I think that you are over-estimating the importance of frats, and possibly over-estimating the conservatism at universities in the mid-west. If you don’t want to belong to a frat, you don’t have to. If you don’t want to participate in a formal religion, you don’t have to. I live in a Far North Midwest university town with nothing but farmland between here and the border with Canada. Even here there is a small hipster neighborhood, an organic foods store, and not everyone drives a ginormous pickup truck.
All this talk about midwestern and southern universities being conservative or that Greek life dominating the universities are vastly overrated. Even at the University of Alabama, the school with the largest Greek system, participation is only at 30% of the undergraduate student body. The non-Greeks vastly outnumber the Greeks. Almost all these schools are politically middle of the road with both liberal and conservative students co-existing. While religion is undoubtedly woven into the fabric of live in the south and many parts of the mid-west, nobody will be out to proselytize and trying to convert you or force you to attend church services. What you will experience is being in parts of the US that you are interested in and that will provide you with unique opportunities to explore their cultural riches and history.
Happymomof1, some have smaller ones?
I have shortlisted the following list, with one I had not considered now being my top choice after some extensive research:
- University of Oregon
- University of Kansas
- University of Missouri, Columbia
- University of Oklahoma
- Louisiana State University
Thanks for all your help! I chose these because
a) they’re affordable
b) they’re in large public schools which I want
c) meet my criteria
What about University of Pittsburgh? Pittsburgh is an interesting intersection of American history and culture. Blue collar/robber barons. Early U.S. history/immigrants. East coast/Midwest.
You can look at the list of US Presidential Libraries (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_library) for ones near the places you are considering. It’s possible (but I don’t know) that you might be able to arrange do some research there. Kansas has the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Missouri has the Harry S. Truman Presidential Museum and Library.
I’m still a little concerned that what you’ll learn about US Foreign Policy in the places on your list is that most Americans don’t think much at all about other countries (maybe not so much in Oregon), and that in some of these places you’ll learn that many Americans think that things like diplomacy are bad things. (Though you could probably learn that last part in Washington DC, too.)
^^ That alone would be an interesting dissertation topic.
University campuses should be different than the general population in some of those areas.
Of your list in post #63, I would only recommend one campus - and that’s Oregon. I wouldn’t suggest a European study at any of the others you listed if he/she has other options on the west or east coast.
@katliamom, huh? Why not?
Boring locations. Boring food. Flat. Far from big cities, oceans, deserts, diversity. Out of all the great places to study in the US these are – in my opinion – odd destinations.
Isn’t that always the argument against “flyover country?”
Yup. There’s reason why people fly over it. And I can say that because I live in Colorado, on the very edge of flyover country.
This thread is an example of how “too many cooks spoil the soup.”. Just sayin’.
LOL, that’s true. Poor OP is totally confused now.
@katliamom, boring is in the eye of the beholder. To a foreigner, many of those places would be quite exotic. And you’re the first person I know to describe Louisianan cuisine as boring. Heck, all of Louisiana would seem exotic to someone from England.
@PurpleTitan Very true… I sort of spaced Louisiana on that list, and certainly its food would be unique. It’s also the only place I haven’t been on this list, so I shouldn’t have commented about it. But I stand by my opinion of the other schools/areas. Again, I think there are far more interesting places in the US to choose from. And that exoticism in places like Missouri fades very quickly. I’ve known some European academics who taught in the mid-west. Every fall they looked forward to MLA job listings so they could get outta there.
I’d look at:
Temple
Tulane
Pitt
But I like cities, and I live in Texas so these places appeal to me.
If not a city school, then UNC.
At times like this, you have to ask yourself “What would Douglas Adams recommend?”
I’m an atheist Jew who goes to the University of Oklahoma. There are a large number of non religious, liberal students at the school. Additionally Norman, OK is both a college town and a suburb of Oklahoma City. Metro OKC’s population exceeds 1.5 million people and Dallas, one of the largest cities in the US is about 3 hours away. Many OU students drive down there for the weekend so the OP could certainly hitch a ride.
Finally, anyone who calls it Oklahoma University likely has no idea about the school other than its abbreviation.