<p>I have not yet had the opportunity to visit Rhodes (we live in CA) and am wondering if someone could give me insight into a few questions/concerns I have...</p>
<p>I crossed University of Chicago off the list because it felt far too cold and city-ish-- I vastly prefer warm, tight-knit, suburban or rural communities like Wheaton (IL), St. Olaf, Hillsdale, Claremont McKenna, etc. How urban is Rhodes?</p>
<p>How would you describe the overarching "feel" of the community? How common are intellectual discussions outside of class?</p>
<p>How clique-y is the Rhodes culture? How southern is the Rhodes culture? How well would I (a Christian, non-partying, fairly intellectual, politically conservative, Doctor Who loving gal) fit in?</p>
<p>I was hoping I could add on to that question, because I’ve been wondering along those same lines. I’ve heard a lot about how Rhode’s students are really interested in community service. Is that simply because of some sort of mandatory volunteering the school has, or is it something the students there actually support or willingly take part in? How easy would it be to get a group of kids and start a community project?</p>
<p>My daughter is a freshman at Rhodes so I’ll take a stab at your questions based on feedback from her. Hopefully a student will jump in!</p>
<p>It was very important for my daughter to find a school where she could engage in good intellectual conversation outside of class. She has found that at Rhodes but it really depends on your peer group. I called her last night but she couldn’t talk because she was on her way to a lecture with some friends. That is pure bliss for my daughter, but not everyone shares the same interests.</p>
<p>My daughter has no interest in joining a sorority but she does not feel out of place. She said some kids are cliquey, some aren’t. She feels she the majority of the kids are inclusive.</p>
<p>How urban is Rhodes? It is in Memphis but the neighborhood is more surburban than urban. It is a 10 minute drive to downtown. She can walk to the zoo, Brooks Museum, a cafe and a great park and walking path. She loves the location but wishes she had a car.</p>
<p>Community service - I think all of my dd’s friends are involved in community service. It is not mandatory but the college makes it easy to get involved by providing transportation etc… There is at least one scholarship (Bonners) that requires community service but it is not a graduation requirement for the general student body. Kids are always starting community projects. There are tutoring programs, a soup kitchen, cancer walks etc… DD just joined the sign language club which was started by a Rhodes student. DD met her best friends thru community service and community activism.</p>
<p>Southern Culture - my daughter is from New England & she definitely notices the southern culture! Rhodes is very “southern preppy”, lots of Vineyard Vines, etc… Some of dd’s friends fit this but most don’t. Her roommate is really into Anime. DD is artsy. She estimates that 60% of the girls are in a sorority, which is much higher than most of the northern schools. There are kids from all over the US so even though there is a very strong southern presence there are kids there from the west coast, north and midwest.</p>
<p>DD thinks the campus is split fairly evenly between liberal/conservative. This is based on her classes from last semester, which required a good amount of class participation. This balance is something my daughter was looking for.</p>
<p>My daughter requested the substance free dorm so she is grouped with several religious students but neither she or her roommate are religious. I think both religious and non-religious students would feel comfortable.</p>
<p>My D was accepted EA as well. We’re scheduling a visit since she’s not been on campus yet. She’s big on volunteering so I’d like to know more about those opportunities through Rhodes.</p>
<p>I lived in Memphis for 3 years and found it had a mix of cultures, which I miss since moving to Knoxville. For the size of the city, there is an abundance of museums including the Pink Palace, the River Museum at Mud Island, and the Dixon Art Gallery. And Graceland :-)</p>
<p>Memphis is urban but it’s spread out with distinct neighborhoods. Downtown isn’t overwhelmingly huge. Rhodes is in Midtown, a lovely old neighborhood with craftsman and turn of the century homes. Just like any city, there are tough neighborhoods. Mid-town isn’t one of them but there are edge neighborhoods nearby. </p>
<p>There is snow in winter but it’s not of the Chicago ice box variety or duration. My daughter struck off University of Chicago due to a serious dislike of cold weather. Memphis has four distinct seasons. A Memphis spring is out of this world gorgeous. </p>
<p>One of the great things about the city is the airport. I’m originally from the California Bay Area and would go home regularly. It was literally a 3-hour “commute” to get from MEM to SFO nonstop.</p>
<p>Warriordaughter: I haven’t been to University of Chicago so I can’t compare the two. Rhodes is situated in an older, 1900s neighborhood. The campus itself is Hogwarts reinvented. I was there to recruit students to work at the River Museum and also for a couple events. When I lived there I’d walk/run the neighborhood. It’s lovely.</p>