Universities in vibrant communities

[Anonymous]

Pittsburgh

[Anonymous]

Columbus Ohio - don’t laugh. In a huge upswing

[Anonymous]

What do you want to study? VCU has some top-ranked grad programs and Richmond is a fabulous city.

[Anonymous]

Whatever school you will emerge from debt free

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you want to study? VCU has some top-ranked grad programs and Richmond is a fabulous city.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the suggestions, this helps narrow down my list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you want to study? VCU has some top-ranked grad programs and Richmond is a fabulous city.

+1. Also Boulder. Definitely a place where many people can see themselves landing after school is done.

[Anonymous]

Grad school is a time when you don't really get to experience the vibrancy of a place that much--especially if you're working a GRA or other job while going. I did my PhD in Boston and I felt like I was always missing out on so many cool city things because I had so much work to do. But in retrospect, I guess it kind of seeped in nonetheless--I was sad to leave. So you'll probably only have time for so much city life so any reasonably active place will likely be more than enough. Your grad school social network will tend to be similarly transient if you go to top schools (rather than the local school) so despite living in a new city, you often don't develop 'roots' in the same way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hopkins, Harvard, and University of Washington all have top programs and are in fun places to live as a grad student.

Hopkins?

Yup. One benefit of relatively low rents and historic building stock is there are places for small restaurants, independent bookstores, music venues, etc. Public transit isn’t great but it’s not awful either. There’s cheap fun weird stuff like duckpin bowling, the annual Miracle on 42nd Street, and AVAM. Film scene has gotten better since I lived there. Waterfront can be nice on a beautiful day. Easy access via train to DC/Philly/NYC when you want to get out of town.

I know OP said s/he was eager to leave the DC area, but, IME, Baltimore is a different world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grad school is a time when you don't really get to experience the vibrancy of a place that much--especially if you're working a GRA or other job while going. I did my PhD in Boston and I felt like I was always missing out on so many cool city things because I had so much work to do. But in retrospect, I guess it kind of seeped in nonetheless--I was sad to leave. So you'll probably only have time for so much city life so any reasonably active place will likely be more than enough. Your grad school social network will tend to be similarly transient if you go to top schools (rather than the local school) so despite living in a new city, you often don't develop 'roots' in the same way.

Great post. I wonder if that’s the PhD perspective versus a less intense, possibly more pre-professional grad program, like an MBA where work experience in that location is more likely.

[Anonymous]

I love Ann Arbor and it’s got a good balance of students and non students so it’s not all frat parties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grad school is a time when you don't really get to experience the vibrancy of a place that much--especially if you're working a GRA or other job while going. I did my PhD in Boston and I felt like I was always missing out on so many cool city things because I had so much work to do. But in retrospect, I guess it kind of seeped in nonetheless--I was sad to leave. So you'll probably only have time for so much city life so any reasonably active place will likely be more than enough. Your grad school social network will tend to be similarly transient if you go to top schools (rather than the local school) so despite living in a new city, you often don't develop 'roots' in the same way.

Wow, totally not my experience wrt grad school. Taught all but one semester but had much more flexibility time-wise than as an undergrad. Also friends had cars. And living off campus meant you had to get out and about and the U wasn’t always the most convenient source of food, entertainment, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grad school is a time when you don't really get to experience the vibrancy of a place that much--especially if you're working a GRA or other job while going. I did my PhD in Boston and I felt like I was always missing out on so many cool city things because I had so much work to do. But in retrospect, I guess it kind of seeped in nonetheless--I was sad to leave. So you'll probably only have time for so much city life so any reasonably active place will likely be more than enough. Your grad school social network will tend to be similarly transient if you go to top schools (rather than the local school) so despite living in a new city, you often don't develop 'roots' in the same way.

Great post. I wonder if that’s the PhD perspective versus a less intense, possibly more pre-professional grad program, like an MBA where work experience in that location is more likely.

I’m guessing it might be a lab scientist’s perspective. I did a liberal arts PhD and had more time for city life/leisure than my SO did in law school, for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:U Pitt and CMU

We just visited there, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I hadn't realized that Pitts. was a valley of sorts, surrounded by hilltop suburbs. The city center has a large green space (and golf course), and tons of different types of restaurants. I love that it also has several rivers with shops/restaurants along the waterfront.

The only bad thing is the weather, the super cold winters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whatever school you will emerge from debt free

+1. Definitely choose a school that will give you assistance in teh form of a stiped/ta, etc.

Definitely look at Pitt. Great neighborhood and surrounding areas. At least when my DH graduated there, the School of Public Health was well-ranked.