></li>
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<p>Thanks so much, and again, any advice, opinions will help!</p>
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<li><p>In my opinion, the answer to this question will vary depending on the person. I am personally biased toward medium or large schools, because I don't want to go to a college the size of my high school. At a small school, everyone can find out everyone else's business. At a large school, there will be an endless supply of new faces to meet, but there can be that feeling that you're just a number. Smaller schools might offer more personalized attention, but a large school could offer that as well. There are pros and cons to both, and one person's positive could be another's negative. It's up to you, really, and your preferences.</p></li>
<li><p>Again, this really depends on the person. An urban school might offer more opportunities for things to do off campus, and as a result, campus life can be lagging. A rural school will probably have more camaraderie between students, but you can begin to feel isolated and trapped, with much of the "fun" coming from drinking, simply for lack of other things to do. A suburban school captures the best of both worlds - the opportunity to visit a large city, but far enough away that having fun on campus becomes a definite option. Again, different aspects of different types of colleges appeal to different people.</p></li>
<li><p>I don't think there's much difference between publics and privates on the whole. Public schools offer lower tuition, generally, and especially for in-state students. As a result, they tend to have large populations of students who are from that home state (especially for state flagship U's). I tend to associate public and state schools with better sports programs, but there are plenty of exceptions to that rule (Duke, for example, has strong sports and is private). The differences in this category aren't as definite - it really depends on the school.</p></li>
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<p>Apologies for the lengthiness of this post, I hope it's helpful! :) Remember, this is just my opinion, what it all comes down to it, you have to figure out what you want in a school and make the decision on that basis.</p>