<p>SMU has a niche clientele and it gives them what they want.</p>
<p>If you don't have to have national greek organizations (but strong locals), look hard at Trinity in San Antonio. Probably the second-best college in Texas - greek scene, really pretty campus, beautiful scenery, beautiful students with beautiful brains. Enough non-conforming students to add spice but not require all to adhere to a particular vein of thought.</p>
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^ Forbes Magazine would disagree - they say that SMU is the 13th best National University, just ahead of Cornell, Duke, and MIT.
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<p>I totally agree! I mean, honestly, since when has MIT contributed as many leading real-estate agents as SMU? Engineering? Psh, like Forbes would care about something as unimportant as that!</p>
<p>I think that SMU's student happiness may have caused it to be so high.</p>
<p>Also, I'm sure most of the students who graduate from SMU end up being sucessfull financally later on in life.</p>
<p>dragonmom it seems that everything is beautiful in Trinity ! haha I'm going there this Fall 2008, and I'm really excited. I haven't visited the campus, but I've read about it, and you seem to describe it very well. What do you think is the best college in Texas ? Rice University ?</p>
<p>From what I've read, SMU is really a rich show it in your face kind of school. While there are people who are rich that go to Trinity, they do not flaunt it as much as SMU. This is of course based on what I have read and heard. A similar school to SMU might be Pepperdine, located in Malibu, California.</p>
<p>Many DFW-ians hate SMU... that or they love it.
It is located in the Richest part of the WHOLE METROPLEX(the President even has property there), these people are often snobs.
SMU is associated with these rich people, who will send their kids to these schools in order to meet and marry the kids of other Rich Parents. Creating generations of Rich people, which isn't fair.
They have since moved away from that... a little, and have become more academic... But it is still the idol school for any daddy's girl of a Millionaire. I have much family experience with SMU. My aunt used to teach there and at TCU... she teaches at Tarrent county community college now (which she likes better). She states that the kids at TCU and SMU expect you to spoon feed them, and can be very stuck up. I also have a cousin attending the school, and does not break my aunt's sterotype to say the least. What is more so, she is the daughter of my uncle who is rich and likes to show it off. He gave her a 150k wedding, i attended (he paid for some celeb chef... who wasn't even there...it tasted like applebees) and the ceremony was on the SMU campus. It is a great school, and has a beautiful campus...but...for 40k a year??? Just last weekend I went to the reception of graduation of my mom's coworker's son, who attending SMU he is sort of down to earth... but the house the reception was at(which was his parent's house) was...uhh...~BIG~ to say the least. I am thinking of applying but 40k...maybe if it did have Programs like its Business program... but it doesn't and it is sort of preppy rich people...
I don't hate SMU, my dad does (and its not cause he got rejected, he didn't even apply he went to UM and later UTSW... which is sort of why I'm in Dallas lol). I don't like the atmosphere too much.
if you want something like SMU...
the Poster above suggested a good one...Pepperdine (which doesn't flare me either) but Vanderbilt, TCU, and USC seem to hit me as similar to SMU...</p>
<p>"Also, I'm sure most of the students who graduate from SMU end up being sucessfull financally later on in life."</p>
<p>Not with English like that they don't.</p>
<p>SMU has a very strong network in north Texas, especially Dallas. Not so much outside of that.</p>
<p>MomofWildChild's post #15 sums SMU up very nicely. There are few schools that are actually off the table from the get-go for my rising sophomores, but SMU is one of them (ASU being the other).</p>
<p>Syracuse, U. of Miami & Clemson.</p>
<p>Miami?</p>
<p>that surprises me</p>
<p>Gadad -- If you read this thread again, if you don't mind my asking, what made you suggest Dickinson as a school which might be like SMU? I have a very personal reason for asking. A family member is transferring from SMU spicifically to have a different type experience from SMU, and may be about to commit to Dickinson. She doesn't want to end up at another SMU. (She didn't hate SMU at all, but some things about it just didn't go down well for her --- mainly the dominance of the Greek system.) Thanks.</p>
<p>Joe - I was thinking that to avoid the more conservative climate, the OP would have to look beyond the South. Dickinson has a beautiful campus, an apparently happy student vibe, and an active Greek system without being as thoroughly Greek-dominated as schools like its rival, Gettysburg. Of course, it's much smaller, a classic LAC.</p>
We live in a big city in the Northeast. My daughter loved SMU. It was her first choice until she saw Bucknell, where she applied and was accepted . She also liked Miami Ohio ( as a third choice )ā¦ We looked at Lafayette, Penn State, Franklin and Marshall, Elon, Gettysburg, U Miami, Tulane. Someone above mentioned to look at some of those schools as they are similar to SMU. I can not see that other than Miami Ohio. She did not like Tulane ( my feeling is that the same people will not like Tulane and SMU ). While Tulane has New Orleans, is not as well kept of a school as SMU , nor does it have the same type of students ( Tulane students donāt appear to be as clean cut ). Bucknell is an attractive school that has attractive students and a strong greek life. It is a stronger school academically than the others . In my opinion, the only thing that might keep an SMU type person from liking it as well , is that it is in a small ( but charming town with pizza places, a mom and pop upscale coffee shop with sophisticated food, some burger spots, mexican, thai , an upscale american etcā¦) town in the middle of PA, and not near a city. This was not an issue for her, and Bucknell is the perfect fit. She did not look at Wake Forest but I would think that the same āSMU typeā that would like Bucknell , would also like Wake Forestā¦ Perhaps U Richmond ??.So , my voteā¦ check out Bucknell, Wake, Richmond ā¦ SMU is a little notch below academically , so apply early to the others ! Donāt forget about Miami too ( same attractive clean cut student body with a pretty campus ).
Wake Forest. Boston College, U of Miami (Florida) .Miami-Ohio. Bucknell.
Iād suggest UGA or UT Austin.
āUnless you are attractive and the star lacrosse player at your high school you wonāt like SMUā
Well it sounds like ill be going to SMU.
I know this is an old thread, but reading the earlier posts is kind of scary. Please tell me that SMU today is a lot different than it was in 2008
I think thereās a lot of resentment on CC towards any conservative college. Mention the name Hillsdale and wait for people to pile on. On the other hand, the most liberal colleges (think Reed, Bard, Brown, etc.) are praised. Donāt listen to people; or if you listen, at least understand their bias. Go visit the school if you are interested and make a judgement for yourself.
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