Why go to a small college in a rural area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Speaking personally, I liked the isolation and small setting of my SLAC. Not having much to do off campus meant I was constantly investing in my life on campus.

As just one example: when I wanted a cup of coffee, and the only place to go was the student cafe, I was investing my time in the student baristas with whom I’d chatter, in the friends and classmates I ran into there, in the small, serendipitous conversations I had along the path there and back.

It was like that again and again. Tiny deposits in campus life that I didn’t even realize I was making, but that cumulatively added up, and at a certain point started paying dividends.

What school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some lovely schools are in distant locations, from Bates and Bowdoin to Grinnell and Oberlin.
Why go to a school like this if you could get into a comparable school with access to more resources? I'm not being snarky. I am genuinely curious about the appeal.

NP. Out of curiosity, were you badly educated? I am having a difficult time figuring out how anyone with a good education would be so limited in their ability to think this through. This is not a difficult thought exercise.

What a peculiar question. I was asking people why rural colleges appealed to them. I was genuinely curious to read the responses. I did not say, "Rural colleges are horrible, and my enfeebled mind simply cannot fathom why anyone would attend one."

Your question is poorly (badly?) formed.

If your OP had merely said, "what are the advantages of rural colleges?" I don't think you would have gotten the same push back. But your OP clearly showed that you, personally, couldn't imagine why anyone would want such a thing.

+1

The question is formed in such a way as to leave serious questions about OPs ability to work through complex thought scenarios.

No, it seems to be drawing out people who are rather defensive about their penchant for rural locales.

You could not pay me enough money to live in a rural locale or go to college in one yet I think OPs question is indicative of OPs lack of education.

[Anonymous]

There are thousands of reasons and metrics to choose different schools. There is no universal right or wrong answer.

To the dismissive posters, do you really believe your point-of-view is the single universal answer? Great that you would only make one choice but others feel differently.

Every time I look at this board for a piece of info, I get sucked into threads like this and I am reminded they are actually harmful to discourse.

OP, I would suggest talking to folks with small school experience IRL. Or, reading published sources that get fact-checked. If you don't know any, your child's school college counselor can connect you or provide resources.

[Anonymous]

Some people like small schools. some people like city schools. some people like big schools, some people like rural schools. It is not a competition for which if them is right, to each their own. People have stated why they liked their small rural school, others have said that cannot possibly be true. Ok. So just ignore the noise from other posters OP. The reason people like small, rural schools is because it fosters and extremely close community, even with professors. At my small rural college, we regularly had "classes" at my professors house. There is a much different community feel when its the college and basically nothing else. No one is saying it's better for everyone, but that is what people liked about it.

My school would probably have been too small for my DD who attends UVA. I would have likely felt lost at a school like UVA. To each their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sir, you may destroy this little institution; it is weak; it is in your hands! I know it is one of the lesser lights in the literary horizon of our country. You may put it out. But, if you do so, you must carry through your work! You must extinguish, one after another, all those greater lights of science, which, for more than a century, have thrown their radiance over our land!

It is, sir, as I have said, a small college, and yet there are those who love it.

Sir, I know not how others may feel (glancing at the opponents of the colleges before him), but for myself, when I see my Alma Mater surrounded, like Caesar, in the senate house, by those who are reiterating stab after stab, I would not, for this right hand, have her turn to me, and say, et tu quoque, mi fili! And thou too, my son!

Give a rouse for Daaniel Webster!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also wonder about the professors at some of these schools. Are they fine with long careers there or do they try to get out? I can understand a few years but many of these schools are in small places that get cold and dark too.

So you sat down & tried to think of something bad to say about small rural colleges that is not true of bigger, more urban colleges, & you came up with “cold and dark”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG. I am the OP and I understand that SOME PEOPLE LIKE RURAL AREAS.

I was asking why because I was curious to see the reasons people gave. I did not post, "Gee, I am stumped. I would only live in a city." This is DCUM at its hyper-defensive finest!!

It's DCUM. People gonna hyper-defend

I've been interested in some of the responses. One of my kids went to a rural SLAC and loved it. I think she'd also have been happy in a big city school. Another went to a big city school and loved it, but I think she'd have been equally happy at a small rural school. Given how much time kids spend on campus, I don't think city vs. rural necessarily makes a huge difference. If you can find your people on campus, you're likely to be happy there. For example, if you're happy at small, rural Grinnell, you'd probably also be happy at much bigger, citified U of Chicago, but probably not at Ouachita Baptist, although it is about the same size as Grinnell and also in a rural area.

Is anyone really happy at U of Chicago (a/k/a the place where fun goes to die)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some people like small schools. some people like city schools. some people like big schools, some people like rural schools. It is not a competition for which if them is right, to each their own. People have stated why they liked their small rural school, others have said that cannot possibly be true. Ok. So just ignore the noise from other posters OP. The reason people like small, rural schools is because it fosters and extremely close community, even with professors. At my small rural college, we regularly had "classes" at my professors house. There is a much different community feel when its the college and basically nothing else. No one is saying it's better for everyone, but that is what people liked about it.

My school would probably have been too small for my DD who attends UVA. I would have likely felt lost at a school like UVA. To each their own.

This. I went to a big state sports school and loved it fiercely.

My sibling went to a very small LAC and thrived precisely because of the things you mention (dinner parties with professors' families and visiting scholars).

Different strokes, which is what makes the world go round.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people like small schools. some people like city schools. some people like big schools, some people like rural schools. It is not a competition for which if them is right, to each their own. People have stated why they liked their small rural school, others have said that cannot possibly be true. Ok. So just ignore the noise from other posters OP. The reason people like small, rural schools is because it fosters and extremely close community, even with professors. At my small rural college, we regularly had "classes" at my professors house. There is a much different community feel when its the college and basically nothing else. No one is saying it's better for everyone, but that is what people liked about it.

My school would probably have been too small for my DD who attends UVA. I would have likely felt lost at a school like UVA. To each their own.

This. I went to a big state sports school and loved it fiercely.

My sibling went to a very small LAC and thrived precisely because of the things you mention (dinner parties with professors' families and visiting scholars).

Different strokes, which is what makes the world go round.

What school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG. I am the OP and I understand that SOME PEOPLE LIKE RURAL AREAS.

I was asking why because I was curious to see the reasons people gave. I did not post, "Gee, I am stumped. I would only live in a city." This is DCUM at its hyper-defensive finest!!

It's DCUM. People gonna hyper-defend

I've been interested in some of the responses. One of my kids went to a rural SLAC and loved it. I think she'd also have been happy in a big city school. Another went to a big city school and loved it, but I think she'd have been equally happy at a small rural school. Given how much time kids spend on campus, I don't think city vs. rural necessarily makes a huge difference. If you can find your people on campus, you're likely to be happy there. For example, if you're happy at small, rural Grinnell, you'd probably also be happy at much bigger, citified U of Chicago, but probably not at Ouachita Baptist, although it is about the same size as Grinnell and also in a rural area.

Is anyone really happy at U of Chicago (a/k/a the place where fun goes to die)?

I had a blast there and made lifelong friends (my first year roommates comes over for board games about once a week). We were all humanities people, though, so maybe less of a grind. The city wasn't a big factor for us though. We weren't headed downtown but a few times a year, and for all intents and purposes we could have been at Kenyon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people like small schools. some people like city schools. some people like big schools, some people like rural schools. It is not a competition for which if them is right, to each their own. People have stated why they liked their small rural school, others have said that cannot possibly be true. Ok. So just ignore the noise from other posters OP. The reason people like small, rural schools is because it fosters and extremely close community, even with professors. At my small rural college, we regularly had "classes" at my professors house. There is a much different community feel when its the college and basically nothing else. No one is saying it's better for everyone, but that is what people liked about it.

My school would probably have been too small for my DD who attends UVA. I would have likely felt lost at a school like UVA. To each their own.

This. I went to a big state sports school and loved it fiercely.

My sibling went to a very small LAC and thrived precisely because of the things you mention (dinner parties with professors' families and visiting scholars).

Different strokes, which is what makes the world go round.

What school?

A lot of people don't name LACs because there may be only a handful of alumni in the area--it feels too identifying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people like small schools. some people like city schools. some people like big schools, some people like rural schools. It is not a competition for which if them is right, to each their own. People have stated why they liked their small rural school, others have said that cannot possibly be true. Ok. So just ignore the noise from other posters OP. The reason people like small, rural schools is because it fosters and extremely close community, even with professors. At my small rural college, we regularly had "classes" at my professors house. There is a much different community feel when its the college and basically nothing else. No one is saying it's better for everyone, but that is what people liked about it.

My school would probably have been too small for my DD who attends UVA. I would have likely felt lost at a school like UVA. To each their own.

This. I went to a big state sports school and loved it fiercely.

My sibling went to a very small LAC and thrived precisely because of the things you mention (dinner parties with professors' families and visiting scholars).

Different strokes, which is what makes the world go round.

What school?

A lot of people don't name LACs because there may be only a handful of alumni in the area--it feels too identifying.

Also it's not necessary because these characteristics are pretty typical of the small rural residential college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people like small schools. some people like city schools. some people like big schools, some people like rural schools. It is not a competition for which if them is right, to each their own. People have stated why they liked their small rural school, others have said that cannot possibly be true. Ok. So just ignore the noise from other posters OP. The reason people like small, rural schools is because it fosters and extremely close community, even with professors. At my small rural college, we regularly had "classes" at my professors house. There is a much different community feel when its the college and basically nothing else. No one is saying it's better for everyone, but that is what people liked about it.

My school would probably have been too small for my DD who attends UVA. I would have likely felt lost at a school like UVA. To each their own.

This. I went to a big state sports school and loved it fiercely.

My sibling went to a very small LAC and thrived precisely because of the things you mention (dinner parties with professors' families and visiting scholars).

Different strokes, which is what makes the world go round.

What school?

Washington College in Chestertown. I applied there, and although I ultimately decided it wasn't the right fit, part of their pitch included inviting me to a small group event with the U.S. Poet Laureate. For a literary kid, it was really neat and very personal. Professors at the event remembered my older sibling, even though he'd graduated years prior from a different department.

It's not hard to see why that kind of close-knit atmosphere appeals to some students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people like small schools. some people like city schools. some people like big schools, some people like rural schools. It is not a competition for which if them is right, to each their own. People have stated why they liked their small rural school, others have said that cannot possibly be true. Ok. So just ignore the noise from other posters OP. The reason people like small, rural schools is because it fosters and extremely close community, even with professors. At my small rural college, we regularly had "classes" at my professors house. There is a much different community feel when its the college and basically nothing else. No one is saying it's better for everyone, but that is what people liked about it.

My school would probably have been too small for my DD who attends UVA. I would have likely felt lost at a school like UVA. To each their own.

This. I went to a big state sports school and loved it fiercely.

My sibling went to a very small LAC and thrived precisely because of the things you mention (dinner parties with professors' families and visiting scholars).

Different strokes, which is what makes the world go round.

What school?

A lot of people don't name LACs because there may be only a handful of alumni in the area--it feels too identifying.

There are 6.3 million people in the DMV. How arrogant does one have to be to think if they post their alma mater on an anonymous forum, others will see and it say, "Must be Joe Smith!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking personally, I liked the isolation and small setting of my SLAC. Not having much to do off campus meant I was constantly investing in my life on campus.

As just one example: when I wanted a cup of coffee, and the only place to go was the student cafe, I was investing my time in the student baristas with whom I’d chatter, in the friends and classmates I ran into there, in the small, serendipitous conversations I had along the path there and back.

It was like that again and again. Tiny deposits in campus life that I didn’t even realize I was making, but that cumulatively added up, and at a certain point started paying dividends.

When you wanted a snack, did you go over to the widow McGillicuddy’s place to see of she was cooling a freshly baked apple pie on the kitchen window’s sill?

This made me LOL -- Carleton alumn here. We absolutely would swing by the widow Dacie Moses' house to see if someone was baking cookies or other treats if we wanted a snack. https://www.carleton.edu/dacie/

Just one of many charming, small-town SLAC traditions. Loved my time living in Northfield, MN and the close-knit campus community -- I found it to be a far better overall experience than I had at my Ivy law school.