I know as a young 17-year-old you probably want to get as far away from mom and dad as possible. You want to to go to New York, Florida, California, pretty much any out of state school.

You're probably overlooking schools in your home state, or only using them as safety schools. But Rhode Island College is actually a really good option and I'm here to tell you why.

1. In-state tuition.

Who doesn't love in-state tuition? College is expensive. Why not save some money and stay in state? Think about it.

2. Housing is guaranteed for all incoming freshmen.

You can still get away from mom and dad and have all the independence you want.

3. The average class size is 20.

Probably more like 16-17 after the add/drop period. With fewer students the professors can be more one on one with you and if a bunch of you aren't understanding something you can spend more time on it. It's better than having a big lecture hall with 200 students.

4. The campus isn't huge.

The campus is relatively small, and it only takes like five minutes to get from the gym to the quad. Oh and you can sleep in later if you live on campus.

5. Newly remodeled buildings.

Before I went to RIC they just finished the Alex & Ani Hall, and now Gaige just got done, the School of Nursing building was added, and they're working on Craig-Lee. Like who doesn't like new buildings?

6. It's the #1 most affordable college in New England.

Not only will you get in-state tuition but you're at the best-priced college in all of New England.

7. Tons of campus activities.

Odyssey, Greek life, sports teams, ballroom dance, Montreal trips, Study abroad and way too many clubs to name.

8. The programs are great.

There are so many different programs from Nursing to Dance Performance that there will definitely be something for you. And they're all really good programs.

9. There are 40+ graduate programs.

After you get your Bachelors you can stay and get your Masters.

10. The location is perfect.

RIC's in Providence, RI. There's always something going on in Providence, and it's like five minutes from the mall, the skating rink, Thayer Street, the Dunkin Donuts Center and the convention center. It's close to Colo, The Strand, The Whiskey Republic and a ton of bars. There are a million places to eat and some of them are open until 4 am for those all-nighters you're going to pull.

11. You'll be close to other colleges.

PC, JWU, RISD, Brown, come on like even Bryant isn't that far away. There's always going to be people your age and college sports games to attend. PC basketball is not something you want to miss.

12. The campus is diverse.

The Diversity on RIC's campus is simply amazing.

13. You can visit home whenever you want to.

You'll get homesick, trust me. And you'll never miss a family event or anything that's going on in your hometown.

14. You don't have to give up the life you have now.

If you have a job, you're still close to your job, if you're involved in actives outside of school, you're still close to home and can still do them.

You'll make a million memories at RIC. There's a program, a club, a sport and a friend for everyone. There's always something exciting going on either on campus or in the city. You'll get a great education at a great price and you won't have to give up the life you have now.