Ask500

I grew up in "real" America. I've been to London. Darling - I think you're going to die. (lol) Imagine listening to an American talk about wanting to get a idea of REAL Britain, then told you they were going move to Rhyl. (and yes, I've been to Rhyl.) (lol)

If the school is rated highly for the type of education you're looking for - then by all means I'd certainly recommend it to you. But sweet child - you are going into the heart of George Bush loving country. The kind of people (like dauguy points out) that believe that creationism should be taught along side of evolution as equal forms science (and these are UNIVERSITY EDUCATED people who say and believe that). Since you'll actually be a university student you'll meet a few broader minds, but I think you are in for a culture shock like very few ever experience. I wish you well, and I don't say that facetiously. I say that as someone who grew up in rural, mid-west USA.

I can understand your reasons for not wanting to go to NY or LA, and that makes sense. I'm sure you'll find some good people to make as friends. But prepare for culture shock!! (not lol) (lol)

University of Michigan, Bowling Green State University (in Bowling Green, Ohio) (my younger brother went there - excellent school), Ohio State University (in Columbus, Ohio) - all would offer excellent programs as well.

Ohio State would also give you that "real America" experience I think you're looking for. The city is not exceptionally large (I think Columbus might have 1.5 million in the metro area), and it is considerably sprawled across a large area so you won't feel as if you are crushed by people. But you'll have more of the variety you're used to from home. It's a solid American city in the 6th most populated state. Ohio itself is roughly the same geographic size as England with only 11 million residents. You'll have plenty of breathing space. You won't feel like you're in a huge city, but there are things to be said for having a wide variety of people around you.

In defense of my negative comment about Missouri, I had to come back and point out something.

There's another poll running that asks people to choose a side - Hizeballah (specifically labeled "terrorist" by the poller) or Israel. Only one vote in the USA (right now) is for Hizeballah. Guess where they live? Yep. Missouri.

That being said - Colin Firth lived in St. Louis as a kid! (lol)

I don't think you understand just how provincial Kansas is. It actually made newspaper headlines when a single town had more African American residents that white--and that was just this year!

They are very jingoist, fundamentalist, racist, and narrow-minded, and these traits are apparent just on driving through the state (never spent the night, but have driven through a couple times.) NOT everyone, obviously, and not necessarily all those things in the same personaat the same time, but...

I have had three close friends from Kansas. I met every one of them in California, where they had gone to get away from the oppressive insularity of a parochial and provincial culture.