My D is looking at Sewanne and we have a few question.
With Sewanee being so isolated and pretty much everything happening on campus, what is the evolution of a Sewanee student as they reach Junior and Senior year. I know older students are quite different from their Freshman selves, especially after experiences like being abroad for a semester. What is offered for the older students that allows them to grow beyond the dorm life and fraternity life that they may experience Freshman and Sophomore year? I know four years is a relatively short time in ones life, but most college experiences include moving into off campus housing and becoming more independent Likewise from a social aspect, older student tend to move further away from the loud and crowded campus parties as the bar scene comes into play. Obviously at Sewanee these opportunities are very limited, so how do older students grow outside of the classroom?
As far as academics are concerned, Sewanee seems to be on par with what I might call some of the second tier Liberal Arts colleges (i.e. top 25-50 and relatively strong academically) and my daughter definitely values that. However, while she wants an intellectual student body and strong programs, she also wants a well rounded student body that is not tied down with work so much that they don’t experience all college has to offer. Seems like there is a good balance between the work hard and the play hard, but how would you describe the students? Is there an overly intellectual feel?
Thanks for your help.
This is an excellent question. Isolation comes up frequently in discussions about Sewanee, far more often IMO than discussions about Middlebury, Kenyon, and Grinnell which are equally, or more, isolated depending on how one looks at it. I suspect some of that might be due to a regional bias of sorts–Appalachian rural just feels more rural to people from outside the south.
I would say there is an approptriately intellectual feel, but not overly so.
My D is finishing up sophomore year at Sewanee. She has valued the quality of her education, the friendships she has made, her athletic team, and the accessibility of her professors. But she has experienced the negative aspects of the “mountain” bubble as well - a perceived sense of entitlement from some students who don’t seem particularly interested in the issues of the wider world, and a realization that the college has to work harder to engage with the outside world than, say, one in an urban environment. She spent part of spring break visiting a HS friend at college in NYC and saw first hand what she is missing. Yet, Sewanee provides a unique experience most grads won’t replicate again in their lifetimes as they go on to work in urban centers.
My D is studying abroad this summer. And I tell her that although 32 of her 52 weeks in each of the next two years are on campus–what she does with the other 20 are up to her.
@MidwestDad3, I am PMing you. Thanks.
Son is a freshman at Sewanee. So far he loves everything about the place - professors, dorm friends, teammates - everything. He is thriving grade wise and social wise. I can see the isolation becoming somewhat of an issue later in his tenure but right now everything is new to him. Yes they do get bored with eating at McClurg every day, so they have branched out to drive to local towns for meals a few times a week.
I’m not sure how to answer your questions about older student. I know there is no bar scene outside campus - everything socially happens at the fraternity houses on campus.
As far as work hard/play hard I think that is exactly what Sewanee is. They do study hard, and with classes of 10-15 you better come prepared to discuss the topic at hand. But I know they play hard as well - all fraternity parties (with the exception of the formals) are open to all students, and my son tells me that is true. He goes to many different houses during the weekend and has never felt out of place.
They stil have a tradition of academic dress, although it is dying slowly as some students wear shorts and t-shorts to class now. they also still have the tradition of the Order of the Gown for those students with top grades. Right now that is his quest to get into the Order after his freshman year.
In the fall he had a lot of free time, but in the Spring he is so involved with his sport that he doesn’t really have time for a lot of social stuff - between school and ball he is booked solid.
Let me know if you have any specific questions and I’ll try to respond further.
Thanks for the insights Midwestdad3 & Maroon79. Seems like there are strong acedemics, but the students also find time to enjoy themselves and participate in other activities. I also really like (and agree) that it is a unique experience with tradition to really tie it all together. Not something you will find everyday once you graduate.
Would still love to hear about anyone’s experience as an upper classman.
Thanks again
Giving this one more try;
Would still love to hear about anyone’s experience as an upper classman.
Thanks again