How important is location?

Parents Forum
1

<p>My senior HS son has a few colleges to choose from. Discounting everything except location, how important is the surrounding area? I realize this is going to be up to him and how he places it on the scale of priorities, but from your own, or your college student’s experience, how heavy should the location weigh? He has 1) in a very rural area where the campus is isolated but many students have cars and a big city is 45 minutes away and students often go there on weekends. 2) and 3) are in small towns that are not especially student oriented but not dangerous, just slightly boring. 4) is right next to a small city with a mall, library, bars and bookstores within walking distance and 15 minutes from a big city, 5) is within 6 blocks of a “cool” city with quirky shops, restaurants, bars, and lots of outdoor activities and the 6) is in a smallish southern town 10 minutes from the Appalchian Trail, 10 minutes from a small city, not especially student oriented but nice. All schools say that there are lots of activities to do on campus, but who knows?? None are known as commuter schools.</p>

<p>So, does location matter? And if you had these choices, what would you choose?</p>

2

<p>Well honestly? It depends on the kid. For my computer obsessed son - location matters not at all. Back when I was in college I was adament about wanting to be in a big city. I ended up at Harvard, but didn’t do as much in Boston as I thought I would. Just too much to do on campus. I did get to art museums and took a couple of courses that had me looking at Boston architecture though. I went to grad. school in New York (Columbia)and the location was extremely important there. I did almost nothing on campus, but lots off campus. I’m not sure if the difference reflects undergrad vs. grad experience or the difference between the two schools.</p>

3

<p>I went to a rural, very rural place, snowed in on four sides in the winter; rich kids had cars, but no place particularly to go. I would never do it again. Much too insular, much too much drinking. There’s plenty to do on campus, but alcohol seems for many to be the preferred activity. And it didn’t help that I am not particularly outdoorsy. I would have loved to be able to browse in bookshops (there actually were two when I was there - and I worked in both of them; now there are none on the main street, and one college bookstore way off at the very far edge of a very large campus), buy a reasonably priced pair of underwear without having to take a bus, etc. Some folks, however, absolutely loved it, and still do. Depends on the kid.</p>

<p>To me, 45 minutes away is the same as two hours. It would require lots of planning to go. If I cared about things that one can do in town, I’d want it right there. Just seeing people in town doing the things people in town do everyday would be big plus.</p>

<p>I would choose 4 or 5.</p>

4

<p>mathmom’s and my differing experiences highlight that it is just as you say, kathiep - totally depends on the individual. I went to Wellesley/H to Harvard and we spent <em>tons</em> of time in Boston and Cambridge; much more discretionary time on than off campus. Just the opposite of her experience.</p>

<p>DS, due to Katrina, has been in two entirely different settings this year: Bates - in the nothing-doing nothing-special “city” of Lewiston, ; and Tulane - in the unbelievable (even now) city of New Orleans. He had a good time at both. So, even one kid can - depending on personality and adaptability - be happy in both. He has decided the he loves his current location. For his transfer apps (due to Tulane phase out of Engineering) he put a priority on urban or vibrant college town locations. But he didn’t choose that exclusively.</p>

<p>I kind of think your qx is unanswerable. Hypothetically, I would choose your #5 but if I could de-code the specific schools for each location, that might change my mind entirely., because the shool’s atmosphere and culture are key.</p>

5

<p>kathie, it really depends what your son is into. I mean, you can be going to millersville and say ooh i’m in lancaster yippie amish horse and buggies… but if you like rock music you’re right up the street from an awesome club and that’s probably a great location for you… just the same as being in downtown baltimore where all the rock clubs are as well…</p>

6

<p>my D is in a suburban section of city
She does utitilize where she is-
it is easy for friends from other areas to get to and from
they have good public transportation so she doesn’t even need the expense of a car
nice shops and grocery stores are within walking distance
she also goes off campus regulary to bars and tea shops
now she is attending a very small college- 1,300 students- it might seem claustrophobic if it was in a small town, but in a city it is fine
conversely a large university in a small town might be great because there is so much to do on campus
but I agree that if you have to have an expedition for a shopping trip that can be a major hassle whether it is 30 min to get there or 3 hours.</p>

7

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<p>That was our experience as well. My son is a junior at the school described above as Siberia but worse and he finds PLENTY to do on weekends that doesn’t include heavy alcohol use. [Note, the bookstore is on the next street over, a three minute walk from mainstreet and equally close to the center of campus. Mini, I think you need to recalibrate.]</p>

<p>Rural campuses are not for everyone. My son started out thinking that he wanted an urban environment or at least small town but after visiting, his top choices ended up being some of the most insular campuses. What made this particular campus work for him and what I would ask when considering a rural campus are:</p>

<ol>
<li>Do you need a car to get where you NEED to go, e.g. parties, pharmacy, bookstore, a couple of restaurants, a movie theater? I’m not talking about getting to the mall, which is optional, but places that you can’t do without on a daily basis. At my son’s campus the village provides a limited, but adequate, choice of necessities. At some other campuses that we visited, there really was no there there. (As a side note, shopping on the internet really solves the I’ve got to have it now syndrome.)</li>
</ol>

<p>My son doesn’t have a car, but enough of his friends do, so that when they want to get off campus it’s fairly easy. The point is, however, that they seldom want to get off campus and when they do it’s a weekend trip to New York or Boston, so at least in his case what he was told prior to arriving really is true. </p>

<ol>
<li><p>Will you appreciate and benefit from the natural beauty and outdoorsy activities of the surrounding countryside? Especially in the snowbelt, it helps if the mountains, snow, woods, rivers provide positive attraction.</p></li>
<li><p>Will you get withdrawal symptoms if you can’t get a weekly fix of Starbuck’s, Gap or Barnes and Noble? What do you envision yourself doing in your downtime? Most college kids would answer that as hanging out with friends, going to a sports or social event, taking in a movie or performance. They travel in herds or packs and manage to keep themselves busy. </p></li>
<li><p>What are your individual needs? For my son, access to art museums was essential and although his college is out there in Siberia it has three world class museums. The same could be applied if your interest is theater or music or computers or sailing or politics or religion– whatever activity that you want to pursue and develop. Is it available on campus?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Kathie, all of your son’s choices sound like they have location positives and negatives. If his fellow students are his kind of kids then my guess is that he will find enough to keep himself busy. Overnighting, or just spending time on campus on a weekend will help him define his preference.</p>

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<p>I would avoid a tiny school in a tiny, rural town. I think there just isn’t enough to do, and after a few years not even enough new kids to meet on campus. For bigger schools there is often enough to do that it doesn’t matter whether they’re in a big city or not. I know that was my nephew’s experience at Northwestern. The first few weeks he was in and out of Chicago a lot, then he started running out of money and discovered lots of inexpensive things to do on campus. Good luck with the decision!</p>

9

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<p>This has been my view of my Ds current experience. She spends a lot of time doing things on campus or near campus. So, I think that situations 4 and 5 are optimal for many people. I think that if she only had things on campus (situation 1), she would be driven crazy.</p>

<p>Even having the big city being 45 minutes away–my own experience was that it is a rare person who spends most weekends in the big city.</p>

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<p>as far as things to do on campus, i would look around on the schools website for like a student activities calendar… all schools should have one…</p>

<p>for example, here is march at York <a href=“http://www.ycp.edu/download/monthly_activities_calendar.pdf[/url]”>http://www.ycp.edu/download/monthly_activities_calendar.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>there are movies playing on campus TV every day, weekly movies at the theatre, random other events, and activites on campus…</p>

11

<p>"[Note, the bookstore is on the next street over, a three minute walk from mainstreet and equally close to the center of campus. Mini, I think you need to recalibrate.]</p>

<p>I know where Water Street is, Momrath - I lived in Currier, the far, far eastern edge of campus and the bookstore is to the east and south of it, and it is a 7 minute walk from there (in good weather). (And it’s hardly a bookstore.) If you can walk from the town circle on Main Street to the bookstore in 6 minutes, I’ll buy you dinner (I doubt you can do it in 12). Since I know it is a 13 minute walk from the Student Center to Currier (I did it every day), it is a 21 minute walk to the location on Water Street, WHEN there is no snow. From where the bulk of the housing is - Mission Park, Greylock, Row houses, figure on closer to 30. (I use to have to walk from Currier to Perry for meals. Now THAT was a schlep.)</p>

12

<p>Mini, I’ll time it when I’m there next month (and I’m a 58 year old with arthritis!).</p>

<p>The point is that whether the book store is on Spring Street or Water Street is hardly a make or break factor in choosing the college. I went to a college that had a huge campus and I really enjoyed the opportunity to roam. I think Williams provides that as well but if you’re winter adverse it’s not for you.</p>

13

<p>My D’s situation is 4-ish and she loves it.</p>

14

<p>Small and rural can get even smaller after a few years - but it depends on your kid. If it were me, I’d vote for #4 or #5 - but only your kid and you can make that decision.</p>

15

<p>Both my kids cared a lot about being in a city. Both have taken advantage of all a city has to offer. I’d go with 4 or 5—if academics are equal and finances are equal and the kid dealt well with distractions.</p>

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<p>Thanks all. Momrath- great list of questions. Might just use them to make son articulate and think about what’s important to him.</p>

<p>Okay, just a little more about #1 college. This is actually my daughters college. She’s a junior and the campus is tiny and Christian. No drinking but there IS always something to do. Son knows this college the best because he spent a few nights there on a visit. There will be a car there and many of the kids do have cars. Since the majority ( 90%) live out of state, most stay on campus weekends and housing is dorms for four years. Very nice dorms, but still dorms. Son is semi-outdoorsy. Eagle boy scout, lots of experience hiking etc. but his favorite activity is playing computer games. </p>

<p>Location is just one piece of the puzzle, finaid piece will help him decide but location piece is fun to think about!</p>