<p>Which do you guys think is the better "college experience"?</p>
<p>Im on a urban campus now, Chicago, and I am transferring out. Its really personal opinion though.</p>
<p>I would side with a college town just because it is the more classic"college life" that i wouldnt want to miss out on, but i definitely see the benefits of a place like NYU or GW.
I guess my ideal would be a college town for undergrad then going to a big city for grad school</p>
<p>I definitely prefer the "college town" experience simply because there are distinct borders and everything happens within the community. Safety is another issue. Once you leave the walls of an urban campus, you are basically on your own.</p>
<p>There are some places where you can get a hybrid experience. Like Brown, I think. It is located in a small city, but it's location, on College Hill, is somewhat insular (though not rural.) And it is up a hill, so that is geographically isolating too. It's not like other people don't come around to Thayer Street restaurants, but it is dominated by the college and students. And there is the wonderful East Bay Bike Path you can go on for an outdoor experience through some smaller towns, all the way to Newport RI, if you like. And you can walk downtown in 20 minutes.</p>
<p>i think the question kind of answers itself. not saying that cities arent great, but if you are completely immersed in the city and dont have much of a college town, are you really getting "the college experience"? </p>
<p>i would personally say a nice mix is perfect. i wouldnt want a school like NYU or BU with no campus and little community. while i would like a city to be right next door (like BC), i would rather go to a somewhat isolated campus that had great community because its something youll never be able to have again, you can always live in a city.</p>
<p>In a city because there's a plethora of things to do.</p>
<p>Son really wanted an urban campus and is now in the downtown area of a medium-sized city. The only problem is that the crime rate (mostly muggings) is very high within blocks of the campus. If looking at urban campuses, be sure and get crime statistics for the area, not just the campus.</p>
<p>You're going to have a better college experience where you feel more comfortable. If you rather be in the middle of a city, where you're constantly surrounded by things to do, that'll be the best experience. If you rather surround yourself with the quaint, campus-oriented college town, that'll be the best. I personally would prefer an actual campus.
But, as far as the "typical" college experience, I'd say it's more "college town."</p>
<p>I am glad that somebody already mentioned this, there are situations where you can have the best (and worst) of both. UW Madison is situated in the downtown area, squished into the isthmus connecting the two lakes, capitol and retail areas of the city. However, Madison is also the quintessential college town where about a quarter of the population is affiliated with the university.</p>
<p>I prefer college town as opposed to city (think NYU), but there are good "mixes". Vanderbilt is a perfect mix of both. It really is a matter of personal preference.</p>
<p>Rice, bro, Rice. Secluded college campus in a metropolis.</p>