However, when you go away and you're living far from home, all the other things about York count a lot too.  The area is not safe at all.  I know at least three of my friends who were mugged on campus while I was there.  As one other person said, while there is a little less bureacracy at YCP than you might expect at a large state university, some of their policies will drive you crazy.  If you are a freshman or a sophomore resident, for instance, you have to park your car about a mile and a half away from the main campus, and since there is little to no security, there is a good chance that somebody could try to break into your car.  This happened to one of my friends. 

As far as social life... if you're not much of a drinker or a party person, good luck to you.  Because that's about all anybody does out there.  I found a good group of friends later on in my first semester at York, but at first, I met a lot of closeminded people who were there to party.  This may sound a little arrogant, but the level of immaturity I encountered among some of my peers at York was unsurpassed by anything I had ever experienced, even in junior high.  Sometimes, the social mentality felt like high school again, complete with cliques and dirty gossip, only worse.  Of course this is just a generalization, and a reflection of my own poor experience at York.  You will also find some kind-hearted people there too.  But if you're not much of a party person or you want a school with some culture, forget about York.