Sewanee - Info Please

Parents Forum
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<p>Hey, current Sewanee senior replying.</p>

<p>Everything in here is pretty much spot on… the dress code is not that strict. In fact, the strictest the dress code gets is during fraternity pledgeships (second semester as we have delayed rush) – a few of the fraternities require their pledges to wear class dress during pledgeship. </p>

<p>There is a lot to do on the weekends. Sports events are well attended; groups go hiking, canoeing, caving, hang gliding, etc (the Outing Program has weekly sign-up sheets for different activities of every skill level); there are always a few bands or groups playing music at Greek locations, Stirling’s Coffee House, in Guerry Auditorium; this weekend is a campus-wide lip-syncing contest; the program board puts on events every week (outdoor movie on a giant stone wall with free dip-n-dots, laser tag in Manigault park, pottery night) as does the pub (karaoke, trivia nights, bands at the pub). Then the Sewanee Union Theater has a different movie every weekend ($3 admission) and a classic movie on Thursday nights (free). Of course there is also a ton of community service that goes on during the weekend (Housing Sewanee and such). That being said, you will find plenty of people lounging around fraternities and sororities enjoying the nice weather.</p>

<p>Honestly, compared to my friends at large state schools or city schools I feel like I have more to do on the weekends since it’s not just going to the same bar every night. I have only had limited experience at those larger schools, though!</p>

<p>It’s a suitcase school… every weekend I see a number of people from different state schools and friends of students with their suitcases on campus. </p>

<p>You can definitely be as involved as you want to. Sports take up a considerable amount of time (I am in a varsity sport), but it’s definitely not life-encompassing like at a D1 school. Some teams are pretty competitive (Football team broke even this year I think? Rugby almost always wins, the equestrian team is one of the best in the nation, crew is strong, new squash team is excellent, tennis doubles are great, new golf course is underway). </p>

<p>Fraternity and sorority life is definitely unlike other places. There are no guest-lists – all parties and events are open to the whole campus; we have deferred/delayed rush. There are both fraternities and sororities that are about as far from the “Animal House” frat as you can possibly imagine. One sorority has ice-cream socials and doesn’t drink, for instance.</p>

<p>The academic work load is considerable but manageable. Most students have classes some time between 9 AM and noon, so a lot of students use nice days to do work out in the sun during the afternoon. There are definitely the rare all-nighters for almost any student, though. My professors are all friends, and with a little time management are all willing to work with me on classwork. </p>

<p>I hope this post was coherent. I’m procrastinating from work I ought to be doing . . .</p>

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<p>Ssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhh…this was supposed to be one of those schools we keep close to the vest for our younger nieces and nephews! I love this school…toured and visited after all mine were already in college…sssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!</p>

<p>Kat</p>

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<p>visited Sewanee…beautiful…only complaints from my kids were: in the middle of nowhere…not much to do off campus besides nature stuff (which is fine, but not for day to day)…too few dining choices (I think there’s only one dining venue on campus) and since there isn’t much off-campus, that was an issue for them. (I have boys…they do care about FOOD!)</p>

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<p>My daughter has visited several times officially and has also spent the weekend there with a friend in an unsanctioned visit, just as another kid. She originally balked at visiting the school but fell in love her first time on campus. She isn’t a partier or a drinker but has fallen more and more in love with the school each visit. I wrote a fairly long post about her weekend visit with friends about halfway down the page here, <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-south/1235682-who-applying-ea-5.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-south/1235682-who-applying-ea-5.html&lt;/a&gt; . I hope that helps some from a High School senior’s perspective.</p>

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<p>Thanks cajunking!! That was wonderfully informative post!! I love it when current students post on here… that way you get the info from the horses mouth. It sounds great!!</p>

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<p>So great to read more info on this school!</p>

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<p>For those of you with underclass students thinking of Sewanee, there is a PHENOMENAL FREE(!!)opportunity to get to know it via its wonderful summer Bridge program in Science. It’s a program meant for rising seniors who belong to a minority group, which apparently at Sewanee includes Asian-Americans and Caucasian women.
Info here: [The</a> Bridge Program in Math and Science at Sewanee](<a href=“Sewanee”>Missing • The University of the South)
My son attended and had a fabulous experience. The students live in the dorms and take a couple of classes and do a group research project with full professors (whose teaching got a big thumbs up, BTW). The kids have full run of the campus, including the gyms, pool, and of course the incredible Domain. The program takes them on all sorts of fun “field trips”, including marching in the town’s 4th of July parade. The only cost for the three week program was the RT airfare and a tiny bit of spending money for souveniers. Also, according to the admissions officer who met with the Bridge participants at the end of the session, Bridge kids have a very very very high rate of acceptance to the school and are guaranteed a $5000 per year scholarship. I don’t know much about the whole “frat feel” but the students who worked as RAs during the summer were very down-to-earth and inclusive. Oh, ant they will fly you back in November for a “Bridge Reunion” so you can see the campus during the school year. Unbelievable. I am grateful for the great experience my son had and for the friends he made and still keeps in touch with. I kinda wish he was going there in the fall but he got into his dream school. PM me if you have any questions.</p>

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<p>DD was accepted to Suwanee in 2008 with nice scholarship offer and had 5 friends from our private school who are there and will graduate soon. The observation about the Episcopalian church’s more liberal stance vs. the more conservative student profile is a bulls-eye ( and I am Episcopalian). We have a number of friends who are Suwanee grads-here is what I understand the situation to be. It is very Greek-and while I don’t doubt it’s inclusive to some degree, your s/d needs to be comfortable with the Greek environment if they choose NOT to rush. </p>

<p>The alcohol/drinking issue is a major issue, from what we know. Like a prior poster said, it is very rural and remote, which lends itself to a lot of opportunity to party. The flip side is the school is known for it’s pre-med program as well as it’s English and writing department. I believe there have been several Pullitzer prize winning authors from Sewannee. ( Former Newsweek editor John Meachum is an alum. and I think on their BOD). The school does very well in graduate admissions to medical and law school. </p>

<p>In short, if your student likes a beautiful, but small and remote campus, loves an academic challenge and can be comfortable with the social scene-it is a great place. I believe they recently hired the former president of Middlebury as their new president.</p>

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<p>And there is a seminary on campus. This was the most beautiful school we toured. Child hated the dress code and the location (remote). </p>

<p>Did I mention it was like walking around in Heaven? It is located on top of a mountain between Chattanooga and Nashville.</p>

<p>We found a Sonic about 30 minutes away and a small boring town in one direction – it is OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF GORGEOUSNESS AND NOWHERE.</p>

<p>And the kids we know who went there confirm there is lots of drinking. I also felt that the rec center/gym facilities were pretty basic.</p>