<p>It’s not really the country life. It doesn’t feel like it is out in the middle of nowhere. The town has almost 100,000 people when school is going on. We are the 3rd largest city in PA on football weekends. Pitt is a good school. You were close with your response, but Penn State is the great school between the two. Pitt has good areas, but overall it does not have the national reputation of Penn State. That’s just the simple truth. Just ask your friends around Iowa. If you want to be in a crowded and impersonal area, then Pitt is the place for you. If you want a college town with a lot of school pride, that’s safe, and that has great sports, then Penn State University Park is where to go. Pittsburgh really is not that big of a city. If you are dying for the city feel than maybe you should look at NYU, BU, BC, Villanova, and other schools in really large cities. Every school I listed before is above or equal to Pitt’s academic ranking on <a href=“http://www.usnews.com%5B/url%5D”>www.usnews.com</a> (Pitt is #57). Iowa is only #64. You could get instate tuition and be at school in a power conference.</p>