Making the decision between local and distant colleges

[AustenNut]

This thread might be useful as your family thinks about this decision:

Going to college in one's own hometown?

I’d love to hear about anyone’s experiences who has “gone to college” in their hometown, including living on-campus. This could be from a college student’s perspective or from the parent’s perspective. Benefits? Disadvantages? Did the student remain tethered to old friends and activities, or was the student able to fully engage in college life as if s/he had gone to college further away, like a fresh start? Context: Although college is still quite a ways away, we suspect that our child would probably do best at a college that is within about a 3-hour drive from home. There aren’t many options based on where we reside, and some of the best options are in the city where we live, not too far from our house. At the same time, however, we value “the college experience” and appreciate others’ feedback on how likely it might be if one’s college is in one’s hometown.