If you love the location of one school, but are less attached to the school itself, and are very attached to another school, but not a huge fan of location, which school would you choose? What matters more, if the schools are academically similar?
IMO, the school, at least if you are interested in a classic liberal arts education. Certain majors or studies might require certain settings with access to things you need-- like highly specific internships during the school year as opposed to during a summer or break… or, say, beaches for marine biology!
You live your life on the campus, and there is so much happening on a college campus for cultural entertainment that you never need to leave it to have fun.
You can always move to a location you love afterwards, when you decide where you want to live as a grown-up.
Given that the schools are academic equivalents then it really comes down to a trade-off and only you know what is the right choice for you. First see where you get in, see what the finances are at both schools and that may push you one way or another, (for example it looks like you are considering NYU and Tulane and in general Tulane is more generous with aid). and then try to visit both again when it is closer to decision time if possible.
As seen above, specifics are needed here as it varies a lot case by case. If you provide them, it may be clearer.
You can always visit any location of your choice for pleasure trips. You can’t the other way, can you?
Visiting and living in a location are very different, and I don’t think you should discount it. What is important is to see just how much of a difference there is between the two locations in terms of your daily life and how much value you actually get from that. Why is the location important in this case?
The location is important is important bc as happy1 noted, it’s New York City. I used to live there and have a ton of family there, but then moved to a really small town, which was a huge culture shock for me that I still haven’t gotten over. I miss living in NYC more than anything, and I know New Orleans will be better than a tiny town but it won’t be anything close to NYC. And you’re right when you say living somewhere and visiting are much different, I still get to visit New York now and then but it’s definitely not the same.
On the other hand, Tulane University is just much more appealing to me as a school than NYU is (and the surrounding big NYC schools are either just not for me or a huge reach)
Hi @laviolinista,
I lived in NOLA years ago (for grad school and a bit afterwards) and it took me years and years to get over leaving it for a small town (and I am really not a partier, though I did love to pass an evening dancing Zydeco at the Mid-City Lanes Rock-N-Bowl and its ilk.) There is so much more to New Orleans than the French Quarter and other tourist attractions. Never lived in NYC but have visited a fair number of times (husband grew up there.) Of course, personal preference is a highly individual thing…You have reasons to like what you like, but New Orleans is certainly not just another mediocre smallish city that’s somehow “less than” New York. It stands as its own thing. It’s one of the most unique places in the country, with a culture (or blend of cultures) like no other. It’s certainly not for everyone, and there are downsides. If you happen to be a very tidy person who wants everything to make logical sense and to run efficiently, then New Orleans might drive you crazy. If you have a sense of humor and mystery, a tolerance for peeling paint, the juxtaposition of unlikely things and the sight of trees that undulate like seaweed over your head, you might come to adore the place. If you do decide to attend Tulane and you view New Orleans with an open mind (and not constantly compare it to NYC…that’s like comparing apples to mangos) you will experience something truly distinctive. As an adult, you can make your way back to NYC, if that’s truly THE place for you, having enriched your life with a lagniappe of sorts. Have you read A Confederacy of Dunces? Might be a fun way to help you mull over your decision. Good luck!
thank you! this does make me feel a bit more open to NOLA. I will be visiting Tulane next month and staying in their dorms, so I’ll worry more about it then. It’s pretty much impossible not to compare the cities, though, since that’s essentially what it’s going to come down to in my decision. And no, I haven’t read that, I’ll look at it 
thank u again!!
Oh, great @laviolinista …you get to visit! October is a fine time to go. No spectacular fall color, but the weather is nice, and Tulane students will be well into the semester, giving you a feel for what it’s really like. Since your decision will be about the place as well as the school, make sure you fit in a walk through Audubon Park (directly south of Tulane’s campus) and then stroll down Magazine Street for a mile or two (cafe’s, coffee shops, funky little boutiques and mom and pop stores) as well as some residential streets running off of it, packed with NOLA’s iconic shotgun houses. That will give you a feel (as much as anything) of the neighborhood surroundings of your day-to-day life at Tulane.
Don’t let the slow pace of life deceive you…there are layers and layers of things to learn and things to do in New Orleans. On any given day there will be world-class events happening…maybe not hundreds happening simultaneously, as in NYC…but how many can you do, anyway 
Anyway, I think the real heart of New Orleans lies in the weird little spontaneous things that occur. It can’t compete with the energy of New York, but has its own thing.
I’m really not trying to sway you to go to Tulane if NYU becomes your clear first choice, just saying that if Tulane itself becomes your number one, do try to embrace what the city is instead of feeling it as a loss…you could think of it as sort of a four-year cultural exchange, as if you were living abroad (while getting a classic American college campus experience, which I’m not sure NYU is,) NYC will always be there for you to return to. Since you have extended family there, looks like you are in a great position to be able to move there eventually anyway. You have years and years to gain a number of interesting experiences. I hope you enjoy it all!