<p>Hi Parents, I posted this question on the College Search forum and was suggested to post here as well.</p>
<p>I am a community college student looking to apply to transfer for Fall 2011, and one of the schools I'm seriously considering is Sewanee. However, since I do not live in the South, there's scant information on the school.</p>
<p>For those of you who have children or knew someone who has kids attending this school, can you elaborate on the school, whether it is academics, social life, or just the area in general so I can get a sense of the school, that would be great.</p>
<p>I’ll do it for you. Type what you want and I’ll change it (moderator) but it might not be 'til tomorrow. Only keep the words “new here” as they attract attention. Just add the specifics you want for the additional title. Keep it reasonably short (see others)</p>
<p>The campus is unbelievably gorgeous and there is TONS of outdoor activities available (hiking, rock climbing, etc. etc.) but not much else in terms of attractions in or around Sewanee. The town itself is very small, but there’s a Walmart nearby, a Sonic, and a few other shops. Basically, it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere (which was fine but-)</p>
<p>Sewanee has a huge drinking culture, partly because there are few attractions in the immediate area around the school. My friend goes there and it’s basically “Old Southern money with beer.” Many of the students are very wealthy/well-off and you can definitely see this in the way that everyone seems to uphold the “unofficial dress code” of the University (i.e. you see boys walking around in expensive Vineyard Vines shirts and girls in Lily Pulitzer). Not everyone looks like that, for sure, but you should be aware. </p>
<p>I don’t drink and I’m not old Southern money, but I loved the school. PM me if you have questions.</p>
<p>son and i visited after his junior year. Incredible architecture!! beautiful campus. education is reported to be excellent. If you are an out doorsy person, you couldnt ask for more…they provide all equipment you could ever need for hiking, biking, caving etc. But very rural!! The town is the college. in fact i think the dean is also the mayor of the town or at least was. the faculty lives on campus. The have some wonderful traditions, like wearing gowns if you have a certain gpa.
Unfortunately for son, he has very bad allergies, and all that nature would have left him permantly sneezing. he also wanted an urban area.</p>
<p>However, my son likes to have lots of off-campus hangouts to go to, and there is nothing there. He gets bored just eating campus foods, so he likes to have lots of off campus choices.</p>
<p>Are all Southern LAC’s preppy and have that country club feel to it then? What about schools like Furman or Rhodes? Would they be like that also?</p>
<p>Also, if its really middle of nowhere, how does one get to the school if they’re not from Tennessee?</p>
<p>@ mom2collegekids, I’m pretty sure my parents’ budgets is quite large, considering both my sisters went to expensive private schools and neither of my parents have complained ever…(one went to Pepperdine and the other is graduating from USC next year)…I don’t know if I want to go to another expensive school yet, I’m just looking around for prospective schools…</p>
<p>I don’t know if I want “preppy” per se, but definitely want to apply to 1 LAC, I originally wanted to apply to one of the New England ones (think Connecticut College, etc) but most are way too competitive for transfers, so I’m looking elsewhere</p>
<p>rhodes is a very beautiful campus… right across from memphis zoo. memphis would have all the night life that sewanee lacks. if son had chosen lac, it would have been rhodes. curmudgeon is a poster that could tell you alot about rhodes. read the posts in the “colleges” section</p>
<p>Sewanee has all the wonderful outdoor activities and scenery that Rhodes lacks. It’s just a matter of what you want. If you have not experienced much southern culture, you might be in for a little bit of a shock, but there are also a number of northeasterners and Texans et al at both Sewanee and Rhodes.</p>
<p>Rhodes looks incredibly difficult to get into, according to College Board. Is it because they are extremely competitive due to limited slots or is it because there’s a wide range of applicants with different academic records (sort of like the transfer applicant pool for USC).</p>
<p>Is it this competitive for freshmen admissions as well?</p>
<p>So what would be considered a competitive GPA for admission? 4.0? 3.9? I’m sure standards for transfer is totally different from first-year but a ballpark figure would be nice.</p>
<p>I guess it is pretty competitive to gain admission then.</p>
<p>I am a Sewanee graduate of a few years and signed up to the forum specifically to answer this question.</p>
<p>Sewanee should definitely be on your list if you are interested in LACs in the South. Having said that, it is a very unique place and while 90%+ alumni seem to love it, it is honestly not for everyone. A campus visit is absolutely essential and you will probably know by the end of your visit whether you really want to go there or if you should move on.</p>
<p>Pros
Simply put, the vast majority of people who go there love it. Alumni are very strongly bonded to the place and people.
The faculty is absolutely outstanding, highly accessible and dedicated. Therefore, the academics are challenging but very enlightening.
It is, again, a very unique place. I have been to many similar campuses but nowhere seems to be quite the same. It sticks with you and draws you back over time.
Non-alumni who know the school tend to think very highly of it. This has come in handy in grad-school and job applications.</p>
<p>Neutral
Social life is highly active, but you are after all on a rural campus. 80% of the campus is Greek, yet there is a surprising diversity within the Greek culture since, again, 80% of the students are involved. Alcohol is common but drugs are not especially prevalent. There are a couple of “Cheers”-like restaurants in town, but there are no nightclubs or bars, so almost all activity is on-campus. Students tend to either love the social life here, or hate it. Usually depends on their taste in what is “fun”.
Along similar lines, you will either love or hate the dormitories. There are almost no off-campus living options and no cable TV, which is are good things in my view. These are true dormitories, not apartments.
Living there is like 4 years of adult summer camp. Take that how you will.</p>
<p>Con
Though there is financial aid available, it’s still an expensive school.
I knew many non-drinkers there, who enjoyed the place and went on to do great things there, but Sewanee has a long-established drinking culture and is not a place for teetotalers.<br>
The school keeps its secret a little too well sometimes. Due in part to a small-time sports scene, it doesn’t get much national press.
The population is becoming more diverse, but it’s still pretty homogenous.<br>
Culture shock can be an issue at first for non-southerners. </p>
<p>Overall I could not endorse the place more strongly to someone who has visited and is agreeable to what it offers. What you see is what you get with Sewanee, it really is what the brochures claim – beautiful, cultured, challenging, life-changing. I’m happy to answer questions via email.</p>