<p>Hello! I am a considerably liberal, high achieving student from Texas. I am not the sorority type but I am interested in rushing in the fall to see if I like it! I have already been accepted to Croft and the Honors College and I am still waiting for my acceptances from Lott and the Arabic Program. My scholarship package adds up to a four year full-ride.</p>
<p>STATS:</p>
<p>ACT: 33
UW GPA: 3.53
Class rank: 41/470
I will have taken 9 APs by the time I graduate with passing scores on all of them (hopefully.)
President of Young Democrats, President of National Charity League, Varsity Golf, Class Historian, Student Council, Spanish Club, National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, Philosophy Club Treasurer, AP Scholar with Distinction etc.</p>
<p>My dilemma is that although my incentives to go to Ole Miss are spectacular, I am very interested in attending The George Washington University in D.C. I realize that the International Studies major is wonderful at Ole Miss; however, the program at GWU is ranked #9 in the world and I really did fall in love with Washington, D.C. on my visit. I will be visiting Ole Miss later this month. After financial aid, I expect GWU to cost upwards of $50,000 a year while Ole Miss will be basically free... I also really like the idea of going to football games and having a traditional college experience. SO.... What are you're thoughts? Are the incentives of going to Ole Miss too great to pass up? Will my leftist ideology make me uncomfortable at such a conservative university? </p>
<p>Your profile, and situation is similar to my daughters’ five years ago. Without getting too detailed, they chose Ole Miss because of the outstanding opportunities (Honors, Croft, Chinese Flagship and International Securities Studies to name a few) and the generous scholarships you mention above (and of course the beautiful campus and football) Their strategy was to do their very best at Ole Miss, stay out of debt and use the money saved for their future education and life. To be honest, they worried about the rankings too, but decided to take the chance with Ole Miss. They took full advantage of their professors support of their education, study abroad and internship opportunities. It was a very full and rich four years. After graduation this past May, they moved to DC to begin the government careers they desired and will most likely begin graduate school (part-time) in the fall. </p>
<p>The girls stayed in their sorority for a year and enjoyed it. But after the first year, they quickly realized that other opportunities at Ole Miss fit them better. As far as being liberal, it’s only a problem if you want it to be. My girls say that being around a wider range of people expanded their understanding and tolerance of others. Their Ole Miss experience prepared them for their 1+ years abroad and their current careers. </p>
<p>IMHO, a supportive university with strengths in your area of interest, combined with a student that takes advantage of all that is offered can trump rankings any day. Enjoy your visit and Hotty Toddy!</p>
<p>^Thanks for your response. I hate to say that rankings are impacting my decision but it is hard to ignore. Hopefully, I will fall in love with campus at my visit and it will make my decision much easier! Thanks again! </p>
<p>I understand your concern about rankings. But remember, rankings guarantee nothing. There are plenty of recent grads from even higher ranked school than GW still looking for a job. At the end of the day, it is really about the individual and what they did during their undergraduate years.</p>
<p>Enjoy your visit. Don’t be afraid to get all of your questions answered. You can always pm me if you would like.</p>
<p>My daughter is in Honors, Croft and the Chinese Flagship. What impresses me about Croft are the high expectations that the university has for the graduates of this program. Each student is required to do a substantial study abroad program during which they research their senior thesis. Every student studies their language every semester and their proficiency level is tested at the end of their program. Every student is expected to know world geography and is tested on basic knowledge in the fall of their first year. Croft has the highest admissions standards of any program in the university and has the strong support of the administration. I can’t compare it to GW because I have not researched their programs but I will say that my daughter has no interest in sorority life but has found plenty of interesting people to spend time with. She is looking forward to all the international travel and adventures that her cost savings will allow her.</p>
<p>I do think that the rankings and perceived quality of the school can be important in certain contexts. If your interest is in International Studies, GW has a better overall reputation and will provide excellent internship experiences related to your major within D.C. If you wanted to stay in Miss. or nearby after you graduate, that would be a different situation and I think that U of Miss would be an OK choice. My suggestion is that if you select Miss., it is important to have a focused plan, including a semester abroad and summer internships in other parts of country or abroad as well. University of Miss. has a good reputation in the State, but, unlike other public universities (UT-Austin, U of Michigan) this does not translate at a broader national level.</p>
<p>cg123, I agree with much of what you are saying. However, the OP is concerned about the cost of GW. I contend that The Croft Institute is a viable alternative to GW with 200K of debt for an undergraduate degree. Typical entry level positions do not typically pay high starting salaries. In this field, a graduate degree is almost a necessity, if one desires to move through the ranks. So, add another 100K on top of the undergraduate degree and yikes. Something to really think about.</p>
<p>While rankings can certainly give an edge to the average student, I believe that a person graduating from The Croft Institute can be as successful as students from those ranked schools. Internships and study abroad experiences are critical in this major. The Croft Institute is their to assist motivated students in achieving these experiences.</p>
<p>I have no desire to get into a rankings discussion here. I’m simply saying that there is more than one way for a student to achieve their goals in this field. The path through Ole Miss, Croft Institute and Honors College is a viable option.</p>