We are from the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and my daughter has some interest in going out-of-state for college. There are a significant number of kids from our area who go to Ole Miss, but my daughter is interested in equine science, so I thought we would consider State. It seems like a smaller version of Texas A&M to me (strong agriculture and engineering, lots of school spirit with a down home vibe), but I have not spent any time on the campus or in Starkville. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who has been there or who has kids at State.
Also, I would like some feedback on getting to and from Starkville. I have explained to my daughter that if she went out of state then coming home more than once a semester would not be an option. I told her that if she is worried about the convenience and frequency of coming home then she should stay closer to DFW. Nevertheless, I would like to hear about anyone’s experience with travel to and from State not only for their kids but for themselves (visiting for parents’ weekends, football games, etc.).
My DS is at State and my youngest plans to attend next year (praying things return to normal so he can). This discussion board has not been very active the last few years.
You get the big school vibe without the large number of students like Texas A&M. It’s truly a family atmosphere.
My son came home 3 times freshman year and then twice after that. After freshman year, he went home with friends for Thanksgiving and just came home two weeks later for Christmas. He was very involved on campus so that kept him busy and never really talked about coming home outside. We are 13 hours away so we haven’t travel to any special family events. Hubby visited one weekend and We visited back in the fall on a football game weekend and had a blast. I wish we could have visited more but it wasn’t financially feasible for us.
Starkville is very small town but a typical college town with plenty of restaurants. There is a Walmart but not a large mall or Target. We always go to Little Doey, a popular bbq restaurant, for dinner. It’s not a fancy place but very popular and food is really good.
Definitely plan a visit to experience the vibe of the small town. MSU offers excellent scholarships which is why they have a out of state students from all over.
Hi! My daughter was also accepted into the Engineering program at MSU. She applied to A&M, but still waiting. We like the smaller size of the chill but same school spirit and feel as A&M. We are in the Houston area. Our concern is the distance as well.
Our DD didn’t apply to A&M due to the size. She is loving her time at MSU. We didn’t know anyone from the school but she has made friends quickly. We like the school a lot. There is a solid parent group not only from Texas but all around who always are willing to help someone else’s kid. There are so many opportunities to get involved in the engineering program and school-wide. From door to door we are 8.5-9 hours away, we went there for Thanksgiving and will go up there for Easter. The drive is pretty easygoing unless you choose to go through Louisiana on 10. We like the drive via going through Shreveport or Alexandria.