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Looking for great USA college towns-any recommendations?

Looking for great USA college towns-any recommendations?

Old Sep 8th, 2000, 06:22 AM
  #1  
Debbie
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Looking for great USA college towns-any recommendations?

Had another thread going on visiting colleges for my son when it dawned on me that all of you are all over the USA-so how about great college towns to spend four years? Rules are: no bashing of other towns/colleges AND places of higher learning that my son(who is interested in going into business) would have the FULL college experience.Thanks for your time................
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 06:24 AM
  #2  
herself
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Burlington, Vt.
Providence, RI
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 07:00 AM
  #3  
Kim
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Eugene, OR.

Go Ducks!!
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 07:06 AM
  #4  
elizabeth
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State College, PA - home of Penn State. A friend of mine is a professor there and we visit quite often - really nice town.
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 07:06 AM
  #5  
michele
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The high school seniors I teach have liked all of the following college towns ( not big city universities):

Drew University in Madison, NJ ( I work in LA). It's in the middle of a forest preserve (reserve?) , but about twenty minutes from Manhattan via the train, My sister went there and loved it.

Princeton, NJ--THIS SIDE OF PARADISE , indeed. Very lovely town, close to NYC, too

Bard College, which I think is in Rhinebeck, NY in Duchess County. SMALL town close to NYC. Washington Irving country.

In California the Scripps colleges in Claremont are popular places. Once again, small towns close to big cities.

Students here tend to stick to either coast.(Most prefer big cities as they are from one). One or two went to Oberlin in Ohio and liked it very much.

Hope that helps,
Michele






















 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 07:11 AM
  #6  
betsy
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I spent 4 years in Burlington VT at UVM and absolutly loved it. I've visited a lot of different college towns and have to say Burlington ranks at the top of my list. My other favorites are Ithaca NY, Boulder and Chapel Hill.
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 07:35 AM
  #7  
Rich
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I have to put in a vote for Chapel Hill, North Carolina, home of my alma mater the University of North Carolina. Often thought of as one of the quintessential college towns in the US (and not just by Tar Heel devotees). Lots of people go to Chapel Hill to be students and love the place so much they end up staying in the area. (It's a hot spot for retirees, too, because it's such a great place to live). Chapel Hill's a beautiful town, lots to do, great weather (most of the year), and an added bonus is that UNC is a really well-respected university. Another plus: tuition is low, even for out-of-state students, and the Kenan-Flagler business school has a good reputation and brand-new facilities (since that's an area your son is interested in).
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 07:39 AM
  #8  
Lily
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State College, PA - Penn State U
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 07:43 AM
  #9  
lisa
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I LOVED Ann Arbor for my 4 undergraduate years. It has an excellent business school (my undergraduate thesis advisor taught international trade in the business school, so I took some classes there). I highly recommend Michigan. Ann Arbor has a lively arts community, great sports, wonderful restaurants, and a terrific community feeling.

Also, I lived in Chapel Hill NC for one summer after law school and thought it was VERY nice.

In addition, I would have to put in a plug for Washington DC even though it's technically too big to be called a "town" -- but with Georgetown, GWU, American, Catholic, & Howard University here, there are a lot of college students and it's a really fun place and a great place to go to school for 4 years.

Have also spent some time in Charlottesville VA and think that would be a nice place to go to school.

Have been to Bloomington IN and that seemed to have a good college atmosphere as well.

Have only heard wonderful things about Burlington VT but haven't been there yet.
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 07:47 AM
  #10  
Lori
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Boston, MA - Boston College, Boston University, MIT, Northeastern, Harvard, Radcliffe, Babson, etc
New York, NY - NYU, Columbia, Fordham, etc.
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 07:49 AM
  #11  
Lara
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I'd have lots of suggestions, but I want to ask what you -- and/or your son -- consider the "FULL" college experience? I think a lot of people would take that as code for good sports and good fraternity/party life. But that takes place on campus, not in the town -- it's very different to be a student in a town that caters to students compared to being in a town with lots to offer on its own. For myself, I'd suggest that the *full* experience should include a really strong and demanding academic program, but I don't think that's what you're asking.

Boston qualifies, for a lot of students, as the best college "town" in the country, largely because there are lots of students there *and* there is lots going on that has nothing to do with school. On the other hand, towns like Madison (Wisc) or Ann Arbor (MI) or Chapel Hill are pretty much devoted to the University so what there is to do is pretty much confined to what UNCCH (or maybe Duke) can offer.

The truth is, most college kids aren't sophisticated enough to get themselves off campus to enjoy the town around them, but if they are suburban campuses (Ann Arbor almost qualifies, being close to Detroit) may offer a lot. If your son wants it all right there on campus or about 2 blocks away, then, yes, look at places like Chapel Hill, Madison, Ann Arbor, South Bend, Iowa City, etc.

Other suggestions: cities of Chicago, Boston, Columbus (OH), Atlanta.
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 08:15 AM
  #12  
ilisa
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As a gradate of American, I have to say Washington, DC (though, like Lisa said, not quite a "town"). DC has so much to offer - beautiful, historic city, great schools, extraordinary internship and employment opportunties, etc. I disagree with Lara who said most college students aren't sophisticated enough to enjoy the town around them, particularly if they go to school in DC.
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 08:28 AM
  #13  
Sabrina
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Although I am an Illinois alum (Go Illini!) I wouldn't recommend my own campus town (Champaign-Urbana). BUT, I do recommend towns of other Big Ten schools, including:

Ann Arbor, MI. -- beautiful, safe town. Great school, great environment.

Columbus, OH -- It is just beautiful there. They probably have the best stadium of all the Big Ten schools.

Madison, WI. -- again, a beautiful campus, great environment whether you're in school there or you live there.

Bloomington, IN. -- The first time I was there I couldn't believe how pretty it was. Hilly and scenic. Campus is gorgeous.

and another vote for: State College, PA. It is scenic, easy to get around, a lot to do there. And the first time you walk into Beaver Stadium it will take your breath away.
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 09:02 AM
  #14  
gail
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There is only 1, and it's U of M in Ann Arbor. GO BLUE!
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 09:10 AM
  #15  
Dave
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I don't consider this "bashing", merely FYI:

From personal experience, South Bend IN, Terre Haute IN, and Wilkes-Barre PA are NOT college towns despite possesing several colleges/universities each. Life in any of these places would continue on "status quo ante academia" even if all the students suddenly disappeared (except for those football weekend traffic jams in South Bend).

Bloomington IN IS a college town, as (according to friends) is Blacksburg VA, in that both are dominated by the presence of their respective universities. In Bloomington in particular there are lots of activities, venues, and businesses geared specifically towards students.
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 09:24 AM
  #16  
Diane
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The very best campus and town is Madison, Wisconsin. No matter what the season is it's wonderful!!! Go for a visit and see for yourself - it's terrific.
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 09:32 AM
  #17  
Charles
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Boston, MA - more colleges and college students than anywhere else. Also, Amherst MA. Charlottesville, VA. ANd I have to put in a plug for New Haven, CT - such a miserable town that it really improves life at college - seriously, because there is nothing to do off campus the school is the focus.
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 09:48 AM
  #18  
stephanie
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Lawrence, Kansas, University of Kansas, home of the Jayhawks! Contrary to what many people might suspect, the campus in Lawrence is very hilly, and very beautiful. The school enrollment population is about 25-30,000 from what I remember. It is also a town in which many people choose to live after college, or to extend there college experience as long as possible in because they love it so much. It's only a 35-40 min. drive to the Kansas City Metropolitan area from Lawrence, but it is a town unto itself, separated by highway and countryside from KC.
 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 09:53 AM
  #19  
kim
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Let me elaborate on Eugene-- there is so much to do in and around Eugene-- you have the coast an hour away to the west and the mountains (skiing, etc) an hour away to the east. Eugene is a very pretty town and bleeds green and gold for the Ducks and is also a very liberal college town. It is a very pretty town and I loved my 4 years there.

I do not vote for Columbus, OH. I currently live here with my husband who is attending law school at Ohio State. Although OSU is a much larger school than Oregon and Columbus is larger than Eugene, I prefer Eugene any day. OSU is not in a great area of town (not a bad area, but not a great area, either). I think OSU is fun during college football season, I don't like it any other time of year.

I can also elaborate on Boston, having lived there as well. It is a great college "city" not town. It all depends on what you're looking for. Boston has so much to offer (intellectually, culturally, etc). But it also has a lot of distractions. My husband & I commented that if we lived here when we were in college we'd never study, we'd be having so much fun.

Just my 2 cents.

Kim

 
Old Sep 8th, 2000, 10:21 AM
  #20  
Owen O'Neill
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Ithaca, NY Boulder, CO Princeton, NJ Chapel Hill, NC

I have lived in Ithaca - one of my very favorite towns anywhere - have visited all the others on this short list and can recommend them.
 

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