Why go to a small college in a rural area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bates is in Lewiston, the second largest city in Maine.

Oberlin is a half hour from Cleveland.

Some kids prefer to be in a small town or at least, a town smaller than e.g. Montgomery County is, because it's a pleasant experience and they are getting an excellent education.

No, oberlin is in the middle of cornfields and a 45-minute drive from Cleveland museums and nightlife. Oberlin OH population = 8,200.

We've spent a lot of time there and it takes a half-hour to get to Oberlin, maybe 40 minutes in traffic.

In general, Oberlin students aren't looking for city "nightlife." If they were, they wouldn't be at Oberlin.

[Anonymous]

I went to a rural school and it was a mistake for me. It was isolating. I toured, stayed over, it seemed welcoming and charming, but a combination of being put in a weird dorm and not finding my "people" really made me feel alone, and the remote location underscored the small size and insular nature. Educationally, it was great; socially, I felt very lonesome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with the other posters. There is so much about a remote campus that appeals to me - and also to my kids. Neither had any desire to attend college in a city. They wanted the exact opposite experience.

Certainly was appealing to me - I loved the serenity, the safety and well, collegial atmosphere of being in the middle of nowhere. We had to make our own fun on campus. Plus, I didn’t have a car.

What happens if you're marooned on a campus with people you don't like in the middle of nowhere? That's what gives me pause on a rural campus -- there are no alternatives or outs or diversions (save transferring, if feasible) if you don't find a groove.

you learn the valuable skill of getting along with people.

It's not really that simple, though. You can be the kindest and most open-minded, socially savvy person around. But what if you're on a cold, isolated campus dominated by party life or cliques, feeling alienated and bored? And your entire universe consists of that campus? No opportunities to get a part-time job at an interesting place or to see other faces beyond a bubble that isn't working for you.

I would assume you wouldn't have chosen that school?

I went to one of these, and had never had a sip of alcohol before steppign on campus. I was also very shy. The school at the time was seen as a "party school" but I went because I participated in a somewhat unique club sport and they had a good team. I met people easily, super nice, down to earth people, did my sport but quit after the first year because i didn't like that it often took me off campus on the weekends. I joined a sorority and found my people.

[Anonymous]

I have a kid at a very large and famously remote school. Aside from the academic program, chose the school for the campus and not having to look to off campus for social activities. A nice compromise as the size of the school offers its own resources without the noise of a large town or city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
However not all rural places have clean drinking water, actually. Some colleges are built near old mining sites or old chemical/war testing or industrial sites, etc, and the soil is contaminated.

If only there was some major federal government agency that monitors drinking water quality all around the country.....

[Anonymous]

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.

Yeah, next OP will be asking why anyone would want to visit small country towns in England; or little villages in the south of France.

[Anonymous]

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.

Yeah, next OP will be asking why anyone would want to visit small country towns in England; or little villages in the south of France.

That's a weird analogy.

[Anonymous]

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.

Yeah, next OP will be asking why anyone would want to visit small country towns in England; or little villages in the south of France.

That's a weird analogy.

Right, because there’s more going on at the colleges.

[Anonymous]

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.

Yeah, next OP will be asking why anyone would want to visit small country towns in England; or little villages in the south of France.

Not visit. Live there. For four years!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a rural school and it was a mistake for me. It was isolating. I toured, stayed over, it seemed welcoming and charming, but a combination of being put in a weird dorm and not finding my "people" really made me feel alone, and the remote location underscored the small size and insular nature. Educationally, it was great; socially, I felt very lonesome.

What school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with the other posters. There is so much about a remote campus that appeals to me - and also to my kids. Neither had any desire to attend college in a city. They wanted the exact opposite experience.

Certainly was appealing to me - I loved the serenity, the safety and well, collegial atmosphere of being in the middle of nowhere. We had to make our own fun on campus. Plus, I didn’t have a car.

What happens if you're marooned on a campus with people you don't like in the middle of nowhere? That's what gives me pause on a rural campus -- there are no alternatives or outs or diversions (save transferring, if feasible) if you don't find a groove.

you learn the valuable skill of getting along with people.

It's not really that simple, though. You can be the kindest and most open-minded, socially savvy person around. But what if you're on a cold, isolated campus dominated by party life or cliques, feeling alienated and bored? And your entire universe consists of that campus? No opportunities to get a part-time job at an interesting place or to see other faces beyond a bubble that isn't working for you.

I would assume you wouldn't have chosen that school?

I went to one of these, and had never had a sip of alcohol before steppign on campus. I was also very shy. The school at the time was seen as a "party school" but I went because I participated in a somewhat unique club sport and they had a good team. I met people easily, super nice, down to earth people, did my sport but quit after the first year because i didn't like that it often took me off campus on the weekends. I joined a sorority and found my people.

What school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid at a very large and famously remote school. Aside from the academic program, chose the school for the campus and not having to look to off campus for social activities. A nice compromise as the size of the school offers its own resources without the noise of a large town or city.

Penn State?

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Being from an urban area, I wanted a change and graduated from a rural college. Loved it! Was a peaceful, low crime, nurturing environment with lots of campus activities and instruction from actual professors instead of teaching assistants.

[Anonymous]

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.