<p>My S is a freshman at CC and absolutely loves it… but I completely understand your concern. One of the reasons he turned down Grinnell was because he wanted to get out of Iowa. Even though he preferred to leave Iowa, he still applied to Grinnell because he liked the school and as an Iowa resident and a legacy it gave him a leg up in admissions. Given the difficultly of gaining admission to highly ranked LACs he wanted to cover his bases in case he was rejected at his top choices. I would apply…you have nothing to lose. BTW, most of his friends are from the East Coast and the thing he likes the most is the laidback, friendly, diverse and outdoorsy student body. Good Luck.</p>