What college would best suit my year abroad needs?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I have the opportunity to study at one of the following universities for my year abroad as part of my American Studies degree:</p>

<p>University of Alaska, Anchorage
University of Arizona
Binghamton University - State University of New York
University of California
University of Colorado, Boulder
Florida International University
Framingham State University
George Mason University
Georgetown University
Goucher College
University of Hawai'i
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Kansas
Louisiana State University
University of Maine
University of Massachusetts
Middlebury College
University of Minnesota
University of Mississippi
University of Missouri, Columbia
University of Missouri, St Louis
University of New Mexico
University of North Carolina
University of Notre Dame
Occidental College
University of Oklahoma
University of Oregon
State University of New York: Plattsburgh
University of Redlands
Reed College
University of Rhode Island
University of Richmond
Roanoke College
Rutgers - the State University of New Jersey
San Francisco State University
Stetson University
St Olaf College
Temple University
Tulane University
University of Utah
Westminster College (Missouri)</p>

<p>The issue is that there are simply too many to choose from and I am unsure where to go. I was wondering if you could help me narrow it down by giving you some guidelines and an insight into my personality, so you can suggest a university that suits ME.</p>

<p>I am not looking for a party school or a university that doesn't take academics seriously. I am hoping to go to Oxford for my Master's so it's imperative I have a solid university to put on my application. I am also not into partying and would rather spend Friday night in a coffee shop with my friends or at a gig than going to a house party.
I hate the whole idea of a fraternity and would hate to be stuck on a campus dominated by fraternities. In the UK we have no such thing and I think the whole idea is ridiculous and the hazing process is just dumb.</p>

<p>I am quite introverted and could not deal with a college where everyone wants to know the ins and outs of your business. I also value small class sizes and couldn't cope with a large class of coasters.</p>

<p>Location-wise I don't want to be too isolated. I would like to be located in a mid-sized to big city and would like an Amtrak station in the city. That said I don't necessarily want to be located on the East Coast which I understand has top-notch public transport. I would rather avoid the East Coast and do my year abroad in the west.</p>

<p>Weather. I hate humid weather and the heat in general. Give me a little drizzle and overcast any day and I will be happy!
Drugs. I am not into drugs and a prevalent drug scene would put me off. That said I don't consider marijuana to be a drug as such. By drugs I mean cocaine, heroin and meth. I have read around on the internet that the latter is a big problem in smaller towns where some colleges on the lost are located.</p>

<p>Politically speaking I am super-liberal. I couldn't spend a year in an ultra-conservative hotbed. Also I am agnostic leaning towards atheist. Politics: I voted for Labour in the most recent elections and they are considered centre-left but have a strong socialist faction. I don't think I would fit in with God-fearing Republicans, although I do find those types of states to be fascinating culturally and teeming with history.</p>

<p>So any suggestions from the list?</p>

<p>I like the following the most:
* Reed College
* University of Oregon
* UCLA * UC Berkeley
* Occidental College
* University of British Columbia (I know it's in Canada and not on the posted list but is a partner)
* University of Calgary (same as above)</p>

2

<p>Since you ruled great swaths of this list out, I feel you have pinpointed the only ones left, and they are good ones. Don’t know anything about the Canadian ones but Vancover should be a fantastic place to be.</p>

3

<p>I don’t know enough about some of the other schools to shortlist them :)</p>

4

<p>What interests you in American Studies? Does the history or culture of the West grab you? Are you fascinated by American slavery? the Civil War? the Civil Rights Movement? politics? Perhaps you could narrow your list by focusing on schools that offer a lot of emphasis to your fields of interest.</p>

5

<p>^ Good point. I am more interested in history than any other aspect of the course. I like the west because I am interested in the frontier and Native American history of it. Most of my peers are aiming for colleges on the East Coast near NYC and the other East Coast cities but I would like to go somewhere different and do my dissertation (which has to be written on a topic of interest in the year abroad location) on an unusual topic. Everyone I know is doing either Revolutionary War, Civil War or slavery for their historical dissertations. I was thinking along the lines of: Old West (maybe something about the immigrants who became ranchhands, etc.), Native American culture, or maybe something about the Left Coast or even the Cascadia movement.</p>

6

<p>If you’re interested in Native American culture, University of Oklahoma is the way to go. Oklahoma, literally meaning “land of the red people,” is extremely rich in Native American history and culture. It’s the location to which Native Americans were driven by early US settlers. You can see this at OU, where there is even a major called Native American studies. OU is liberal, though not as liberal as some of the schools on that list. There are also many Native American students at OU, as many Native American tribes will pay for their tribe members’ college education in Oklahoma. OU also has very strong academics; it has the largest number of National Merit Scholars of any public US university. Any college is going to have parties, and OU has its fair share. Greek life does exist there, but I know about 30 people who go there and are not involved in Greek life and have no issues. Anyways, at OU, you will be able to take tons of classes pertaining specifically to Native American culture, languages, etc. I’ve lived in Oklahoma for 16 years, and I can tell you that it is a state the is definitely packed with tons of Native American culture and influences. You’ll hear people talking to each other in Cherokee, be able to go to pow wows, and have many other opportunities to experience Native American culture first hand.</p>

7

<p>Oklahoma is a very conservative state. I think Reed might fit the OP the best of the college’s on his list.</p>

8

<p>Amherst College has an extraordinary collection of Native American books and artifacts, too. However, it appears it is not a place you can study. </p>

<p>The University of Colorado-Boulder is home to a large number of historians who study the American West, including Patricia Limerick, and several faculty in Ethnic Studies who specialize in Native American Studies. It is a very liberal and beautiful place, but you will surely encounter people there who smoke dope because in Colorado and Oregon the possession of marijuana is no longer a crime. Many faculty come from overseas to Boulder for their sabbatical years. I had one professor who had been coming from the University of Kent to the English Department every chance he had for a couple decades.</p>

<p>Given your interests, I would suggest you focus your research on those schools located west of the Mississippi, schools where The West and Native American culture have both been important.</p>

9

<p>Many of the schools west of the Mississippi are excellent, but not many are urban/suburban <em>and</em> feature small student bodies and small class sizes.</p>

<p>Reed
Occidental
St. Olaf</p>

<p>…are exceptions. Among them, Reed is the most prestigious, though I’m not sure how prestigious they are across the pond. </p>

<p>You’d get a first-class education at any of those three LACs.</p>

10

<p>In terms of historical significance of native Americans near those three colleges… I’m not sure about Los Angeles, but Oregon and Minnesota were home to tribes. I’m not sure about Oregon, but Minnesota had bands of Sioux, Ojibwe/Chippewa, and maybe Sauk and Winnebago.</p>

11

<p>Hands down it seems like you would fit in at Oregon, Colorado - Boulder, or UBC. Vancouver is my favorite city in the world, Eugene is very nice when it’s not dumping rain, and Boulder is wonderful. All good schools and seem to fit your personality. </p>

12

<p>@Vlklngboy11‌, Oklahoma is one of the two most conservative states in the country based on the last two elections, but Norman, the city in which OU is located, is quite liberal. It’s a quintessential college town, and has a very liberal atmosphere. Norman is definitely not like the rest of Oklahoma. Everyone I know who goes to OU is actual liberal, socialist, communist. There are conservative people there, but the liberals on campus far outnumber the conservatives and liberal ideology is the norm.</p>

13

<p>Also, Oklahoma has over 80 different Native American tribes, more than any other state in the country.</p>

14

<p>Last post, I promise. OU also teaches five Native American languages: Kiowa, Choctaw, Creek, Cheyenne, and Cherokee. I don’t know of any other college that teaches that many Native American languages.</p>

15

<p>

Be aware that Occidental is very much in the suburbs. Without a car, it’s quite a hike from a lot of the best things to see and do in LA. If you’re okay with spending 2+ hours on buses to get to where you want to go, it could be a good option. If not…</p>

16

<p>And the OP wants small classes, so that rules out all the state schools.</p>

<p>We still have Reed and St. Olaf.</p>

<ul>
<li>Reed is in Portland and St. Olaf is in the Twin Cities area</li>
<li>Both are highly rated LACs offering small class sizes</li>
<li>Both are in areas where native American tribes were from historically and within which they still reside.</li>
<li>Both are in temperate climates. Neither area is known for getting particularly hot.</li>
</ul>

<p>I think Reed fits what the OP wants best because it is more prestigious than St. Olaf. But either would be a fine choice.</p>

17

<p>Your commentary of what you like and what you don’t feels like you have strong biases and misconceptions regarding American college life. Put the biases aside and come with an open mind.</p>

<p>The two best choices on your list are Georgetown and Notre Dame. The public universities on the list are generally too large. This is certainly the case with UBC</p>

18

<p>I’m thinking Reed, also.</p>

19

<p>If Notre Dame is far enough west for the OP, it might also work. There are some large classes though, which the OP doesn’t want. </p>

<p>Georgetown is on the eastern seaboard, and the OP doesn’t want that location. (Obviously another fine school though)</p>

<p>It sounds like the OP needs a prestigious LAC, and Reed fits the bill.</p>

20

<p>You’re the second person on this forum to pose this question, listing the same schools. What program is this (might I ask)? Does it have an official name?</p>