College in the city? Here’s what to consider

 Many students come to us with the dream of college life in the big city – be it NYC, LA, Chicago, Boston or beyond, city life captivates a lot of students picturing their college experience.

If you are big city dreaming for college, here are the factors you want to consider in choosing a college experience that’s right for you –

Do you care about a campus?

The urban college experience can vary quite a lot. Some students love the idea of having access to a city, but still want the sense of that quintessential college campus – a quad to stroll on, centralized campus hangouts, and dorms within walking distance of class. If this is important to you, be sure to really scope out the campus life and experience. Taking a virtual tour of campus is a good start for campuses that are far from home. While a handful of urban campuses offer this ‘best of both worlds,’ most are integrated into the surrounding city life, with students needing to be more independent, take public transportation throughout the city, and find classes and resources in buildings integrated with other residential and commercial buildings throughout their urban home.

What does residential life look like?

Look into a few key questions about residential life to determine if the experience is right for you. Is housing guaranteed? Is it guaranteed for all four years, or just for first years? What percentage of students live on campus? What percentage are commuters? Is living on campus required for any portion of your college years? Because of the constraints of the urban environment, it’s not uncommon for colleges located within major cities to experience challenges offering housing to all students. This can mean dorms may be spread throughout the city, and further from the central campus, it can mean unconventional housing such as the college renting out blocks of hotel rooms or renting housing in non-college buildings, and it can mean students are expected to be more resourceful in securing their own apartment in the later years of college. Furthermore, some of these colleges have had to become more innovative in their program offerings to meet housing needs. Northeastern University in Boston is a good example of this, and offers many opportunities for students to learn on satellite campuses in locations across the country and around the world. If this appeals to you, it can be a great fit, but it’s important to have a strong understanding of the residential experience and how this matches up with your needs and preferences before committing.

How will you find your people?

This is crucial. Students who love the idea of city life have visions of themselves shopping, exploring, dining and taking in entertainment throughout the city they will call home. But first, you have to meet people who you can enjoy the city with! The importance of this can’t be understated. One of the challenges of an urban college can be that there are so many options for how students spend their free time. While that can be amazing, it can also be isolating, as there may not be as many shared experiences that help a student build friendships and anchor to their college community. With this in mind, the most important thing to ask yourself is – how will I find my people? What clubs, activities, student groups, or offerings within first year orientation, or residential life programming will give you opportunities to find the people who will become your community? Be sure you can identify several points of connection you are likely to engage. You want to have confidence that you see the pathways to building a strong community with whom you can experience all the city has to offer.

What about the costs?

The fact of the matter is, living in a cosmopolitan center is expensive. In addition to the costs of tuition, room and board, determine what costs might look like if you need to rent an off-campus apartment later in your college years. Think through the ‘hidden’ costs of enjoying everything your new city has to offer – what will transportation, food, and discretionary expenses be? Find out what the college offers to make city life more accessible for students. Do students receive free or reduced cost public transportation? How about museum entry, discounts to local restaurants or businesses, or reduced cost student tickets to performances? Chances are, if city life is at your doorstep, you are likely to be spending more than a student whose social life is primarily centered on what the campus itself has to offer.

An urban college experience can be an incredible option, and doing some investigation and planning ahead of time can help you determine if this is the right experience for you. TBU Advisors are experienced in supporting students to navigate their college choices and personal best fit, and TBU Essay & Application specialists are experts at supporting students to craft their most compelling, authentic work. If you’d like to explore working with a TBU Advisor, now is the time. Get in touch here and we will look forward to connecting with you.

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