We visited Rhodes twice last year with D22, once for a tour and once for a sports ID camp. What struck me as positive was that everybody was very nice and down to earth, administrators, tour guides, students, coaches. Our tour guide knew everybody, stopped and chatted with the janitors, asked about their family etc.
Rhodes is well regarded in the Deep South (where we live) and everybody I know (small sample size) that was interested in the school seems to fall into the category normal nice suburban kid. That might be seen as a pro or con! Since it seems to draw from Southern suburbia, it might lean more conservative than LACs in the NE. I have no evidence of this, just a hunch.
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Yes this was our experience during our visit - very favorable in terms of nice, down-to-earth students and everyone we met. My daughterās cousin who is a freshman loves it and while we were walking around with her everyone said hi - she knows a lot of people but also, I think everyone is just very friendly and says hi, which of course my daughter liked. Itās just not like that in the Northeast. And yes Iāve heard it may be more conservative than the NE but still relatively liberal. Thanks for your feedback, I appreciate it!
I went to Dickinson, my husband went to Rhodes and my D22 has applied to both. We live 8 hrs away from Dickinson and 5.5 from Rhodes. For my daughter, Dickinson didnāt make it into the final 2 (itās down to Rhodes and Furman). She wanted a bigger town and she wasnāt impressed with Carlisle and a 5.5 hr drive is the farthest she wants to be. Also she hates the cold. Memphis will be hot and humid in the summer. Memphis is really more city than she wants but she really likes the school and my husband says itās way safer now than when he was there! Dickinson and Rhodes are very similar, it really does come down to the location. Both have top notch study abroad programs. My husband and I often argue about whose Alma mater is betterādo you prefer beige stone or gray stone??
I chose to leave the south for Dickinson and it was a great choice for me at the time but sometimes I do regret that all of my college connections fell by the wayside because I came back to my hometown after college.
After experiencing Covid times with a S20, Iām definitely putting the closer school ahead of the one farther away. But ultimately itās our daughterās decision and Iām praying she has some kind of epiphany soon, we are almost out of time!!
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Thank you, this is helpful! I was hoping someone with experience with both schools would respond but thought it was a needle in a haystack. I really appreciate your perspective. Good luck with your daughter, we are really coming down to the wire!
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Son is at Rhodes - just graduating - and is a continent away! We didnāt see him for 16 months during Covid. However, neither did lots of parents who were a lot closer. Yes flights are a pain and he has done a fair amount of travelling in the States and very often - more often than not - had to lay-over. But heās young. I travelled around the States on the Greyhound bus. He with his flights and Ubers, even with lay-overs is living the life of Reilly 
Yes it is lovely to be able to hop in the car and maybe drive only 5 hours but when you canāt do that they have to learn to sort it out. Covid has brought out resilence in my son. His three house-mates pulled out just before move in date to go back home and he had to deal with the landlord and find three more housemates.
What I am trying to say is ādistance should not be a factorā. The best place for that child is the factor.
As regards Memphis - as a parent visiting we loved Memphis - so much to do. Though never did get to Graceland. āA house stuck in the seventiesā as someone described it and as I lived through the seventies Iām not sure I want to re-visit the shag pile and avocado bathrooms .
Son really didnāt utilise Memphis as much as we or even he thought he would. His internship was through the semester at Memphis Opera and his (ex) girlfriend pick up lots of paid work as a nanny/babysister. Do these opportunities exist in a smaller city? Donāt know.
Regarding crime yes Memphis has a bad rep. But would you stop your child going to NYC or Chicago or Boston? They could be sitting in a random Dunkin Donuts travelling from A to B and get shot. Personal safety is āpersonalā. People must make that decision for themselves. How people feel in different places is as different as people. If you feel anxious about a place then that can rub off onto others but how would you feel if they chose the alternative to appease you and then was just never āquite happyā? I donāt think this would happen here as it is obvious that they like both and canāt decide but you see my point.
If they choose Rhodes the community will ensure that they get the best out of themselves. Iām sure Dickenson will too. Son was sceptical about the ācoreā first year seminars but ended up standing in for the professor and assisting. Absolutely loved them. Nearly chose one of the subjects as a minor then at the last minute changed to English. He went to the US to get a āliberal arts degreeā as he didnāt know what he wanted to study here in Britain (system very different) and he surely did explore lots of different things. He got want he wanted and is now moving onto grad school in Boston. Rhodes got him there. We are very happy with what Rhodes provided both in money and education.
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This is what my D did at Dickinson, because at the time, she couldnāt attend the accepted students day. They arranged a full day for her, including a club. She really enjoyed it. Dickinson was a final contender.
As for the enrollment numbers, Iām not sure what is behind that, but there have been fewer students enrolling in college as a whole. Fast Facts: Back-to-school statistics (372)
There were about 1.5 million fewer students at college in 2020 than in 2010. We always hear about the colleges who admit too many students, but we are generally talking about the tippy top schools in those cases.
Dickinson has maintained a class size of around 2100-2200 for a number of years. Last admissions cycle, enrollment was back to almost 2200, which isnāt bad given the pandemic. I donāt know that Dickinson is experiencing a major long term problem attracting students.
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Thank you for your heartfelt response and congrats to your son, and to you for getting through covid with him a continent away. Our son is at Tulane in New Orleans 1200 miles away and that was stressful during covid (as well as several other health and safety challenges), but as you said, heās grown from all the challenges heās faced and so would our daughter. We absolutely intend to let our daughter make the choice. I posted because we were looking for an apples to apples comparison between the two schools, curious to know what sets them apart besides geography. We received some very helpful info and appreciate everyoneās responses!
I canāt comment on Rhodes. Dickinson was on our final list for S20. A few parts that stood out to us. Dickinson was introducing this program that we found particularly compelling. Ethics Across Campus & the Curriculum | Dickinson College
The town is undoubtedly not Memphis but does have a fair amount to offer for its size and is easily walkable. Our son is at a school in a suburb of a decent size city and has probably been to the city twice in two years.
Also, it stood out as a school where going in undecided would be a place to truly find your interest.
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Thank you to all who responded. Everyoneās input here has truly been helpful and I appreciate you taking the time. If anyone would like to message me with any other information that theyāre not comfortable sharing on a public forum, please feel free to do so. Thank you!
Please let us know where your child ends up. Congratulations again on the success in the college admissions process.
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Daughter chose Rhodes today. Visited Dickinson last Friday (third time), spent the day on campus, attended a class, talked with several students, it was a glorious sunny day, she liked it fine, but Rhodes just won her over. Happy for her to be finished with this process and she feels good about her choice.
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My daughter chose Rhodes too! Go Lynx Cats!!
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