<p>My S is thinking of going to Ursinus, and being from the West Coast, we dont know much about the area. What is the surrounding area/town like? The one thing is does know is that he would be a short trip away from genuing Philly cheesesteak sandwichs</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>My D is a sophomore there, having just transferred from a bigger Washington, DC school. Ursinus was originally her second choice coming out of high school, as she wanted to study international relations in Washington, and loves doing things in the city. She wasn't happy with the school, however, even though she loved DC. She found that it was hard to find kids who wanted to take advantage of the cultural and politcal offerings of DC, as they were more interested in the bar and club scene in Georgetown. So now she is at Ursinus, and although it is just a small town with not miuch to do, she is so much happier. She has found the students to be warm and welcoming and is getting involved in more things than she was as a freshman at her old school. So she is so far finding enough to do on campus to keep her happy. There is not a lot to the town. Close to campus there is a pizza place and a cafe and an ice cream/candy shop, and a couple of restaurants a little more of a walk away. Otherwise, just some strip mall type developments that are not so close to campus. Although her mom and I thought all along that Ursinus would be a great fit for her, it was really about the academics and the supportive feeling we got from the administration. We didn't see much about the town to get excited about (and I grew up in a small farm town of 3000 in central Illinois, so it' not like I'm super picky). As far as Philly, the school likes to promote its proximity to the city, but my D says it is not easy to get to...a shuttle to a bus to a train or something like that. I would definitely check out that aspect of it if your son wants to make frequent trips into the city. Outside of the town is pretty and rural, rolling hills, streams, etc. Can't think of much else offhand.</p>
<p>My daughter is a freshman - Ursinus was her first choice, and so far she is as happy as can be. Although there are a lot of students from the area, they tend to stay on campus on the weekends, so there are lots of activities going on. There are hiking and biking trails nearby as well.</p>
<p>I know the school has some Philly Car Share vehicles on hand - I'm not sure what the parameters are for using these, but it's good alternate transportation if kids really want to get to the city. Like casey said above, the town is small, but kids can walk to the grocery store, CVS, or other little shops. I'm sure they even have cheesesteaks at the Collegeville Diner just down the road!</p>
<p>My D is a freshman at Ursinus.</p>
<p>Cheesesteaks are plentiful anywhere in the Philly area -- you don't have to get to the city for a good cheesesteak.</p>
<p>I agree with the other posters -- there's nothing special about the surrounding town. Typical suburbia -- a few strip malls and shopping centers within walking / bike riding distance. The biking/hiking trail mentioned actually goes all the way in to Philadelphia, but it's a long way.</p>
<p>Having a car (or friends with cars) opens up more opportunities. A movie theater in Oaks (one exit away on Rt 422), the two malls in King of Prussia.</p>
<p>Getting to Philly from Ursinus on public transportation requires a ~20 minute bus ride to the SEPTA Regional Rail station, then a 30-40 minute train ride into Philly(depending on where you want to get off). The students did this as part of orientation this year, but from what my D says it's not a regular part of student life to head into the city. Maybe the older students go more often to sample the night life?</p>
<p>My D is applying to Ursinus. We live in PA about an hour and a half from Ursinus. The town has a Target and a Sonic. What more do you need? </p>
<p>And the mall in King of Prussia is the second largest in the USA (after Mall of America). Very nice.</p>