<p>Anyone planning on applying to Hendrix for the Class of '11? My D is planning on filling her application out very soon.</p>
<p>Hey there, ArkansasMom. Best of luck to your D. My DD is there (freshman) and couldn't be happier. Keep posting and let us know how things are going!</p>
<p>My D is also applying. She discovered Hendrix in some college guidebooks & thinks it sounds very cool. Of course, AK is a vastly different place than our home of MI ... if she is accepted & decides it's a top choice, she will absolutely have to fly down for a visit.</p>
<p>Here is a silly, but important, question ... what's the weather like down there?? We northerners worry about heat & humidity!</p>
<p>Tell us what drew your D to Hendrix, Splashmom. Thanks.</p>
<p>My application is in already. Best of luck to your daughters!</p>
<p>Our DD could not be happier than she is right now. Hendrix truly is the perfect school for her. It's small (~1,100 students), offers great academics, great scholarship opportunities, is politically active, liberal, has a beautiful campus and very friendly faculty/staff/students. Believe it or not, my daughter the vegetarian loves the food there. As for the weather, it was very hot and humid when we moved DD in mid-August, but DD said the weather hasn't been bad. It was absolutely lovely and pleasant when we visited for family weekend recently. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have and I'm sure my DD would be happy to answer any questions your DD may have. I am a huge proponent of the overnight visit. Good luck to your DD, kelsmom, and good luck to you whoopigsooie. </p>
<p>Here is an excerpt from a report I posted last year, kelsmom. I hope it will be helpful to you.</p>
<p>*We left Wednesday around midday and drove to Conway, Arkansas (~6 hours) for DD to do an overnight at Hendrix College. Although the books all made it sound like a perfect fit, DH and I were secretly hoping she would fall in love more with Rhodes or Centre (what can I say ... they're closer to home). WELL, let me just say that we are ALL sold 100% on Hendrix. WOW!</p>
<p>We had called prior to our scheduled time to let them know that traffic in Little Rock had slowed us down and we would be approximately 30 minutes late. When we arrived, DD's host had needed to leave for a brief meeting, so a senior male representative, who now feels like a family friend, suggested he help DD carry her belongings to host's dorm and meet up with her there, but not before we were all invited to sit down and just chat about what type of school DD was looking for. From the moment we arrived on the Hendrix campus, we were made to feel so very comfortable and welcome. DH and I were fully prepared to do nothing more than drop her off and pick her up as was suggested in the "Overnight Visit ... What to Expect" thread a few days ago, however they were having none of that. They suggested DH and I return the next morning at 9:30 so we could speak with the admissions counselor, as well as a Hendrix student, while DD attended a class.</p>
<p>The moment DH and I got in the car, we both claimed to know that Hendrix is the school for our daughter. We had both hoped so much that she wouldn't love it, but we came away loving the school and its people as much as DD did. We went to dinner and then on to the hotel, trying to familiarize ourselves with a town that we feel we may very well see in the future.</p>
<p>Thursday
We arrived at the admissions office at 9:30 as instructed. DD met us there and excitedly spoke of the great fun she'd had at Hendrix so far, but didn't get to talk too much before being whisked away to class. She chose "Vietnam in the 60's" - you'd have to know her to know what a perfect class that was for her. She was given a backpack to carry on campus and was encouraged to use the notebook to take notes in class. I thought this was a great idea, as carrying the backpack is supposed to give them more of a sense of belonging. Not only was DD able to read what previous prospective students had written in the notebook, she was able to tell of her own experience for future prospective students.</p>
<p>While DD attended class, DH and I met with the admissions counselor who was wonderful and friendly, and suggested to DH and I that there would be some wonderful scholarship opportunities for DD. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly and we felt so very comfortable there. We were then introduced to a junior female who couldn't have had more in common with our daughter. She is majoring in international studies and political science just as DD plans to do and will then go on to law school (just as DD plans). She's very involved in young Democrats and mock trial (just like DD!). The only thing they didn't have in common was their height (the other girl has about 6" on DD). When DD returned from class, the student who had been speaking to us introduced herself to DD and advised the admissions counselor she was going to skip a function she'd planned to attend at noon so she could tour the campus and go to lunch with us. She showed us around campus and we all met up with the admissions counselor for lunch. We spoke about campus activities, etc. and we were told that Hendrix has a social committee for the entire student body. They do not have sororities or fraternities, something that was sweet music to DD's ears. DH and I were both involved in the greek system at our alma mater, but DD really has no interest. We returned to the admissions building and DD had her interview. She then went to another building where she met with one of the professors and spoke about some of their programs, including study abroad. When she returned, we all said our final goodbyes and felt like we were leaving newly-found friends.</p>
<p>As we pulled away, DD couldn't contain herself and proclaimed that she had found the school for her! She told us of the activities in which she had participated the night before - dinner with several students, taking part in throwing a student in the fountain (a birthday tradition), going to a concert and playing volleyball. She told us that numerous students introduced themselves to her on campus as well as in the classroom and the professors made her feel welcome. She soon fell asleep from exhaustion and we made our way back to Memphis for her overnight at Rhodes. It's funny because after we passed Memphis on our way to Conway, we talked about how unsightly (sorry, I'm just being honest) the scenery is between Memphis and Conway. Somehow, on the way back, that didn't seem so noticeable.*</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the info, splashmom. My DD is also applying to Centre & Rhodes! I can sympathize about the distance. We live so far from most of the schools she likes. However, we won't stand in the way of what she wants (and we HAVE been saving our frequent flyer miles for quite some time!). The overnight visits are key, though, because if she is going to be so far away she must be sure it's the right place. She won't even look in MI. She wants a "different" experience, and we support her. It would be nice if she chooses a school within driving distance, but we'll deal with whatever she decides --- thank goodness she decided against the CA schools!</p>
<p>Centre and Rhodes are wonderful schools, too. DD had a very tough time making a final decision between Centre and Hendrix. The overnight visit is absolutely key. That was what prompted DD to remover her original #1 choice from her list completely. I agree about the distance thing; originally, DH and I hoped she would choose a closer school, but every time we speak to DD and every time we hear about the things with which she is involved, we know she made the right decision. Good luck to your DD. I'm sure she, too, will make the right decision!</p>
<p>Hello. My S is looking at Hendrix, but for Fall 08. What do you know about the scholarship opptys? I know about the Hayes, but the guidelines for the general academic scholarships seem rather vague. Does anyone know how many of those are given out and in about what range, $wise? We have three kids and one of his older sibs will be in grad school by then. Our money can only be stretched so far. Hendrix seems like it might be a good fit for him and we are going to try and see it over the holidays this year to start planning. Any help would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Welcome to the Hendrix forum, mercymom. We find Hendrix to be quite generous with merit aid. We parents discussed it quite a bit last year, so I don't mind sharing my DD's info with you. DD graduated with a 4.2 or 4.3-something (weighted), 10th in her class of almost 400, and a 33 ACT. I don't recall her SAT score, but she did better on the ACT. I can't recall the exact timeline, but I believe she applied to Hendrix sometime in October, got an invitation to apply for the Hays scholarship a week or so before Thanksgiving, got her acceptance letter the first week in December, got her scholarship letter a couple of days before Christmas, and her official Hays Weekend invitation in late January. DD was offered $12K per year for a Hendrix Academic Scholarship and $3k per year for an Odyssey Distinction award. She participated in the Hays weekend along with 80+ other applicants in February, but did not receive the award; however, all Hays participants received a $500 per year increase in scholarship funds. Hendrix also offers $1k per year for early FAFSA filing. So, in the end, here are the numbers for DD:</p>
<p>$22,618 per year - Tuition
3,730 per year - Meal Plan (we chose the unlimited plan)
3,008 per year - Housing<br>
300 per year - Activity Fee
$29,656 per year TOTAL (not including a couple of extra fees i.e. orientation fee ($425), parking decal ($40), and art studio fee ($25).</p>
<p>DD's scholarships total $18,000 per year (Academic, Odyssey, Hays Participant, Early FAFSA filer, and a small scholarship from her high school)</p>
<p>I encourage a visit to the campus and if he is still interested when the time gets close, he should absolutely overnight. In what state are you located, mercymom? In what other schools has your DS expressed an interest?</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. Right now he's only looking at Hendrix and the local state u. He will be starting the whole testing thing next week with PSAT. I think he'll do the ACT in February (that's what his school recommended). If we have to drive to Arkansas to look at Hendrix then I'd like to also see U. of Ark. in Fayetteville. They are supposed to be drowning in Walmart money, but obviously that would be a polar opposite type of campus. S has a friend from school who is a Hendrix freshman this year and he also has a friend in 11th grade with him who is interested. Once we can schedule a visit, we'll see how things look in person. Thanks for your help!</p>