Hi! I recently visited a school in New Orleans LA. I love everything about the school except for the campus, very small, and the surrounding city. It is not very clean and I rather be in a suburban area. Everything else is perfect. How much should the city matter?
That’s definitely a personal preference. Could you see yourself being happy at that school or would you rather find a similar school in a better area? Good luck
Agree, it matters a lot to some people and not so much for others. Personally, I’d put campus below things like affordability, fit, having the major you want etc.
I think that the location can have a big impact on your experience, but it will depend on you and the school as to how much. If a school is in a somewhat dangerous neighborhood, you may feel a bit trapped on campus which can accentuate whatever the feel of that campus is. Then again, if you’re in a city, there may be internship and volunteer opportunities that you won’t find on a rural or suburban campus. A city may offer entertainment opportunities (concerts, bands, etc.) but that may also siphon energy off the campus. But if you’re on a more isolated campus and you don’t like the vibe/social scene, you won’t have options. You can probably see where this is going. I’d keep the school you visited on the list, but I’d check out other options as well. But heed @happy1 's advice. A school needs to offer what you need academically at a price you can afford.
thank you all very much!
your advice is appreciated! @gardenstategal @pitt2021 @happy1
I wonder if you are thinking of Tulane or Loyola, which both have beautiful campuses right next to each other facing Audubon Park and the St. Charles Ave. trolley track. The people I know who went to Tulane were fine if they spent all four years in the dorms. The difficulty comes with living off campus. Several people I know in New Orleans had someone try to enter their house through a window while they were home. One student who lived near Tulane boarded up his windows after this happened. It is common for people to buy guns for protection and have fierce dogs. Interestingly, all of these people continue to love New Orleans with a passion. Being on St. Charles Avenue for Mardi Gras makes up for a lot. Xavier University is less fortunate because it is not next to the park or beautiful homes of the Garden District.
The city could matter if it has marginal appeal to you now and, hypothetically, appears to be declining instead of improving. The latter aspect is difficult to predict, however.