<p>There’s a reason why rural schools often have much higher drinking rates than their urban or suburban counterparts (look at Oxford College of Emory University versus Emory’s main campus). The reality is, students often want to leave the campus bubble which is much harder to do at a rural school than an urban one. Also urban schools typically offer more off campus employment opportunities and may be more diverse than their rural counterparts.</p>
<p>Also, and this is coming from an environmental studies major. Nature gets real old, real fast. Sure a days hike may be exciting, but living around nothing but trees can get boring after a while.</p>