What are some of the best cities in south Arizona? (Phoenix: transfer to, high school)

[kingpurpleblack]

*skip to the very bottom if you don't want to read the following parts*

I've weighed my options, and I've considered at least 6 or 7 different states. However, after standing in the freezing cold for a Mardi Gras parade (I'm originally from Louisiana), I've learned to HATE the cold. So, this is what brings me to my final decision of southern Arizona.

I am 18 years old, male, African-American (just filler information), and single. I'm graduating from high school in exactly 3 months and 2 days from now.

I already know that if I go to a small college out here, I will be paying 4x as much as I would back home, but that's not the point. I'm just looking for somewhere new, where I can actually go outside and enjoy the scenery around me, and I can take the heat, probably not Arizona heat, but I'll get used to it.

But back to my original question, what city in southern Arizona would fit me best? I don't mind big cities; I'm very good at adapting.

[Ritchie_az]

Tucson and U. of A.

I don't know if you consider Phoenix "south Arizona" or not, but there's ASU and a number of other colleges and universities.

[kingpurpleblack]

Well, anything south of Prescott, really.

[Ritchie_az]

Colleges, Community Colleges, & Universities in Arizona, USA(AZ, USA)

[ZonyPony]

Originally Posted by kingpurpleblack

*skip to the very bottom if you don't want to read the following parts*

I've weighed my options, and I've considered at least 6 or 7 different states. However, after standing in the freezing cold for a Mardi Gras parade (I'm originally from Louisiana), I've learned to HATE the cold. So, this is what brings me to my final decision of southern Arizona.

I am 18 years old, male, African-American (just filler information), and single. I'm graduating from high school in exactly 3 months and 2 days from now.

I already know that if I go to a small college out here, I will be paying 4x as much as I would back home, but that's not the point. I'm just looking for somewhere new, where I can actually go outside and enjoy the scenery around me, and I can take the heat, probably not Arizona heat, but I'll get used to it.

But back to my original question, what city in southern Arizona would fit me best? I don't mind big cities; I'm very good at adapting.

Not sure what you mean by either "southern Arizona" or "small college", but if you're looking for a good size city with scenery and heat (which is definitely different from Louisiana), there are many options available for you here in Arizona. You might want to try such places as Phoenix and Tucson first, then widen your search from there.

[LordBalfor]

Colleges and Universities in Arizona:

Colleges, Community Colleges, & Universities in Arizona, USA(AZ, USA)

Ken

[kingpurpleblack]

Really, what I meant by "southern Arizona" is anything in the Valley, or anything below Prescott.

Also, thanks for the list of schools. I will browse the list as soon as I can.

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by kingpurpleblack

Really, what I meant by "southern Arizona" is anything in the Valley, or anything below Prescott.
Also, thanks for the list of schools. I will browse the list as soon as I can.

Well, as I've said on this board many times, if climate is a factor then remember that Southern Arizona has a slightly different climate in the western part than in the eastern part because of a general elevation gain as you move eastward from the California border towards the New Mexico border - with the eastern towns being cooler than the western ones. Personally we like the temps at around 4,200 feet or so - finding summer highs typically in upper 80's and low-mid 90's and winter highs in the low-mid 60's being pretty perfect. This is the general climate to be found in some of the towns in SE Arizona. It varies a bit from town to town based on the specific elevation - but places like Sierra Vista, Benson (especially areas just west (upslope) of Benson), Willcox and Safford all fall in this general climate range. Note that Kingman too (even though it's in the western part of the state) also sits at a similar elevation and so has a pretty similar climate. Most of the other towns in the western part of Southern Arizona however are lower and much hotter (which makes them better in the winter, but pretty darned hot in the summer).

Ken

[azdr0710]

sounds like college is next up for you?....if so, the large state universities here are ASU, NAU, and the U of A....if you don't like the cold, that eliminates NAU (Flagstaff)....ASU in Tempe (Phoenix) and the U of A in Tucson are well-respected and right in the center of town....as with most schools, a diverse student body and lots of activities.....you may know the dry heat here is much different from NOLA...some actually prefer it to our nice winters....we do get humid in July and August during our summer rainy season....winters are down to the 30s at night and 60s in the day...occasional cold rainy spells in the winter, but usually sunny....with the dry heat, it's cold in the shade and warm in the sun....and daytime temps vary greatly from nighttime temps....

if you do move out here, you may want to attend a community college first, then transfer to a four-year state school for your major classes....getting residency is a big deal, too.....find out the requirements for that.....

you mention Prescott: it's cold in the winter, but many places are worse....Embry-Riddle is a very good school up there if you're into aeronautics and related fields....

and there are several smaller colleges in the Phx area which are probably in that list linked above.....

[kingpurpleblack]

I was looking at going to a smaller college first, even though it would be expensive. But it is worth it.

Also, I looked at Tuscon and Phoenix (and its surrounding cities) and they seem like the area that I'm interested in (even though I have never been there).