All in what you're used to. Culture matters a lot. I think people are much nicer and more positive in the South and Midwest and this has been an obvious cultural difference in touring schools with my DD. I recognize it may not be attractive to everyone but it is to us.

This is an interesting topic —

In the nba, we have problems with players not wanting to play in the north east (Boston, New York, philly, Dc) and Will prefer to be down south or in California if it was up to them.

I used to work for the league office and it’s an issue with competitive balance.

Unless the player is contracted to a north east team via draft or a trade, they are always looking to leave or don’t want to come up here.

Anonymous wrote:Thank me to the cdc data person. I was wondering: the depressed states look like a list of states with a lot of white people. Are white children more depressed than Asian or Black or Hispanic children?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sort of a s/o of the Davidson thread but between the winters and the competitive vibe and the characteristic hostility and crabbiness of folks from Philly to Maine, it feels like the odds of a student being unhappy or the campus culture being divided/lame are higher in this region.

lol, I have 2 in college in New England, and both are extremely happy where they landed. Neither were interested in hot humid southern weather, nor southern politics. And being a coastal elitist snob, I'm glad neither ended up in flyover country.

It's amazing how someone can be so arrogant and yet so ignorant at the same time. Flyover country: how original. I've lived in every region in the US and several countries as well. The NE US is HIGHLY overrated.

Anonymous wrote:This discussion reminds me of when you tell a person from NYC that they are being an obnoxious jerk, & they come up with 10 reasons that are supposed to explain & excuse them for being that way. “Oh, it’s a fast-paced city & we don’t have time to be polite.” “Oh, it’s a crowded city & we don’t like to stand in line.” How about you’re a narcissistic ass who who ruins every situation you get involved in?

You sound lovely yourself.

Anonymous wrote:I think the top ranked northeastern schools are likely less fun than they were a generation ago. Back then, schools looked for well rounded students. Now they seem to be looking for robots with perfect grades who spend all their free time building their resume in some spiky topic.

Key point. It could simply be the most insanely competitive schools are in the northeast.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sort of a s/o of the Davidson thread but between the winters and the competitive vibe and the characteristic hostility and crabbiness of folks from Philly to Maine, it feels like the odds of a student being unhappy or the campus culture being divided/lame are higher in this region.

lol, I have 2 in college in New England, and both are extremely happy where they landed. Neither were interested in hot humid southern weather, nor southern politics. And being a coastal elitist snob, I'm glad neither ended up in flyover country.

+1

If OP had ever been to the Northeast, I could understand OP creating a thread, but OP clearly has not been to the Northeast.

Hysterical. I’ve literally lived outside the northeast for less than one year out of 50.

This discussion reminds me of when you tell a person from NYC that they are being an obnoxious jerk, & they come up with 10 reasons that are supposed to explain & excuse them for being that way. “Oh, it’s a fast-paced city & we don’t have time to be polite.” “Oh, it’s a crowded city & we don’t like to stand in line.” How about you’re a narcissistic ass who who ruins every situation you get involved in?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got my kid OUT off of the East Coast. Specifically, have had enough of DC rudeness, unfriendly and spoiled kids, competitiveness out the wazoo at her Montgomery County "W" school.

She is much happier at a midwestern school. Different vibe.

Honestly, hoping my kid does the same.

I had one kid go South and one kid go to Midwest. Neither will come back to this area. They both enjoyed High School but said that after living elsewhere, they realize how miserable, spoiled and arrogant this area is. Additionally, they said how great it is to be in an environment that everyone roots for each other's success. I am not excited to have to move to see my kids after college. I am not bragging out this outcome, it is sad actually.

+1

Oh please. I'm from the Midwest and this is just a trope. Maybe they just liked living away from home like most kids do?
You might quibble about the methodology, but the South and Midwest don't do terribly well in general in this ranking system of the happiest states:
https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2022/09/22/happiness-rankings

You mean the northern schools are more serious, and less focused on alcohol, sports and Greek nonsense.

Yeah I will endorse that.

I've found that kid who go to the midwest or the south are the happiest.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know if it’s due to weather or the fact that competitive NE schools heavily pull from NE and Midatlantic states - which are filled with overly anxious competitive striver families. So the kids are that way too. And then you have a school that is 60% wired like that. I’m not saying the college experience in the NE can’t be fun, I went to college in one of them, but the culture isn’t happy loose and upbeat.

I think the competitive NE schools are just more academically challenging and draw more serious students than the schools that people picture as "happy fun and positive." UC Santa Cruz has a more "happy, fun, positive vibe" than Berkeley because it's an easier, more relaxed school and it has nothing to do with the geographical location where students are drawn from and everything to do with the competitiveness of the students who can get into the respective schools.

Anonymous wrote:Sort of a s/o of the Davidson thread but between the winters and the competitive vibe and the characteristic hostility and crabbiness of folks from Philly to Maine, it feels like the odds of a student being unhappy or the campus culture being divided/lame are higher in this region.

Gee, I wish I could be just like OP. /s

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This group is CONSUMED by weather. I wonder if you understand that a snowstorm in the NE doesn’t cripple the college or community. News flash, we have snow plows and salt trucks. Yes it gets cold, buy a coat. What is the deal?

+1

+1

And we took pride in work hard, play hard. Intensity isn’t great for everyone though. Softies can go play school in FL or wherever.

+1

Not to mention, people don't exactly seem "happy" in this area - hence this thread, and those like them.

I think the Softies comment actually proves the point.

Not everyone wants to be coddled.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This group is CONSUMED by weather. I wonder if you understand that a snowstorm in the NE doesn’t cripple the college or community. News flash, we have snow plows and salt trucks. Yes it gets cold, buy a coat. What is the deal?

+1

+1

And we took pride in work hard, play hard. Intensity isn’t great for everyone though. Softies can go play school in FL or wherever.

+1

Not to mention, people don't exactly seem "happy" in this area - hence this thread, and those like them.

I think the Softies comment actually proves the point.