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I am currently a student at a university in England and next September I will be taking part in an international exchange program for a year, as part of my degree. I have been told these universities are my options:
Notre Dame
Vanderbilt*
Stetson
St Olaf College
Hunter College CUNY
University of New Mexico
University of Oklahoma
UCLA*
UCSD
UCB*
UCI
UCSB
UC Merced
Georgetown*
University of Arizona
I have to pick 3 choices and I really would like to study in NYC. But I'd imagine this is competitive, so I'd have to look at my 2nd choice as my first. I have no idea where to go, so could you please help me?
NB: Those universities with an asterisk next mean they are limited availability and go to the highest-scoring students (which I am just outside of ).
You want NYC, so Hunter College is obvious. Of the rest, the ones with the asterisks are generally the most urban, the most like NYC. Since those are out, the most metropolitan of the rest would be UCSD and UCI. They're in southern California, which is different from NYC, but both schools are in large metro areas. The other schools are in smaller cities, some of them very small.
The weather in southern California is nicer than NYC or England too.
You want NYC, so Hunter College is obvious. Of the rest, the ones with the asterisks are generally the most urban, the most like NYC. Since those are out, the most metropolitan of the rest would be UCSD and UCI. They're in southern California, which is different from NYC, but both schools are in large metro areas. The other schools are in smaller cities, some of them very small.
The weather in southern California is nicer than NYC or England too.
Good luck, and have fun wherever you end up!
If I can't go to NYC, I'd rather be somewhere not like NYC if that makes sense? NY or bust.
UCLA is a pretty good school, so are most of the schools in San Diego. You might be making a big climate change if you choose California though. I lived in England for awhile and flew in to San Diego in January and I think there was about a 40 degree difference. There's a lot to see and do here too though. Notre Dam would be cool too though.
I don't know about all of your other criteria, but here's my general breakdown of just the campus settings for you:
Big City/Urban campus:
Hunter College CUNY
Georgetown* (Actually a secluded campus but right in the middle of the city)
Suburban/quasi-urban feel:
UCB*
UCSD
UCLA*
UCI
Vanderbilt*
University of New Mexico
University of Oklahoma
UCSB
University of Arizona
Small town feel:
Notre Dame
St Olaf College
Stetson
UC Merced
I'm not 100% about all of these, although I have visited all but three of the campuses. Here are some of my opinions to offer you a better picture of the environment:
The most remarkable and beautifully awe-inspiring campuses on this list that I've been to were Notre Dame and UCSD. I think UCLA and to a lesser degree UCI are quintessential sunny california laid-back campuses in LA. UCSD and UCSB are the same, just a little outside LA. (UCSD is really close to San Diego which might be even better) UC-Berkeley might be a neat option cause it's in a cool little hippie town and you can easily hop on the train to the big city (San Fran) And lastly, obviously, Hunter and Georgetown are gonna give you the most immersion into a big city in the US. FYI, all your options are actual college campuses except Hunter College, which is just several adjacent and connected buildings in Manhattan.
Oh, and one more thing I like to mention to Europeans like yourself: College Football is the only thing in the US that comes close to the atmosphere of european football. The insanity, passion, and electricity of 90,000 insane fans. If you want to experience major college football you'll want to go to Notre Dame, Oklahoma or UCLA. Maybe Arizona, New Mexico and Vanderbilt as well but it definitely won't be the same as those first three. Good luck!
I don't know about all of your other criteria, but here's my general breakdown of just the campus settings for you:
Big City/Urban campus:
Hunter College CUNY
Georgetown* (Actually a secluded campus but right in the middle of the city)
Suburban/quasi-urban feel: UCB*
UCSD
UCLA*
UCI
Vanderbilt*
University of New Mexico
University of Oklahoma
UCSB
University of Arizona
Small town feel:
Notre Dame
St Olaf College
Stetson
UC Merced
I'm not 100% about all of these, although I have visited all but three of the campuses. Here are some of my opinions to offer you a better picture of the environment:
The most remarkable and beautifully awe-inspiring campuses on this list that I've been to were Notre Dame and UCSD. I think UCLA and to a lesser degree UCI are quintessential sunny california laid-back campuses in LA. UCSD and UCSB are the same, just a little outside LA. (UCSD is really close to San Diego which might be even better) UC-Berkeley might be a neat option cause it's in a cool little hippie town and you can easily hop on the train to the big city (San Fran) And lastly, obviously, Hunter and Georgetown are gonna give you the most immersion into a big city in the US. FYI, all your options are actual college campuses except Hunter College, which is just several adjacent and connected buildings in Manhattan.
Oh, and one more thing I like to mention to Europeans like yourself: College Football is the only thing in the US that comes close to the atmosphere of european football. The insanity, passion, and electricity of 90,000 insane fans. If you want to experience major college football you'll want to go to Notre Dame, Oklahoma or UCLA. Maybe Arizona, New Mexico and Vanderbilt as well but it definitely won't be the same as those first three. Good luck!
Just re-read my pamphlet and I'm only eligible to go to:
UCSD
UCLA
UCI
UCD
UCSB
And some others I didn't know until now.
Marquette
San Diego State
Cal State - Long Beach
Kansas University (this looks such a great place!)
UNC Charlotte (Charlotte looks a cool place but the university doesn't)
UMass Amherst
Any help with these would be very much appreciated!
Will you be driving or have a car? If not, I suggest going to a place with good public transportation.
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