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Old 02-27-2013, 11:32 AM
 
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I'm going to be a college freshman next year and I currently live in Iowa, I've grown up about 20 minutes away from Iowa City my whole life so I'm familiar with what the area is like for the most part. I applied to University of Iowa and didn't get in, so I applied to KU and I'm definitely going there for college.

I just recently took a trip to Lawrence (and loved it), and I want to know how they compare as far as:

- Which is more liberal? (as in socially liberal... I'm aware they're both pretty liberal because they're college towns but as far as diversity, artsiness, open-mindedness etc.)
- Which is more fun in general/has more things to do?
- Which has the better music scene?
- Which has the best school spirit/best sports teams?

And just in general, how are they different/similar?
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Old 02-27-2013, 08:44 PM
 
Location: Kansas City North
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Lawrence to Kansas City is about 40 miles. Iowa City to Cedar Rapids, 27 mi., or 114 miles to Des Moines. IMO, KC has a lot more going on than either of those towns. I'm not that familiar with Iowa City, except as a place to stop for lunch on my way to visit my sister, but I imagine it's pretty much a standard college town and similar to Lawrence in that regard.

Sports - KU's football team is a joke - although we have great hopes for next year. Basketball is VERY big. Gigantic. Look on Youtube for KU Basketball Introduction videos to get a taste.

I'll leave the other topics to someone else who is more aware of what's currently going on in Lawrence. I'm a KU alum but it was a long, long time ago.
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Old 02-27-2013, 10:09 PM
 
Location: Cleverly concealed
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I'll be biased, because I grew up in Lawrence and graduated from KU.

Lawrence and Iowa City are quite similar-- both small, liberal towns dominated by large flagship universities. Lawrence is a bit larger, with around 90,000 people. As mentioned above, the major difference is Lawrence is a short drive from Kansas City, a major metropolitan area with professional sports, large parks, museums, bars, and barbecue.

The music and arts scene is strong, with the major venues in downtown Lawrence, a short walk from the university campus.

We're working on the football problem. Big 12 football outside of KU is mostly pass-happy and full of players with track-speed. Our linebackers will look more like safeties just to keep pace. Basketball is a national contender annually, and most school spirit is targeted in that direction. Other sports are up and down. Women's track and field is a Big 12 champion this year. Women's volleyball had one of its best seasons. But baseball has been struggling.
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Old 02-28-2013, 09:00 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RadioSilence View Post
I'll be biased, because I grew up in Lawrence and graduated from KU.

Lawrence and Iowa City are quite similar-- both small, liberal towns dominated by large flagship universities. Lawrence is a bit larger, with around 90,000 people. As mentioned above, the major difference is Lawrence is a short drive from Kansas City, a major metropolitan area with professional sports, large parks, museums, bars, and barbecue.

The music and arts scene is strong, with the major venues in downtown Lawrence, a short walk from the university campus.

We're working on the football problem. Big 12 football outside of KU is mostly pass-happy and full of players with track-speed. Our linebackers will look more like safeties just to keep pace. Basketball is a national contender annually, and most school spirit is targeted in that direction. Other sports are up and down. Women's track and field is a Big 12 champion this year. Women's volleyball had one of its best seasons. But baseball has been struggling.
What was your experience like at KU? I've been reading a bunch of reviews and have only heard positive things aside from the obvious trivial parts that come with going to a big university, like parking and things like that. Overall everything seems beyond perfect for me.
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Old 02-28-2013, 09:24 AM
 
Location: Cleverly concealed
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Quote:
Originally Posted by svogel7 View Post
What was your experience like at KU? I've been reading a bunch of reviews and have only heard positive things aside from the obvious trivial parts that come with going to a big university, like parking and things like that. Overall everything seems beyond perfect for me.
My experience was somewhat different, because my dad was a professor and administrator. Anytime I started a new class, the professor would say "are you Bob's son?" That never helped my final grade, though.
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Old 02-28-2013, 10:13 AM
 
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I live in Cedar Rapids and work in Iowa City. My daughter went to KU for her bachelor's and master's degrees. She had a great time at KU, and now works in KC. I think both schools are good ... might depend on your major. A few of her friends choose KU over UI, due to UI being more spread out than KU, in their opinion (this was coming from those in Colorado and the West coast). Basketball is big at KU. Lots to do in Kansas City. Having KC nearby is a definite plus.

Last edited by smpliving; 02-28-2013 at 10:47 AM..
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Old 02-28-2013, 10:15 AM
 
Location: Kansas City North
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Quote:
Originally Posted by svogel7 View Post
What was your experience like at KU? I've been reading a bunch of reviews and have only heard positive things aside from the obvious trivial parts that come with going to a big university, like parking and things like that. Overall everything seems beyond perfect for me.
My niece and nephew are both currently attending KU and they both love it. They are from out of state - story similar to yours....they could not get into their state university (UW Madison) so Auntie (me) suggested KU. Their mother says going to KU is the best thing that could have happened to them. So the kids are happy, mom is happy, aunt is happy.....what more can you say? (Dad's just sorry he's paying out of state tuition).
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Old 02-28-2013, 02:43 PM
 
77,747 posts, read 59,900,878 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by svogel7 View Post
I'm going to be a college freshman next year and I currently live in Iowa, I've grown up about 20 minutes away from Iowa City my whole life so I'm familiar with what the area is like for the most part. I applied to University of Iowa and didn't get in, so I applied to KU and I'm definitely going there for college.

I just recently took a trip to Lawrence (and loved it), and I want to know how they compare as far as:

- Which is more liberal? (as in socially liberal... I'm aware they're both pretty liberal because they're college towns but as far as diversity, artsiness, open-mindedness etc.)
- Which is more fun in general/has more things to do?
- Which has the better music scene?
- Which has the best school spirit/best sports teams?

And just in general, how are they different/similar?
I grew up in the quadcities area and am now in the KC burbs.

They should be similar except for:

1) The KU basketball thing is fanatical.
2) Closer proximity to the metro opens up A LOT more options in turns of nightlife, music and of course professional sports.
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Old 03-01-2013, 10:47 AM
 
14 posts, read 61,825 times
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Originally Posted by Mathguy View Post
I grew up in the quadcities area and am now in the KC burbs.

They should be similar except for:

1) The KU basketball thing is fanatical.
2) Closer proximity to the metro opens up A LOT more options in turns of nightlife, music and of course professional sports.
I'm definitely looking forward to being that close to Kansas City, that will probably be great for the weekends. Lawrence itself seems like it has tons going on too though, so I'd probably never be bored. Do you prefer living near KC than in Iowa?
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Old 03-05-2013, 02:33 PM
 
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Anyone else? I've been told that Lawrence has a more "urban" feel to it, like it's a mix between Seattle and Iowa City. I've also heard that Lawrence is way more of a hipster town than Iowa City? Anybody agree/disagree?
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