<p>In part due to long ago suggestions from CCers, S, a junior is considering applying to Rhodes College and we'd like more info from those familiar with it. Thus far, it's seeming like a good match school for S, a junior, who also was impressed when an adcom visited his school.</p>
<p>S wants to be in a college where classes are small and students have easy access to professors. He would prefer an urban or suburban environment. S has a strong community service and leadership background. </p>
<p>We have 2 concerns about Rhodes: the large number of Greeks (S doesn't want a party atmosphere) and the lack of minorities. S is black and enjoys being in a very diverse community.</p>
<p>S is in our county's most rigorous program, has top 3% SATs, and has grades hovering around a 3.0 unweighted. His interests include psychology, art, engineering and education.</p>
<p>Rhodes is not convenient for us, but we may look at it during spring break.</p>
<p>I used to "know" a math professor from Rhodes from online discussion. He caught my notice because I had visited the campus years before on a business trip. I liked the look of the campus, and generally liked Memphis. The math professor seemed to be very conscientious, a good mixture of a researcher and teacher who cared about teaching. (But I see, checking the Rhodes Web site, that he is no longer there. I think I recognize the name of one of the other professors.) </p>
<p>As to the diversity concerns, I myself was struck how much higher the percentage of "white" people was on the campus than in the city of Memphis as a whole (but this was back in the mid-1980s). Where I live much farther north, it is encouraging to see a greater variety of people year by year in the city generally, and on the university campus I attended. But the sociological reality of that particular campus is something you would definitely want to investigate for yourself. Sometimes people can be physically close while still being socially distant. </p>
<p>Good luck to your son in the college search.</p>
<p>Northstarmom - Check Rhodes art offerings carefully. When my daughter looked at it, most art classes were taken through the Memphis college of art. I also tried to send you a PM but your box was full.</p>
<p>Carolyn,
If you want to PM me, my box is available now. Until your comment, I didn't realize it was full.
I don't understand why a college in a city with such a large black population and so much black history so lacks diversity.</p>
<p>I wondered the same when I visited Chicago, where I didn't notice many blacks on the campus. But for Rhodes, maybe it is because they look at a national pool of applicants and not a city-wide pool?</p>
<p>I think that Chicago's lack of blacks is due to the fact that very few black students have the high stats that Chicago requires. In addition, those few black students are likely to go to HPYSMIT and Northwestern and aren't going to want to be in a quirky place "where fun goes to die." The lack of sports also makes it less attractive to many blacks.</p>
<p>I can't figure out the dearth of blacks at Rhodes, though. Its average stats are low enough to make it suitable for a larger group of black students. Since it's in an urban area with a large black population, it doesn't have the isolation or cold weather problem that most LACs have. Perhaps what's going on is a marketing problem. Most people haven't ever heard of Rhodes.</p>
<p>There's also a chance that the blacks who apply to Rhodes also apply to Emory and are accepted there. Atlanta would be considered the more desireable city to many, and Emory also has the better reputation.</p>
<p>It may be that blacks interested in Greek life wouldn't want a LAC, but would want a big sports power.</p>
<p>Blacks not interested in Greek life might not want an LAC known for Greek life.</p>
<p>I am surprised to find on the web site that there are black Greek organizations there, at least 3 black sororities and at least 1 black frat. Further reason for S to not be interested.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, there are a number of very fine colleges that do not have the diverse communities that the top colleges have. They seem to fall into that space that Rhodes occupies in academic profiles. My friend whose son was looking for LACs in the Midwest that would take an average student found that they were all appallingly lacking in African Americans, and that some in the south still seemed to have "separate but equal" facilities as far as dorms and Greek organizations. I know a lot of schools allow for special interest housing that includes ethnic groups and the outcome often comes to that. I don't like that situation either, but it is something that the black students seem to voraciously support. I know that this has been a subject of debate at Cornell, for instance.</p>
<p>But some schools that are outstanding deals like James Madison, Miami of Ohio, Ohio University, Rhodes, Sewanee, Mary Washington, StMary's of Md, College of Charleston, Stetson, Elon are very lacking in diversity. One reason I think for this is that many of the URMs who would fall in this niche have "moved up" in selectivity of colleges leaving this gap as the standards of these schools is such that they could easily provide fine educations for kids who do go to more selective schools which what makes them such gems. My friend whose children are of average stats, I know, cannot really afford to send their kids to private schools, make a bit too much to get financial aid, and their kids really cannot get merit aid with their stats. That is what happens with many of those kids. </p>
<p>Rhodes is a wonderful school. My son visited it with H, 5 years ago and liked it very much. It might be worth a visit. That is a school that does have some generous merit awards as does Grinnell, Trinity (in Texas) and a few other schools of that sort. But in these schools where there is not much diversity, a student of color does need to visit to see how he would feel and fit in. Schools with a heavy Greek population should also be visited, and parents with kids who could have problems in that scene might beware as a wild weekend visit there by the kid could seal the deal for him for the wrong reasons. </p>
<p>Do let us know about Rhodes when you do visit as it is a school on my list of good admissions values.</p>
<p>Northstarmom - I agree with Jamimom 100%, both as someone who has visited Rhodes, and as a Southerner. It is incredibly hard for the schools she listed to recruit black students for all the reasons she listed - I would add only one other, fierce loyalty by black alumni to HBCUs, it is a tradition in the South to go where your parents went to school, join their frat/sor, etc, and it is a powerful tradition.</p>
<p>I think the Greek scene will be less an obstacle than the lack of URMs. Rhodes is an academically rigorous school attracting students with high expectations (whose parents also have quite high expectations), that doesn't completely stop the partying, but the number of kids who are only there to party and make connectins is much less than at Southern state schools - eventually everyone buckles down and goes to class or flunks out or leaves for a less rigorous environment.</p>
<p>After our second visit, my daughter commented on the lack of diversity in the car back tothe hotel (we are white, but she has gone to a private school with a relatively diverse population, although few African-Americans), and we had a spirited discussion about this topic - why wasn't it more diverse, what could they do to change that, and why it might be difficult to change.</p>
<p>I stopped by Rhodes while on business in the area last year and found it very beautiful -- it appeared very Greek-oriented and white, however. Your son might try to contact black students on campus and ask them about their experiences there. Another school that comes to mind is Berea College in Kentucky, which is gorgeous and not far from Lexington where UKY is in a beautiful area. It is extremely service-oriented and very racially diverse. Highly recommended. Students were very friendly and down to earth, and financial aid is excellent.</p>
<p>Dear Northstar, I agree fully with Jamimom's assessment of Rhodes. SI visited and loved the campus, we ordered the video and were impressed by the apparent attempt to display diversity. Still, it is difficult to bring URMs to small campuses like Rhodes and its direct competitor, Sewanee, with which I am very familiar. This is an important issue to my son, who like Cangle's D is white and who wants to experience in college the blessings diviersity has brought to his high school. Rhodes does offer good merit aid, and that, should it pan out, might be the deciding factor. Rhodes places a lot of emphasis on community service activities IN college, which also is very attractive to S.</p>
<p>You might look at Hendrix in Arkansas, which seems to go farther in allowing a great deal of individual expression. My S crossed it off the list as he really likes the notion of the city (we are in a very rural area) but I have several friends whose kids love it there. It also comes with a very favorable price tag. Loren Pope mentions Hendrix in College's That Change Lives, if you have access to that book.</p>
<p>A southern school recently recognized for its diversity and also on my list as a top buy is UNCAsheville, Northstarmom. Don't know that much about the school but it is one of the few public LACs and is supposed to be great school. Don't know about availability of merit aid, but the price even for out of staters is nice.</p>