college please : / (apartment, violent crime, home)

[gurlfromthea777]

I am a high school senior in NC preparing to graduate in June, and i am absolutely clueless of what college/university I want to attend . I really want to attend a college in or close to a major city like New York (I’ve been looking at Manhattanville College, CUNY New York City, UNCC, anyone with info about these?). I want to be somewhere where opportunities are abundant and life is vibrant. I read some of the comments people leave, where they name all the places they've been and the different situation they've endured and it's just amazing! I want to be just like that; able to tell people of the places and experiences I’ve had. If you have any suggestion on schools, that aren’t too pricey (I am the 2nd oldest of 5) please leave a comment. I am just a wide eyed southern girl with big city dreams, can you blame me!

p.s. what are some of the careers you all have that allows you all to travel so much? If this question is too personal for you to answer, then I completely understand!
[SIZE=3] [/SIZE]

[John Shaft]

Good luck on your college search. Not sure that I can offer much advice there since my college was not in a huge city. However, it strikes me that you'd have a ton more possibilities if you were to look in the Boston area instead of NYC. The sheer number of universities - and many of them very excellent - outnumber the possible ones in NYC. While Boston may not have the international reputation of NYC, it is nevertheless a huge city with a rich history and a very strong college culture, because of the many universities. Also, a somewhat cheaper cost of living.

As far as jobs offering wide travel opportunities, there are quite a few, but the other possibility as to why you believe many of us are well-traveled is that we prioritize travel and do it on our own time. I traveled internationally during the summer after my freshman year and I probably learned more during that month than an entire semester in college. Once I graduated from college I consciously tried to set aside money and time for vacations and trips to places I hadn't been before.

That's the key - specifically making travel a priority. Otherwise it won't happen.

(Some high-travel jobs include financial/IT consultant, corporate/product trainer, travel nurse, and sales. That's just the tip of the iceburg but hopefully gives you a couple ideas.)

[wesside]

Well you need to consider the following factors:

- The programs the school is known for;
- The area, i.e. a small college town or a big city - consider UNC and Duke - two very fine schools where you're at
- Campus life - Commuter Universities (i.e. universities where people go to class and go home immediately after) vs. Active Universities (where the university is live with events and campus organizatiosn) - this can make a big difference in your happiness at college
- Money - NY is going to be very expensive for an undergrad
- Available housing - what the dorm situation is like (some universities mandate you live in a dorm as a freshman, some mandate youmove out when you're a junior whereas others you can live until you graduate); sorority options for housing?
- What kind of College life you'd like, i.e. a division 1 school where sports are prevalent? Smaller school where sports is unimportant
- What you plan on doing after undergrad - Graduate school? Consider going to a graduate school in NY after you graduate from, say UNC or Duke (local university) when you are more mature and financially stable
- Scholarships - have you applied? should/better apply if you plan on moving on out.

You really need to think things through. Ive seen many people do the same thing you're considering, and when they get caught up in college/big city life, they end up doing everything else other than studying and making grades: going to parties/bars all the time, and other things. They end up dropping out because of grades and working at a dead-end job or moving back home.

[RestonRunner86]

I'd actually wholeheartedly suggest Philadelphia to you. Just west of downtown and across the Schuylkill River is "University City," a very dense and very young neighborhood home to the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. The U of PA is pretty much Ivy-league in stature (and price! ), but Drexel is more reasonable. I suggest Philly over NYC simply because you get nearly all of the arts/cultural/nightlife amenities offered in NYC for a fraction of the cost-of-living. I'm not lying when I tell you that a good number of people from NYC are now moving to Philly and its 'burbs and commuting back to NYC for work due to the cost-of-living difference. In Philadelphia you could probably afford to swing a two-bedroom apartment in University City with just one roommate. You'll need at least two roommates to comfortably afford a respectable apartment in Manhattan on a student budget (assuming you decide not to dorm all four years).

People may say I'm biased since I live here in Pennsylvania, but my city is actually closer to New York City anyways, yet I prefer Philadelphia. It's a great professional sports town with cheese steaks, people who are rough around the edges but who will give you the shirts off their backs, and less traffic and expense than NYC. Yes, crime is higher, but if you stay in Center City/University City violent crime is very, very uncommon.

Another consideration for you would be Boston, but given how far north it is the climate change may be a huge SHOCK to your system, especially now. It's currently in the upper-30s here in Scranton, so I can only imagine it's in the low-to-mid 30s right now up there. BRRRR!! Otherwise Beantown is awesome. The Freedom Trail takes you right through some amazingly beautiful historic areas. Beacon Hill is lovely and elegant. The mass transit system (The "T") is top-notch. The population is overwhelmingly well-educated, literate, and socially liberal. It would be my dream city, but it isn't much less expensive than NYC.

[Unstable]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

The U of PA is pretty much Ivy-league in stature (and price! )

Have to nitpick since we're talking about an institution I love dearly - The University of Pennsylvania is a member of the Ivy League.

Just clearing that up.

[bradly]

The University of New Mexico, I can honestly say i love this place so much..and you will too.

The University of New Mexico

[missionhome]

Originally Posted by gurlfromthea777

p.s. what are some of the careers you all have that allows you all to travel so much? If this question is too personal for you to answer, then I completely understand!]

Well flight attendants and pilots get to travel a ton. They do it for a living

My husband travels on occasion for business. Mainly flying back to headquarters in Toulouse, France or heading to out to the other North American offices in suburbs of DC, NYC, and Seattle. He's North American CEO for a French company.


You might also love some universities in San Francisco. University of San Francisco quickly comes to mind.