When it comes time for students to decide on their future college, they must consider important factors such as tuition, and cost of living. An additional aspect to take into consideration is the surrounding environment of the college and if it matches well with each person, as whichever college they choose will become their new home for the next few years. 

In rural college towns, students get to feel more comfortable in a small, familiar environment where they know most of the people. “I’d say that students feel a stronger sense of community in colleges with somewhat closed/isolated campuses,” senior Avana Wang said. 

With a smaller college campus, students get to be a part of the community more tightly and experience the local culture. “The students in a smaller town would be prominently shaped by the college, and a small-knit community would be greatly valued and costs of living and other expenses would probably be less high,” senior Val Zhao said. 

Differences between college campuses in a small town versus a city can influence students in terms of convenience. “I believe being a city can help me encounter more opportunities and is more convenient regarding transportation, food, etc,” Wang said. 

City schools allow for students to have more freedom in their spare time, as well as provide for more activities. “If you go to a more city college, the campus tends to be smaller but with more to do in the area, while rural colleges are bigger but have less to do,” senior Kailyn King said. 

With living at a college in the city, students have access to a wide range of activities as opposed to only being able to experience college extracurriculars. “If I were living in a more confined campus, a lot of what I would be doing would be dictated by what my school offers. Living on a city campus means I have access to everything inside my university, but I also have a whole entire other world that’s not solely influenced by the school I attend,” Zhao said. 

Overall, any college chosen would still have the same priority to put students first and provide equal opportunities and materials for all students. “Probably the most basic parts of going to college in the U.S. are universal such as dorms, different buildings for different subject matters and much more,” King said.

While carefully considering costs and other values, students should choose the college hey feel would suit them the best and would also be the best fit academically. “Everyone should choose the college that they see themselves thriving in,” Wang said.