I just finished my first year at University of Iowa and did not like it. To begin, I’m hispanic, from Chicago, conservative (politically), history & political science major, in Air Force ROTC and Air National Guard so I have intentions to commission as an officer and pursue a career in the military.
I didn’t like Iowa because it has zero culture to it. It’s all corn fields and the states most prized possession is Iowa State and the Hawkeyes. Being from Chicago, this bored the hell out of me. However I enjoyed the bar scene and the fact that you didn’t have to be in Greek life to have fun. I also loved the football games! I just wasn’t a fan of staying in the midwest (it lacked major diversity and everyone was basically from the midwest).
I have always been interested in Southern culture. The issue is people say Ole Miss is racist and on top of that I know nothing about there academics. Acceptance rate is high- is the education good?
Ole Miss is heavily Greek I believe.
I think calling any college “racist” outside of a few like Bob Jones, which supported apartheid, is a big stretch. Ole Miss has many people you could call conservative, as is Mississippi generally, but it is also a college town with many intellectuals, writer,s artists, etc. The bigger culture shock is being from Chicago going to a college town in Mississippi.
It’s plenty Southern, but not exactly diverse. If u were bored in Iowa City, Oxford MS probably won’t thrill u either. Have you checked out the state universities in Florida? They are more diverse, and tend to be in bigger cities. I’d start with U of South Florida in Tampa & Florida International U. in Miami. After those two, I’d check out Florida Atlantic University, U of Central Florida, & Florida State.
What exactly do you refer to as diversity though? Because I’m talking domestic, not international. There were plenty of internationals at Iowa which was great, but a domestic mix would be nice too. My friend from Ole Miss said there’s plenty from around the nation. But I was also looking into FSU, I was just nervous it’d be too much of a party school
@usaf5445 the biggest thing you need to do is visit the campus. It sounds like you’re getting some very stereotypical responses, and you have to set foot on the campus and meet people for yourself to make the decision. Ole Miss has over 20,000 students on campus so there are students from all over the country as well as internationally. It’s good to ask for advice on these types of things, but you will be the one attending the university so set up a visit soon. You may also want to talk with the ROTC people on the campus. Ole Miss has strong poli sci / public policy programs and a law school on the campus. You can find a party anywhere if you’re looking for it. Ole Miss is an SEC school known for a great social scene so you can have a good time whether you are greek or not. I can’t stress you visiting campus enough.
Exactly, come visit Ole Miss, we are from Columbus OH and I will have 2 kids there this fall. My sons best friends there are from Chicago, Little Rock, West Palm, San Francisco, St Louis and Boston. You will find more racial issues In Chicago then Oxford, The ROTC program is very strong there also. Much more culture than Iowa City. The game day atmosphere in Oxford in the fall will blow you away and they average about 7,000 per game in baseball as well.
You don’t have to join Greek life to have fun; however, it’s a big deal. As for academics, it depends on which program(s) you’re interested in pursuing. For example, University of Mississippi’s Center for Manufacturing Excellence (CME) program is pretty high quality and most students love the community aspect of it. (CME includes Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, etc., but not General Engineering.) Also, the Croft Institute for International Studies is great. I don’t know if they allow transfer students to join Croft, but I’m sure the information is on the website. If you’re entering your junior year, I’d recommend applying for the Honors College. Great community, free printing, access to full kitchen, etc. and the honors classes requirements are way relaxed for junior entry. Patterson School of Accountancy is another strong undergraduate program at Ole Miss. It’s currently ranked in the top 10 nationwide.
As previous users have mentioned, Oxford isn’t a cultural hub by any means, but Memphis, TN is only an hour drive and it’s known for music, food, entertainment. In general, while Ole Miss isn’t a very academic institution, it is more diverse and inclusive than most would imagine. While you will meet many many people from small-town Mississippi, you will also frequently encounter students from Ohio, Florida, Arkansas, Illinois, etc. From your post, it sounds like you might enjoy attending college in an urban setting. Since you’re keen on the South, I would recommend looking into colleges in Florida, University of Alabama-Huntsville, University of Alabama-Birmingham, University of Memphis, as well as schools in Texas like UT-Dallas.
I agree with other users who suggested visiting Oxford and University of Mississippi for yourself. Best of luck