Kelli in TN Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Do we have any Ole Miss alumni here? We got another batch of college postcards this week and I had never considered Ole Miss but in looking at their website I see they have a strong poli-sci dept. The campus is gorgeous. Can anyone tell me anything good or bad about Ole Miss? How is the student life? Is it a major party school? (We prefer not to send dd to a major party school) Class size? (I am not finding class size on their website.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca in VA Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Lots of gorgeous girls and emphasis on appearances. Your shy daughter may feel overwhelmed and out of place. Ole Miss would be one of my last choices for a college for my children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 Lots of gorgeous girls and emphasis on appearances. Your shy daughter may feel overwhelmed and out of place. Ole Miss would be one of my last choices for a college for my children. Dang. The poli-sci dept. looks so good. They have major poli-sci research going on and the faculty are all big cheese sort of people. Party school, eh? Dang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca in VA Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 It's very, very strongly politically oriented. Students often work on political campaigns, and there's lots of current events discussion. Wonderful, serious student body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 It's very, very strongly politically oriented. Students often work on political campaigns, and there's lots of current events discussion. Wonderful, serious student body. I asked her to look at Patrick Henry. She is honestly not interested. I think it may have to do with costs. She evaluates schools based on cost vs scholarship opportunities and dorms. Meanwhile I am trying to evaluate them based her intended major and minor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jami Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Kelli, I can't remember which part of TN you're in, but have you or your daughter looked at Truman State in Northeast Missouri at all? It's a state college but a little more selective than many, offers some very good scholarships, and has really good poli-sci and history departments. Dh and I, along with his sister, my brother and several of his cousins are all alums and all feel we received excellent university educations there. Jami Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 Kelli, I can't remember which part of TN you're in, but have you or your daughter looked at Truman State in Northeast Missouri at all? It's a state college but a little more selective than many, offers some very good scholarships, and has really good poli-sci and history departments. Dh and I, along with his sister, my brother and several of his cousins are all alums and all feel we received excellent university educations there. Jami You have mentioned it before and we have checked it out and you will be proud to know that it is on the short list!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in FL Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 About Party Schools - I wouldn't necessarily cross them off the list. It really depends on the child. If you know the child would be severely tempted in that environment - then yes - don't send them. However - I went to University of Florida in the 1980s when it was a major party school. But I grew tremendously in my faith while there. There are lots of opportunities on large college campuses for all kinds of "socialization." During my sophmore year I got involved in Intervarsity, and those were my friends through the rest of my college career. There are all kinds of campus ministries and strong churches to become involved in. Just my experience. (Of course that first year of dorm life can be a toss up - you just don't know who your roomates and floor mates might be and what kind of influence they could be. - You had a daughter with that problem already, didn't you?) And another idea - she could go to college locally for the first two years and then transfer to a state school once she's got some more maturity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jami Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Oh good! If she ends up heading that way and needs other help feel free to ask. One drawback tends to be Kirksville itself, for those coming from larger cities anyway. The Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis people have a harder adjustment to small town life. ;) I came from a town a quarter of the size, so I thought I had really moved up! But it's a lovely campus and there are some excellent faculty there. Jami Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 Oh good! If she ends up heading that way and needs other help feel free to ask. One drawback tends to be Kirksville itself, for those coming from larger cities anyway. The Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis people have a harder adjustment to small town life. ;) I came from a town a quarter of the size, so I thought I had really moved up! But it's a lovely campus and there are some excellent faculty there. Jami The smaller community would actually be a comfort to her, I think. The only real drawback we are seeing is that the school seems to be more generous with Missouri students when it comes to scholarship opportunities. So when you have out of state fees coupled with less scholarship opportunity, it makes it less affordable. She really wants to minimize student debt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 About Party Schools - I wouldn't necessarily cross them off the list. It really depends on the child. If you know the child would be severely tempted in that environment - then yes - don't send them. And another idea - she could go to college locally for the first two years and then transfer to a state school once she's got some more maturity. She would not succomb to the party life. I would bet my life on it. I just would not want her to constantly feel like she was the only on campus who was living clean. I want her to have good memories and not look back at her college years as the loneliest days of her life. She could go locally and then transfer, but the transfer scholarships are never as good as the 4-year scholarships. (Okay, never is a strong word. I have not seen transfer scholarships that were as good as 4year scholarships) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 About Party Schools - I wouldn't necessarily cross them off the list. It really depends on the child. If you know the child would be severely tempted in that environment - then yes - don't send them. However - I went to University of Florida in the 1980s when it was a major party school. But I grew tremendously in my faith while there. There are lots of opportunities on large college campuses for all kinds of "socialization." During my sophmore year I got involved in Intervarsity, and those were my friends through the rest of my college career. There are all kinds of campus ministries and strong churches to become involved in. Just my experience. (Of course that first year of dorm life can be a toss up - you just don't know who your roomates and floor mates might be and what kind of influence they could be. - You had a daughter with that problem already, didn't you?) And another idea - she could go to college locally for the first two years and then transfer to a state school once she's got some more maturity. This is all very true. Two of my nieces went away to college this past fall. One as a freshman, the other a transfer student from community college. The freshman, who was attending a private college in SWVA, left after the fall semester because he roommate was an incessant partier and my niece hated the whole environment. The other, who was attending a public college in SWVA, had a similar roommate problem, but after a while she was able to ignore it and joined the campus Christian student organization (even though she only went to church a handful of times in her growing up). Her overall experience has been good, but she worked to seek similarly minded kids. Of course, it helped that she was a bit older. Fortunately for my sisters, none of my nieces are partiers and they are not easily influenced. My nephews on the other hand are a whole 'nother story. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 For some reason, I thought that was where Tutor's DH was in grad school. I could be wrong, though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I asked her to look at Patrick Henry. She is honestly not interested. I think it may have to do with costs. She evaluates schools based on cost vs scholarship opportunities and dorms. Meanwhile I am trying to evaluate them based her intended major and minor. According to people I know IRL who have children at there, Patrick Henry is very generous when it comes to need based scholarships and aid. And I don't mean you need to be dirt poor, these are people that live a comfortable middle-class existence and have had tuition slashed considerably. The hardest thing seems to be academics, I'm forgetting exact info, but you need pretty high SAT or ACT scores to get in and your essay needs to be very good. My oldest wants to go there so I always have an ear open for PHC conversations. :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in FL Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I just would not want her to constantly feel like she was the only on campus who was living clean. I want her to have good memories and not look back at her college years as the loneliest days of her life. And this was what I was trying to convey - if she seeks out similarly minded people through the campus ministries - she will have a fullfilling, rich, full of memories, college experience!! And at a large state school like Ole Miss - those people will be there and will be easy to find! You could probably find out about those ministries now as well - Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Campus Crusade, RUF, check your denomination to see what campus ministry they may have - all the denominations usually have a student center near campus with a weekly meal and different activities. Just remember that no matter what school she chooses (and unfortunately, even some of the mainstream "christian" schools) there will be the partying groups and the living clean groups. (Hmm - maybe not so much partying at Patrick Henry . . .:tongue_smilie:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 You could probably find out about those ministries now as well - Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Campus Crusade, RUF, check your denomination to see what campus ministry they may have - all the denominations usually have a student center near campus with a weekly meal and different activities. Just remember that no matter what school she chooses (and unfortunately, even some of the mainstream "christian" schools) there will be the partying groups and the living clean groups. (Hmm - maybe not so much partying at Patrick Henry . . .:tongue_smilie:) True enough, and I did find those listed on their website. This is a very stressful place to be!! But I know you speak the truth, some colleges make it more challenging to party but if kids want to do it, they will do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 It's very, very strongly politically oriented. Students often work on political campaigns, and there's lots of current events discussion. Wonderful, serious student body. I am sorry. I have to correct this as I responded to you after only. one. cup. of. coffee. It was not Patrick Henry I tried to talk her into considering, it was Bryan. Sorry, sorry, sorry. I can't remember how she felt about Patrick Henry and she is in a bad mood right now so I don't want to ask her. I know *I* have reservations about Patrick Henry but I would certainly support her if she chose to apply there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn E Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Ole Miss alum here! I was a shy, reserved girl with no interest in partying or the Greek system, and I LOVED my experience at Ole Miss. There are great campus ministries, and God used one of them to solidify my relationship with Him. Oxford is a beautiful, wonderful little town. I'd love to return. PM me if you want to discuss it further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan in SC Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 My BIL was a chaplain at Ole Miss after seminary and he loved it! He is in Jackson, MS now, but I'm sure has many contacts. Oxford is beautiful. Yes, there will be a lot of partying at Ole Miss, but probably not anymore than the super conservative, tiny, Baptist college I went to for two years. Feel free to PM me if you want to get any info about particular denominations, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula in MS Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I went to Ole Miss for undergrad and graduate school. It is a very social school. A high percentage of students are in a sorority or fraternity. That said, I went there on full scholarship and did not join a sorority. I had no problem finding friends who were there primarily for academic reasons. It has a gorgeous campus and is relatively small. Students are very friendly there in general. If your daughter is a Christian, there are very active college groups there for every denomination. I do not think it is any more of a party school than any other school. I think that it seems that way because of the active Greek system that has a lot of "organized" parties that happen on campus. I would not hesitate to send my daughter there based on the party school reputation. Like I said, I went and did not party. I never felt the pressure to party. No big deal! :) I hope I helped, Paula Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I think they're a pretty big Greek school.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 I think they're a pretty big Greek school.... I can't imagine her going Greek! She is constantly poking fun at her older sister about her soriority life! She calls it buying friends!! Really, Greek life has been incredible for my older daughter, but these two kids could not be anymore opposite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutor Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 He really likes Ole Miss. It does have a rep as a party school, but it is rather easily avoided by not taking part in the Greek system (which is big, but not a social requirement). There is also a huge campus ministry influence on campus. Our church (which is 4 miles off campus, and requires students to get rides) is considering going to two services because we can't fit everyone when the college students are in town. The college students who attend our church are involved in our disciple-focused youth group, and we love the set up (adult leaders disciple college students and college students disciple the youth). We love our college students. As to undergrad class size, dh only has experience in the English department, but the English Comp classes are about 20-25 students each and the lecture lit classes are about 100 students each which meet together for lecture then divide into smaller discussion groups of about 20 stidents each once per week. Let me know if you want to come to town for a visit. We'd be happy to show you around, help you set up a formal tour, and get you in touch with some of the fellowship group leaders on campus (I am most familiar with the Reformed University Fellowship leader and one of the Campus Crusade leaders). Send me a PM, and I can send you my phone number if you'd like to ask some questions. If we can't answer them, we can find someone who can. This is a great town. We have been here for a year, and within the first two weeks, we felt like we were home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ElkHollowAcademy Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Kelli, My brother attended Ole Miss and was so unhappy he transferred after his freshman year. He said there is a lot of concern about social status, who you know, what your father does for a living, and if you're Greek. He felt that the student body was not very friendly in general. I attended a large, state university and was very unhappy with the focus on football and parties, etc... I will say, however, that large universities do have a lot to offer in terms of clubs and activities. It is relatively easy to find a group of people who share your interests and join them, and that makes finding friends a bit easier. Large universities usually have everything from Campus Crusaders for Christ to Star Wars Fan Club. I hope this helps. Ashley in FL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto5 Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Kelli, Has your daughter looked at the Honors College at Ole Miss? I know it just received an enormous gift from Jim Barksdale (the founder of netscape). I believe they offer a lot of scholarships and special housing for Honors College students. Many, many members of my family (I grew up in Jackson, MS) have attended Ole Miss. They all loved it. It was not the place for me, so I went elsewhere. I would be happy to discuss it with you further if you would like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staci in MO Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I know one person who really wanted to join a sorority, didn't get a bid, and was miserable. I know another person who felt stigmatized because he was from the north (which is funny, since SE Missouri is the south to people who are really from the north). Aside from that, everyone else I know who went there (I'm counting ten off the top of my head) liked it just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted June 10, 2008 Author Share Posted June 10, 2008 I want to thank everyone for the pros, cons and PM's about Ole Miss. It was not even on our radar until we got one of their recruitment postcards. We may keep looking at it. The thing that concerns me the most is class size, I really did not want her at a major university because of class size. It does fit my other criteria (within a day's drive, affordable, strong poli-sci dept) I just want her to apply to several schools so she, hopefully, will have several offers from which to choose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.