My school was in a “city” but you needed a car to get to anything off of campus. It was fine, though-most of what we needed was on our self contained campus. We left campus to go to superk (Target wasn’t around yet), the movies, the mall and the occasional meal at Olive Garden/IHOP/etc. Parties were on campus for the most part - there was one dive bar where bands would play not far from campus, so I went there every once in a while.


My daughter really likes a small school in MA that is in a cute small town with commuter rail access to Boston. It is basically suburbia, but I think she will likely do most stuff on campus or right nearby. But if they want, kids can very cheaply get in and out of Boston-the train station is just steps from campus.

Kids from the DMV are often spoiled (and or the product of piece of work parents), and notwithstanding the educational opportunities many won't consider a college in a place that doesn't offer everything they're used to in Bethesda or McLean and expect to return to. There are also some DMV parents who push their kids to go to school in a place that's fun for them to visit (because that's truly important). In the rest of the world, it probably depends on the student. Although honestly a college student should be able to adjust to any place as long as it provides at least a CVS, a supermarket, and a cheap place to eat with friends (this is college -- it's not really necessary that it be a Bloomingdales, a Whole Foods and a Michelin-starred restaurant). By and large, college graduates don't end up in small isolated communities (unless that's their preference), so spending four years there for college can be an interesting opportunity to test themselves in a different environment for a relatively brief period (is life without Thai food and Starbucks even possible?) But obviously expanding their range of experiences isn't what some of what these DMV families want from college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only thing that matters 99% of the time for 99% of the kids is the immediate surrounding area - like across the street from the college. Most kids don’t have cars or don’t want to pack a group into one or several cars, and driving after drinking is no good. Also, on a day-to-day basis, kids are not going far to eat or gather - it’s the dining hall, the park bench, the coffee house, the bagel store, or the corner restaurant. Most clothes shopping is done on breaks or online/by mail. Kids are mostly too busy with classes, studying, working out, and hanging out to go on big city, out-of-the-way adventures, especially during the week.

Holy crap, are you posting from Mankato, Minn? Thats the only plausible explanation I can think of for your opinions on whether a vibrant city is or is not a draw to 20 year olds. My anecdotal rebuttal is that every young adult on my District of Columbia block attends college in an actual city of size, ranging from Houston to New Haven to Nashville to Los Angeles. Not a Northfield in the bunch.

The 99% figures are just plain wrong. I mean, we can't know empirically what the actual proportion is of kids who never leave the student center vs. those who go to a concert.

DP. Serious question: why are you so triggered?

Anonymous wrote:Depends on the kid. My DC is in a tiny town and adores it. She will move to a big city after graduation, so feels like there's plenty of time for what bigger locales offer. In the meantime, the small town feels both cozy and expansive -- like the town is a whole world that belongs to her and her classmates.

In general, I think kids 18-22 are really good at making their own fun, regardless of what's around.

+1
This is how both of my kids feel as well, and chose schools accordingly. And actually, how I felt back in my college days. Loved tiny town living. No desire whatsoever to be in or near a big city.

Anonymous wrote:For those who have kids in college, do they spend a lot of time off-campus in the town? I always fall in love with the schools that have great college towns connected to campus, but I wonder how important this is for a kid. Is there a benefit to having a campus in a sleepy town where everyone stays on campus?

The student is spending 4 years in this town, so hopefully there are enough amenities, job opportunities, services etc to satisfy their needs.

My oldest absolutely wanted a big city. So it was important to him.

Anonymous wrote:The only thing that matters 99% of the time for 99% of the kids is the immediate surrounding area - like across the street from the college. Most kids don’t have cars or don’t want to pack a group into one or several cars, and driving after drinking is no good. Also, on a day-to-day basis, kids are not going far to eat or gather - it’s the dining hall, the park bench, the coffee house, the bagel store, or the corner restaurant. Most clothes shopping is done on breaks or online/by mail. Kids are mostly too busy with classes, studying, working out, and hanging out to go on big city, out-of-the-way adventures, especially during the week.

I agree

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only thing that matters 99% of the time for 99% of the kids is the immediate surrounding area - like across the street from the college. Most kids don’t have cars or don’t want to pack a group into one or several cars, and driving after drinking is no good. Also, on a day-to-day basis, kids are not going far to eat or gather - it’s the dining hall, the park bench, the coffee house, the bagel store, or the corner restaurant. Most clothes shopping is done on breaks or online/by mail. Kids are mostly too busy with classes, studying, working out, and hanging out to go on big city, out-of-the-way adventures, especially during the week.

Unless they live IN a big city, and the opposite of everything you said is true.

Could u restate this so mere humans can grasp it?

We love small setup, and are loving Meadville having great local restaurants and the Market House, the oldest continuously-run market structure in the state of Pennsylvania!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's an interesting question. I love the quaint college town my DC's college is in, but I don't think they necessarily go off campus a lot. It's not a big town--it is just a small main street with cute restaurants, shops, and a couple bars. That being said, I think it adds to the school's charm and makes it a more fun place to visit. Some of the schools we have visited are nice, but the surrounding areas are so depressing.

My college town was like that and it was fine. We could have used some more clothing stores and perhaps a drug store, but we didn't have the Internet to order from like kids do now.

My DD is at school in a small city that's an absolute s#ithole. While there are some bars and restaurants, they are all in a two-block area. She seems to go there occasionally but it's a cab ride away, not right off campus. The rest of the city is a dump and I worry about her safety. I would much rather her be in a small, cute town.

What school/city?

Hamilton

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's an interesting question. I love the quaint college town my DC's college is in, but I don't think they necessarily go off campus a lot. It's not a big town--it is just a small main street with cute restaurants, shops, and a couple bars. That being said, I think it adds to the school's charm and makes it a more fun place to visit. Some of the schools we have visited are nice, but the surrounding areas are so depressing.

My college town was like that and it was fine. We could have used some more clothing stores and perhaps a drug store, but we didn't have the Internet to order from like kids do now.

My DD is at school in a small city that's an absolute s#ithole. While there are some bars and restaurants, they are all in a two-block area. She seems to go there occasionally but it's a cab ride away, not right off campus. The rest of the city is a dump and I worry about her safety. I would much rather her be in a small, cute town.

What school/city?

Syracuse

Is Syracuse a dump?

God yes

Very. This is why I had no desire to go to umcp.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's an interesting question. I love the quaint college town my DC's college is in, but I don't think they necessarily go off campus a lot. It's not a big town--it is just a small main street with cute restaurants, shops, and a couple bars. That being said, I think it adds to the school's charm and makes it a more fun place to visit. Some of the schools we have visited are nice, but the surrounding areas are so depressing.

My college town was like that and it was fine. We could have used some more clothing stores and perhaps a drug store, but we didn't have the Internet to order from like kids do now.

My DD is at school in a small city that's an absolute s#ithole. While there are some bars and restaurants, they are all in a two-block area. She seems to go there occasionally but it's a cab ride away, not right off campus. The rest of the city is a dump and I worry about her safety. I would much rather her be in a small, cute town.

What school/city?

Syracuse

Is Syracuse a dump?

Anonymous wrote:My oldest lives being in Boston and does a ton in the city.

My youngest loves being in the south so he can golf a few times a week.

Some went big football games, some don’t care.

Each child is different

+1

However, if children are willing to explore, the city provides a wealth of resources.
Additionally, the cultural stimulation is a significant advantage.