You’ve heard of the “right fit.” This Spotlight focuses on why the location of a college might matter to you. 

 

Where are you most comfortable and what sort of challenges are you open to? Lifestyle and learning style play important roles in location decisions. Often, it comes down to issues like a personal preference for quiet or excitement or climate and extracurricular opportunities such as skiing or snorkeling. I encourage you to think about your personal predilections. However, there are also additionally important location questions: What breadth of experience do you need? What post-college employment or further education are you thinking about? Consider below two primary considerations: the benefits of being in or near an urban core or in a rural college setting.

 

As always, take advantage of the College Counseling office space, the materials you find there, and me!

 

Best always,

Caroline

Your College Counselor

_________________________________

 

 BESIDES LIFESTYLE, WHY BE IN OR NEAR AN URBAN CORE? 

 

photo credit: Columbia University

Seattle, Atlanta, Boston, New Orleans, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. Why would you choose to go to college in or near any of these cities—or any other city for that matter? 

The draw of a particular college has to be an obvious reason, but more than that consider the following:

Internships, research, and employment. These are increasingly crucial components of a college career and can significantly enhance your options after college. Look carefully at whether the colleges that interest you incorporate such opportunities into their curriculums and/or have robust career centers to help you gain practical experience both while still enrolled at school as well as at graduation. Urban and suburban colleges are not the only colleges with these attributes, but cities provide a diversity of opportunities unequalled elsewhere. Think about your likely major(s) and where you might gain the best experience beyond the classroom—it is possible that location may be among the deciding factors for your college list. 

What kind of experience will you get where? Consider the following example, comparing Massachusetts and Washington State.

Massachusetts leads in bio-tech, pharmaceuticals, medical research, related high-tech start-ups, financial services, hospitality and tourism, and the manufacture of electronics. Click here to review Boston’s top employers by name, industry sector, and size (2012).

Washington State leads in agriculture, lumber, aerospace, technological innovation and manufactures, clean energy, life sciences and health, hydroelectric power, and the maritime sector. The top sectors of Seattle’s economy include the aerospace industry, innovations in information and communications, tourism, clean technologies, and life sciences and medicine—Seattle is a leader in global health initiatives.

• Situate yourself where you can maximize your opportunities.
• Realize that colleges play an integral role in sustaining and growing a region’s economy. 
• Consider whether one location is better for the college years or for graduate or professional school.
• Ask yourself where you can imagine working someday, where should you be networked?
• If, like in the above example you find two locations with great college options with both areas known for similar sectors related to your interests, by having considered location, you would have the information you need to dig deeper into the specializations of professors, college departments, and the college’s track record for providing internships, research, and employment opportunities in the greater area.

Photo Credit: Montana State

WHY CHOOSE RURAL?

Again, aside from lifestyle considerations, there are many reasons why a person would choose a rural setting for college. Here, consider the specific opportunities associated with the country. 

• Industries associated with rural development. For example: clean energy, geological research and services, civil and environmental engineering, agricultural science and development, and sustainability studies—to name a few.
• Studies that are best pursued in specifically rural or nearly rural locations. For example: the marine sciences, ecology, forestry, conservation, mining, maritime, astronomy, animal husbandry, and sustainability studies as well as cultural, anthropological or archeological studies that allow proximity to populations and areas of concentration such as First Nations history, art, and politics, migrant populations, prison populations, and other discreet groups.

IS THERE CROSS-OVER BETWEEN RURAL AND MORE URBAN COLLEGES?

Yes, absolutely! Check out whether schools of interest offer inter-collegiate relationships, travel and research programs, a “January” term or other alternative to the semester system, summer institutes, and other means of blending the best of both worlds.