That depends on many factors. First, the personality and culture of the student and his or her relationship with the family is paramount. A student who is very close to his or her family, who has strong emotional needs for coming home frequently, would probably be happier attending a college within a three hour driving radius. There may be expectations of frequent home visits for families from some cultural backgrounds. Second, the student's extracurricular activities may involve the family. If the student participates in sports and the family enjoys going to his or her home games, or if the student is in the performing arts and the family attends his or her concerts or plays, it may be important to be within that magic three hour radius. Third, the family's financial situation and/or time flexibility may dictate geography. Air or train travel adds cost to the college bill. If the parents do not have time to drive eight or more hours one way to pick up a child at school, perhaps the student should consider a college nearer to home. All that said, you only go to college once, and part of the college adventure may include exploring a different part of the country. Willingness to consider colleges outside of your geographic comfort zone might open up more academic options as well.