<p>How would you rank the following schools in terms of campus life and in terms of best college town for an international student and please indicate why:</p>
<p>College of the Holy Cross (Worcester)
U of Massachusetts at Amherst (Amherst)
Sacred Heart University (Fairfield)
U of Hartford (West Hartford)
Fordham U (New York)</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>PS This is for a 17-year old freshman student</p>
<p>ok - sacred heart says it’s in fairfield, but it’s actually on the bridgeport border. college town attractions like downtown fairfield are much farther than they are at (for example) fairfield u. sacred heart is right next to a high school, a senior living center, and a children’s discovery museum. you have to have a car to get most places. and fairfield county’s pretty white conservative prep in general…</p>
<p>fordham is obviously in a great college town, especially for an international - are we talking lincoln center or rose hill campus?</p>
<p>worcester and amherst are great college towns. west hartford… can’t say the same</p>
<p>if i had to pick one overall, it’d probably be holy cross or fordham</p>
<p>UMass-Amherst.</p>
<p>…although fairfield is a great town, there is a lot to do, plus there’s the beach (i’d say a 10-minute drive from shu)</p>
<p>umass will be the most diverse and amherst is a great college town.</p>
<p>Fordham is probably the best for an international student followed by Holy Cross in Worcester which has 12 other colleges in town.</p>
<p>Description of Campus Life at each school (from Princeton Review)</p>
<p>College of the Holy Cross (Worcester)</p>
<p>"The typical Holy Cross student is “hardworking, and loves to have fun.” With a “general atmosphere of friendliness and acceptance” on campus, most students find it hard to “feel lonely or bored.” While the majority of Holy Cross students are “White, Irish Catholics” from “upper-middle-class families,” the school’s administration has “done a lot of work toward becoming a more diverse and inclusive place.” As one student explains, “Most all faculty and administrators are exceptionally welcoming of diversity.” Although a Jesuit college, “Religion is not a major issue” here. “Most students do not go to mass though they consider themselves Catholic,” and non-Catholics can, if they wish, attend “nondenominational masses” offered on campus. Regardless of their beliefs, Holy Cross students are “very conscious about affairs outside of the college” and “involved in working to better the community.” “Devoted to excellence in academics” first and foremost, the typical Holy Cross student “is not afraid to meet new people, go out on the weekends, and have a great time The mantra you might hear repeated often among students at Holy Cross is “work hard, party hard.” As one student explains, “Based on all the partying that is done here, you can imagine how hard we work.” The school’s rigorous academic standards are offset by a lively social scene where the most popular relaxation activities come with a bar tab: “Beer is huge, particularly because our workload here is so intense.” Some students boast that they “have a bar for each day of the week” and “theme parties” each weekend. Everyone here is “always active,” taking time off from studying to participate in “a varsity team, intramurals, student government, clubs, the newspaper, theater, or music.” Holy Cross goes out of its way to “create many on-campus opportunities as well as encourage students to explore off-campus opportunities.” “Countless restaurants and bars in Worcester” as well as in nearby Boston and Providence, create “a lively social scene off campus.” Physically getting off campus, however, can prove difficult, as “Students cannot have cars until their third year</p>
<p>U of Massachusetts at Amherst (Amherst)</p>
<p>““There is no such thing as a typical student at UMass Amherst.” An undergraduate population of over 20,000 makes that impossible; however, students do seem to fall into a few readily identified groups. There are “plenty of students who are here strictly for academics,” “people who are here for the party scene,” and “a lot of people who came here for academics but fell into the party scene.” Most learn to balance fun and work; those who don’t exit long before graduation. Students also “tend to fit the mold of their residence,” undergrads tell us. One student writes, “Southwest houses students of mainstream culture. Students there can be seen wearing everything from UMass—Amherst sweats to couture. Students in Central (especially Upper Central) tend to be the ‘hippie’ or ‘scene’ type kid[s]. Northeast houses . . . the more reserved types. Orchard Hill typically houses the more quiet types as well. . . . The kids in Sylvan are those who couldn’t get into their first-choice dorm and “spend their time . . . wishing that they lived somewhere else.”” "“There is so much to do on campus here that you rarely have to leave the school to find something,” students report, pointing out that, in addition to attending one of the school’s ubiquitous sporting events, “You can go ice skating on campus, go to a play, see bands play, see a movie, etc.” Are you sitting down? “Most of these things are also free of charge, or available for a reduced fee.” When the weather permits, “Numerous people are outside doing some sort of activity, whether it’s playing catch, playing a sport with a bunch of people, or just laying out in the sun. In the Southwest Residential area, there is a horseshoe that people call Southwest Beach because on nice days it is packed with hundreds of people.” If you’re into parties, “There is something going on every night of the week somewhere.” However, “It is more than possible to stay in on a Friday night, do your laundry, and watch a movie with friends. Parties are available, but not required.” To clarify: “Drinking is big here, but not totally out of control like some say. Off campus is an entirely different concept. The townhouses and off-campus apartments have been known to hold parties of over 1,200 people. Those can be a little intense.” Hometown Amherst provides “great restaurants and shows.” Northampton and Holyoke, both close by, are “good place[s] to go shopping</p>
<p>Sacred Heart University (Fairfield)</p>
<p>"Your typical SHU student “is either a Yankee or Red Sox fan.” In other words, most undergrads hail from the Northeast—”from Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut,” in particular. But if you call some far-off land home, don’t worry: “Everyone seems to fit in, even if you’re not from these states.” A freshman describes her fellow Pioneers as “easily approachable, kind, courteous, respectful, and outgoing.” But another first-year says that the four words that best describe your average SHU undergrad are “White, rich, preppy, and Catholic.” Look beyond the “average” undergrad and you’ll see that “the students at Sacred Heart come in all different shapes and colors, and come from different backgrounds and come from all over the world ““If you don’t get involved then you don’t get the most of the life on campus”—and yes, there’s plenty to pick from at SHU. According to one freshman, “There’s pretty much a club for anyone, making it easy to become involved. There are also community service projects happening all the time.” A classmate adds, “Every day they e-mail us with the ‘Events of the Day,’ and there’s always something going on . . . midnight volleyball, acoustic shows at the Outpost, concerts, sports games, and even Ping-Pong tournaments.” Athletics are also a “big part” of student life. “I’m usually at almost every athletic event with my face painted red and a crazy wig on,” says an enthusiastic supporter. Though SHU is officially a “dry campus,” there are many wet appetites here. “It is a big bar school,” explains one student. “There are some parties that go on, but the bars are where people go.” To get to the bars in nearby Fairfield or Bridgeport, most students take cabs—”and the cabs are very expensive.” There’s also “a shuttle that takes everyone to the mall and runs on the hour.” Other popular weekend destinations include New Haven, only “20 minutes away,” and New York is “an hour” from campus.”</p>
<p>Fordham U (New York)</p>
<p>"Students on the Rose Hill campus tend to be “from an upper-class home in New Jersey, Connecticut, or Long Island . . . [and] wear sandals and jeans and polos, with some popped collars sprinkled in. . . . Off campus (in the Bronx) they stick out like a sore thumb.” Many are business and communications majors who favor conservative politics and a businesslike approach to academics. Students at Lincoln Center are more diverse; one writes, “There is no such thing as a typical student at Lincoln Center. Most students who choose to go here are liberal and artsy (writers, dancers, actors). Students tend to be very creative in their clothing choices.” The majority of students here are women, and “Most of the boys are gay. "Fordham’s Rose Hill Campus “is truly beautiful, and the location is pretty much the best of both worlds—the city as well as plenty of green.” Here, “life centers around the weekends. Most people go out to local bars, leaving no one on campus on a Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday night. . . . There are numerous events going on on campus all the time, although many of these events are based in religion or politics.” Students are also “very involved . . . in intramural sports teams as well as performing arts groups.” There’s also the city, of course; you can reach it in 15 minutes by Metro North train, or you can save a few bucks and ride the subway. Expect the trip downtown to take about 30 minutes. Closer by is Arthur Avenue, the Bronx’s own (and, many say, much better) version of Manhattan’s Little Italy. Life at Lincoln Center is understandably less campus-centric; no campus can compete with all that downtown New York City has to offer. One student explains, “The bar and restaurant scene at Lincoln Center is very popular because of the variety of places to go in Manhattan. Dorm parties are not as usual as I would imagine them to be at other colleges. Students from all . . . of Fordham come to Lincoln Center to set out for their various night activities because of the campus’s proximity to everything . . . I try to take advantage of the incredible amount of things to do here that one isn’t able to do in most other places, but things are very expensive.” Lincoln Center dorms “are like apartments, which I know is a definite attraction for many students</p>