<p>I am a fellow math struggler as well…know enough for my work but anything else…forget it!</p>
<p>hsmom6 How was your visit to OU? What were your son’s impressions? What other college did you visit? Would love to hear how the visit went! Thanks!!!</p>
<p>We were fairly impressed with the campus and the friendliness of the people. The food was by far the best we’ve eaten! It is a very clean, beautiful campus. The staff was amazing and designed the tour around my son’s interests. However, my son couldn’t see himself there for four years. We have moved quite a few times around the country (west coast, east coast, and upper mid-west) and it seemed that aside from the NMF’s, the students came from fairly close by. One of the professors told us that the majority (he said 85%) of the students came from the suburbs of Dallas, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City and therefore most of the job opportunities after graduation would also be in that area. I think that my son is just looking for a little more diversity. </p>
<p>Even though this school was not a fit for my son, I think that it is a very good university. I would recommend a visit for yourself because you might be pleasantly surprised.</p>
<p>Anyone accept a NM scholarship to Oklahoma (or, know anyone who did)? While the free ride for NM Scholars at OU is a financially attractive option, can anyone comment on what the academic experience was like for those who choose this option? Did the honors college live up to expectations? Was it challenging enough for brighter students? Do grads get accepted into good graduate programs? Though OU offers numerous study-abroad options, how good are they? While OU seeks to recruit NM Scholars, did it continue to provide strong support after they were enrolled? Did anyone regret choosing OU over a more expensive option? Though OU has some known strengths in certain science and engineering fields, I’d especially be interested in hearing more about the experiences of arts & sciences majors. (Since NM Scholars at OU—or people that know some—might be a limited number on this forum, I’d also be interested to hear from others who were A&S majors at OU).</p>
<p>Unfortunately, we haven’t noticed many current students on this forum, so I’ll try to share some of what we have learned. OU began as a safety for our son, but is now his 1st choice along with UVa where he has been offered admission as an Echols Scholar, and where we head tomorrow for a final look.
- Anyone accept a NM scholarship to Oklahoma (or, know anyone who did)? Our son expects to, knows 1 of the 197 that did last year and has met several.
- While the free ride for NM Scholars at OU is a financially attractive option, can anyone comment on what the academic experience was like for those who choose this option? Varies, just like everywhere else. Our son has a very close friend that is a Freshman at Georgetown’s SFS. Into her 2nd semester, she has had 1 outstanding professor. Having seen Jonathan Haidt’s TED presentation, and read his book “The Happiness Hypothesis,” our son was thinking he would be able to study psychology with him at UVA. We checked. He teaches an intro class, with the rest of his teaching being graduate students. Watched an interesting interview of Jonathan Cole, former Provost at Columbia and author of “The Great American University,” during which he stated that it is the creation of knowledge, not its transmission, that has resulted in 17 of the top 20 Universities in the world being in our country. For the most part, undergraduates are not part of that process, which is why there are LACs.
- Did the honors college live up to expectations? Yes, from everyone we have spoken to. Was it challenging enough for brighter students? 200 NMS are going to make sure of that.
- Do grads get accepted into good graduate programs? Yes. It is possible to maintain a 4.0 at OU and GPA does matter for grad school. I’ve seen no evidence that grad schools adjust for a school like UVa where the average GPA is 3.31 in their College of Arts & Sciences.
- While OU seeks to recruit NM Scholars, did it continue to provide strong support after they were enrolled? Yes, and they have been amazing, from what we have learned.
- Did anyone regret choosing OU over a more expensive option? We do know of 1 student that feels socially isolated, although I doubt he would be happy anywhere.</p>
<p>Im getting really nervous!
I know based on my grades/ACT I should be waitlisted (3.36 GPA and 24 ACT and 1550 SAT with writing) but they still havent even sent me a waitlist notice!</p>
<p>I’m literally tugging at my hair haha</p>
<p>zapfino, I’m a national merit scholar currently attending OU, so I’ll try to add a little bit to what OkieDad has already said. Just some background info about me: This is my first year at OU, like most students here I am a native Oklahoman, and I chose OU over Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Georgetown, and Baylor last year.</p>
<p>Q: Anyone accept a NM scholarship to Oklahoma (or, know anyone who did)?
A: I accepted the NM offer. It was one of the main reasons I attended OU, as I did not qualify for need-based aid at my other choices. After adding a few outside scholarships, I actually end up making about $1,900 per semester here.</p>
<p>Q: While the free ride for NM Scholars at OU is a financially attractive option, can anyone comment on what the academic experience was like for those who choose this option?
A: There are some students who are serious about academics. That being said, academics definitely take a backseat to Greek life/social functions/football, at least among 1st and 2nd year students. Greek life is a HUGE deal, and it really detracts from the academic atmosphere of the school. Community/campus involvement is also a big deal, which is a plus. The problem, however, is that these organizations are Greek-dominated, as the frats/sororities control who gets to elected to student leadership positions. Non-Greeks can be very involved in community involvement if they wish, it can just be hard to get an office in a club/student government. </p>
<p>I’m not saying that no one takes academics seriously. There are quite a few Greeks and non-Greeks who work hard and contribute to the classroom experience. Overall, the academic experience is about what you could expect from a public school. The top 5% of students are as competitive academically as anywhere in the country. Another 20% try hard in class and excel academically. 35% do enough to get by, and the rest couldn’t care less about academics. It does get better as the bottom 40% starts to drop out. Not trying to be a jerk, but you can definitely see an improvement in the academic atmosphere after Christmas Break when a number of kids go home and don’t return.</p>
<p>Q: Did the honors college live up to expectations?
A: I have only taken 2 honors courses so far, but both of those classes were excellent. My honors perspectives class was challenging without being overwhelming. The second class I took is unique to the honors college. Sometimes, when guests visit OU, they will teach a 1-credit course that lasts only a week or so. These classes are typically reserved for 10-15 honors students. This semester, I was able to take a class on the JFK assassination taught by the head historian at the History Channel. There was a TON of work packed into one week, but it was by far the best class I have taken thus far. I learned more in that class than I have in any gen ed class. I’ve heard President Boren’s honors section of his government class is wonderful, but it’s VERY hard to get into as it is limited to 10 student. He does have a non-honors class, but it has upwards of 150 students.</p>
<p>Q: Was it challenging enough for brighter students?
A: On-level gen ed courses are not challenging at all to brighter students. So far, my lowest grade in a gen ed has been a 98, and I’ve yet to make below an A on any assignment/quiz/exam. My best friend’s lowest grade was a 97 last semester, and that was in econ, one of the harder courses. Basically, students who show up to class, pay attention, read the syllabus, complete assignments, and spend a little bit of time studying can make As with minimal stress. It really is amazing how few people actually do these things, though. As I said before, academics take a backseat with the majority of students. It’s always amusing to see people who never pay attention/complete assignments/study look shocked when they realize how badly they bombed an exam. Still, it can be depressing how often this happens. Staying motivated can sometimes be tough when it appears that no one else cares about the class.</p>
<p>Honors courses are a different story. Advisors typically suggest that students take no more that 2 honors courses a semester. If you want to be challenged in gen ed courses and surrounded by people who actually care about the class, you MUST take the honors sections.</p>
<p>Upper division classes are MUCH better than the lower level gen eds. The atmosphere is more serious (people actually want to be in the class) and students put forth much more effort. Not to be mean, a lot of the kids who aren’t willing to work in the gen eds tend to drop out before they advance to the upper division classes. When you come to OU, remember it is not an Ivy. It’s a public school in Oklahoma. A good number of kids from OK and TX are not at all prepared for college life. Not saying they aren’t smart. They just aren’t willing to put forth the effort. After a few semesters of partying and performing poorly classes, they leave. By the 3rd and 4th year, you’re left with the kids who are serious about classes.</p>
<p>Q: Do grads get accepted into good graduate programs?
A: If you complete the honors program, apply yourself to your studies, and maintain a high GPA, then yes, graduates do get accepted into good graduate programs. I’m involved in pre-law club. While a majority of our senior members are going to OU or OCU law next year, we do have members who were accepted to Harvard, Duke, UTexas, UChicago, and NYU. Students also do well in national scholarship competitions. This year, we had 2 Truman Scholars and 3 Fulbright Scholars. A number of OU students also win Rhodes Scholarships. It helps that President Boren was a Rhodes Scholar. He is always available to help students who apply for this scholarship.</p>
<p>Q: Though OU offers numerous study-abroad options, how good are they?
A: The study abroad options are wonderful. OU has its own summer programs in Italy, Germany, Costa Rica, Mexico, China, and Oxford that are taught by OU faculty. The Oxford and Germany programs are limited to only honors students, while the Italy program has both honors and non-honors sections. In addition to these, OU has tons of reciprocal exchange programs with universities in Spain, Ireland, England, Scotland, China, Japan, UAE, Jordan, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, Switzerland, South Africa, India, Portugal, etc… I could be mistaken, but I believe OU has more reciprocal exchange agreements that any other university in the Big 12. Because these are reciprocal exchanges, students pay OU tuition. For NM scholars, this means that tuition is waved. All students get $1,000 for travel expenses, and NMs get an additional $1,000 as part of the scholarship. Next summer, I plan on taking 2 courses either Madrid or Pueblo, Mexico. A friend of mine is finishing his European History degree in Aberdeen, Scotland this semester. Because I haven’t personally studies abroad yet, I can’t tell you exactly how good these programs are. My friend in Scotland has nothing but positive things to say about his experience, though. Another friend is going on an archaeological dig in Pompeii this summer, which should be a great experience.</p>
<p>Q: While OU seeks to recruit NM Scholars, did it continue to provide strong support after they were enrolled?
A: Yes, the NM office does a wonderful job helping scholars. They are ALWAYS there whenever you need them. If you have a question, a problem, or just want to talk, they are available. The honors advisors are also very helpful. They have access to enrollment overrides for any class. Basically, if there’s a class a NM scholar wants to take, they will be able to take it. NM scholars also have early enrollment privileges throughout their time at OU. If you have fewer than 24 credits, this doesn’t help a ton, as OU scholars also get to enroll early. But once you get above 30 credits, you pretty much get first choice of classes. Finally, NM scholars get to conduct personal research projects with OU faculty, thus enabling the student to make close connections with the professor. It’s also a nice addition to a job or grad school application.</p>
<p>Q: Did anyone regret choosing OU over a more expensive option?
A: At times, yes. Honestly, I came to OU mainly because my girlfriend came here. I know that every single advisor tells you not to go to pick a university because of your significant other, and that is certainly good advice for high school students. In the end, I decided I would rather regret not getting a prestigious undergrad degree than regretting not staying with her. So far, it has been a good decision. The college transition has been much smoother thanks to her, and I see us staying together for a very long time. Still, there are moments that I wonder what I missed by not going to Duke or Stanford. For the most part, I feel that I missed out on learning a great deal from the diverse, academically driven classmates I could have had at another school. The honors courses do help in easing some of these feelings. Also, knowing that I will be entering law school with zero debt will be nice. I am hoping to get into Duke, Georgetown, or Vanderbilt Law, so I do have reasons to stay motivated in my classes.</p>
<p>Regarding OU’s non-engineering majors, I’m a Criminology/Spanish major, so I know a little about some of OU’s art and science majors. The majors really vary by department. The journalism department is fantastic. Their building is gorgeous, and the classes can be rigorous. The meteorology department is the best in the country (where else can you go sunbathing in the morning and have a snowball fight in the evening?). The History department is…not great. I was a history major, but at the moment, there are only a few good profs. The history classes offered are not very diverse either (American history classes are nearly exclusively western US; also, surprising lack of Native American history). The professors in criminology are amazing. They are the reason why I changed majors (took a class last semester, loved it, got to know some of the faculty better). Foreign languages depend largely on what professors you get. The business department is known for having tough classes, but OU’s Price Business College is a great school. Personally, I’m a Native American and was looking forward to taking some Native American Studies classes. However, I was greatly disappointed in the quality of the intro class. The Native American language classes are very good, though they quickly fill up with people simply trying to get an easy foreign language credit. The intro English classes are pretty good, but I don’t really know if they improved my writing. The professors in that department are very accessible and work hard with students. Zoology, economics, letters, and psychology can be tough, but the professors are top notch.</p>
<p>Wow that was longwinded. If you want any more specific details, just ask, I’ll do my best to give any information I know!</p>
<p>Wow, thanks for the long response, it really gave me a sense of what the school is like. I’m considering the NM offer and you answered a lot of my questions. How would life be like for someone who isn’t interested at all in Greek life? I don’t really care that everyone else is involved with it, but if I simply do not wish to join a frat would it make a difference or be considered a huge deal?</p>
<p>Basically, the Greek system at OU breaks down like this: 25% of students are REALLY involved in Greek life. It is the center of their lives. It seems like more students are like this, but that’s just because the Greek crowd is so visible. Another 25% hate the Greek system and want it abolished. Personally, I’m in the 50% that is kind of ambivalent to the Greeks. Yes, they are annoying and do stupid things that hurt OU’s reputation. But they are also heavily involved in community service, homecoming, new student orientation, etc. The top few kids in each house are usually pretty cool people who do a lot to help the university academically and socially.</p>
<p>Not joining a frat won’t make you a social outcast here. There are lots of organizations to join, and the majority of people actually don’t rush (the first semester, it seems like everyone is Greek, but they’re actually the minority…think of them numerically like Democrats in Oklahoma). You’ll still have the opportunity to get involved and make friends. Also, there are plenty of non-Greek events on campus. Last semester, Owl City, Matt and Kim, U2, and the Black Eyed Peas all had concerts on campus (Owl City and Matt and Kim were free). Each Friday, there are free movie screenings in the Union (Youth in Revolt, Blindside, and Sherlock Holmes were the last 3). There are always a ton of sporting events going on, though football is the biggie. Speakers like Al Gore, Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Kennedy, Jim Cramer, David McCullough, Thomas Friedman, and Doris Kearns Goodwin give free presentations on campus about once a month. The Oklahoma City Thunder play NBA basketball about 15 minutes away in OKC. Most big name concerts are held in OKC also. Taylor Swift was there last month, Lady Gaga will perform in a few weeks, and Bon Jovi will be there in about a month.</p>
<p>In all, you will still have a life and make friends at OU without joining a frat. That said, a number of leadership positions in community organizations will be closed off to you. It is impossible to be president of student government or campus activity chair if you aren’t Greek. One can still be involved in these organizations, but leadership roles are out of the question. Also, if you are not a Greek, you’re sort of left out of homecoming week and parent’s week. Finally, the Greeks run in packs, so while you may have a few Greek friends, just know that your pool of friends will, for the most part, be non-Greek.</p>
<p>I’m looking at both OU and Texas A&M for mechanical engineering. I’m interested in music and theatre in addition to engineering, but as extracurriculars. I’m a NM scholar, and TAMU and OU’s scholarship packages for both of those are pretty much equal. How do the two programs compare, would you say?</p>
<p>red1raven - Great posts which our son read with interest. We spent Saturday at UVa, getting home late yesterday afternoon. This morning he informed me that he will be attending OU in the fall.</p>
<p>OkieDad- I’m glad my posts were helpful to you and your son. It’s great to hear that he’s coming to OU! As long as he stays motivated (shouldn’t be a problem for a NM), he will do fine. Plus, finishing his undergraduate degree with zero debt will be very nice. Congratulations!</p>
<p>Matt516- I never checked out TAMU, so I don’t know any specifics about their programs. The people that I do know who go there love their school, though. As far as OU goes, the engineering college just completed construction on 2 state-of-the-art facilities this semester. I haven’t had any classes in them (being an A&S major), but I know they are supposed to be world-class facilities. As far as music and theatre go, again, I don’t know much about TAMU. OU, however, has a wonderful theatre program, but it is VERY hard to get into as a major, but as an extracurricular it should not be too difficult. If you’re looking more at minoring in music/theatre, the program is very high quality depending on your professors, though there can be a lack of diverse music classes offered depending on the semester. Theatre typically has the same classes each semester. One way to see if you are interested in the program is to go to [Enrollment</a> - The University of Oklahoma](<a href=“http://www.ou.edu/enrollment/home.html]Enrollment”>http://www.ou.edu/enrollment/home.html) and check “Class Schedules” to see if you would be interested in the classes. I know OU has 4-5 drama/musical performances each semester, and the music department is always bringing in professional artists to perform/teach classes. If you need any more information, I’ll do my best to provide it!</p>
<p>I know this may be out of your area of expertise, but do you know anything about what the Linguistics department is like?</p>
<p>Forodio-Sorry, I don’t know anything about the Linguistics department. I do know that English-speaking Linguistics majors here do have to minor in a foreign language, and the language teachers can be pretty hit-or-miss. I’ve been lucky to have some good Spanish professors, but I’ve heard both good and bad things from other departments. Sorry I’m not too much help!</p>
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<p>Honestly, the two programs don’t compare–TAMU engineering is in an entirely different league than OU engineering. Just look at the (US News) engineering rankings, for starters: A&M is 17th while OU is in the 80’s, and the gap is even wider for the graduate programs. I can’t comment on music and theatre, but if engineering is to be your primary focus then TAMU is definitely the better choice.</p>
<p>Yeah I’ve pretty much settled on TAMU. I loved both schools, really. OU has a beautiful campus… much prettier one than TAMU. TAMU’s engineering programs are very superior, though.</p>
<p>red1raven, you should work for admissions! You have provided fantastic and balanced information.</p>
<p>Red Raven…have any feel if any particular computer( laptop) is better than another as far as OU is concerned? I’ve seen other threads on laptop recommendations but wanted your perspective in particular. This is for a non business non science major .OU went over what they offered and the IT they have.</p>
<p>audellmom- Thank you very much for the kind words! I hope the information is useful to you.</p>
<p>wan- For a non-business, non-science major, it’s really just a matter of personal preference. The journalism school uses primarily Macs while business and engineering use PCs for their classes. I have a MacBook Pro and it has worked out really well for me. I never used a Mac before this year, but the transition was pretty easy. Personally, I’m bigger fan of Apple products, but I do have friends who use PCs and like them. As long as you’re not going to Gaylord, Price, or the engineering college, I don’t think it matters too much. You’ll be using the same programs for most Arts & Sciences classes anyways (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and a photo-editing software).</p>
<p>EDIT: Also, for foreign language classes, a video-editing program is helpful.</p>
<p>My daughter has decided to attend OU in the fall for there Ballet Program. She is very excited! We loved the traditional campus setting and the college town! The school of fine arts is wonderful!</p>