Is Dorming or Commuting the Best Decision When it Comes to Choosing a College?

Every high school senior has to ask themselves this question: “Where should I go for college?” Students have to consider schools with the right major, programs, extracurriculars, and most importantly, location. Should Long Island students stay local to the area or leave and experience something new?

Andy Lockwood, CEO of Lockwood Prep, runs a program to help students get accepted into college. As a private guidance counselor and marketing consultant, he helps families with financial aid packages, negotiates with colleges, and assists students in reaching a decision on college. Lockwood says the decision to stay local or go away comes up often with the families he works with. He explains how students “can get a great quality education regardless of whether the school has a good football team. One reason kids don't want to go locally is that many local schools don't have the same type of campus life as schools in the South, Michigan, or Florida. About 15-20% of the kids we work with stay locally.”

To understand the advantages and disadvantages of each choice, four students from Long Island were interviewed about their college experiences. Gianna Lapene is an incoming senior at LIU Post majoring in biology, and Lydia Schnell is a recent Stony Brook graduate with double majors in biology and psychology. Natalia Sanchez is entering her fourth-year of pharmacy school at the University at Buffalo, while Mariah Diaz is a criminology major with a concentration in child maltreatment at Penn State.

Lapene and Schnell explained how the top factors in their college decisions were affordability and location. Sanchez and Diaz, who went to further colleges, both claimed that location was also a main factor. Diaz explained, “I’ve been in New York my whole life, and I really wanted to go somewhere different and meet new people.”

Both choices came with unexpected challenges. Lapene claimed that staying home for college “could get a little lonely,” and commuting can become difficult with traffic. Schnell agreed, explaining how commuters “have to work harder to find community on campus because you're not there 24/7. It's up to you how involved you are on campus compared to someone who dorms, where involvement is a little easier. Everyone's situation is different, but dorming offers more opportunity to meet people and do things compared to commuting.”

Sanchez and Diaz faced different challenges. Sanchez talks about being homesick and the unexpected challenge of getting sick: “I didn't expect homesick feelings or having to take care of myself when I got sick. Going away means you don't have your parents to take care of you; you have to fend for yourself.” She also stated how “it's always expensive to fly or take the train home during November or December break.” She explains how her Thanksgiving flight cost $350 for a four-day trip. Similarly, Diaz also faced the challenge of living independently for the first time in an apartment. Although she enjoyed the independence, she said it could feel lonely when her roommate was not home. She initially felt homesick as well, but joining her sorority and finding a community helped those feelings disappear.

Despite these disadvantages, each student found benefits in their decision. Lapene and Schnell both enjoyed living at home while attending school. As Lapene explained, “I can go to the city, go to concerts, and still travel. Being at home means I get meals, free water, free food, free living, and I don't have to pay rent or other costs.” Both Lapene and Schnell also worked part-time jobs while attending school, allowing them to earn money while staying close to home and receiving an education. However, both claimed that balancing work with classes and extracurricular activities could get challenging at times.

For Sanchez and Diaz, going away provided opportunities for new experiences, and first-time independence. However, Sanchez acknowledged how independence requires self-discipline because students are responsible for deciding whether or not to attend class. Both students had to learn self-discipline and how to manage their time.

Diaz’s experience with her sorority, Alpha Xi Delta, helped her grow socially. She said she was shy and introverted before college but became much more outgoing after joining. She became involved in philanthropy and social initiatives and eventually became president of her sorority during her sophomore year.

Although these are the experiences of a few Long Island students, there is no universal right answer on where to go to college. Staying home can provide affordability and comfort, while going away can offer new experiences and opportunities to meet different people. Each student’s college experience is unique, and the most important factor is making the most of the opportunities available wherever they choose to go.