<p>to sum up opinions I've read through out the year or so, of the student body, it seems most people would say thaaaaaat:
-everyone is quite friendly and open
-it is possible to generalize a decent amount of the population with the phrase(s) white/rich/conservative, but there are still other sorts of people out and about
-greek life is there but not necessarily a majority, or a "make or break" in terms of making friends. </p>
<p>(is this overall accurate?)</p>
<p>anyways, all of these details seem..fine...but...</p>
<p>I am personally wondering, as a new jersey native without the "in-state context" of SMU (meaning while I can spout common opinions about rutgers, rowan, TCNJ, I can't really determine much from all this.... x] )</p>
<ul>
<li>is there is a decent amount of diversity/ intermixing of groups? ( would be preferable D: )
-are there...any...kids from the east coast? and if there are, does it matter that they (we? xD) are not southern?</li>
<li>how easy is it to just head into dallas / do people base any part of social life on the city? ( hopefully so but there's so much praise for the campus i'm wondering if anyone ever leaves...) / is there any way to get off campus and explore other texas towns etc ?</li>
<li>how are the foooooood options? ( vegetarian maybe?)</li>
</ul>
<p>okay so my questions are entirely over the place and since it seems like I am visiting soon I'll probably get the answers......but any info anyone here has would be great :'D thank youuuu</p>
<p>Desiderium… Did you ever get your questions answered while you were on campus? I hope the students were helpful. Let me know if you want anything answered and I will try and help since I am a current student.</p>
<p>hello desiderum, I’ll be attending smu next fall as an entering freshmen. I live in the area so I can answer some of your question.</p>
<p>Dallas is literally 5-10 minutes away in a car. There’s also Mockingbird station very close by that’ll take you just as quickly. </p>
<p>When I ate at the smu cafeteria, there was a very robust salad bar and possible to make vegetarian omelets. there was also grilled cheese, fries, etc off the grill. there’s also a section for more gourmet food but i did not eat there.</p>
<p>Food for thought- when you come to dallas, tx… you’ll probably fall in love with us crazy southerners and we might just rub off on you! 
From what I’ve seen around the city (I live in Dallas) and from my friends on campus, where you’re from doesn’t really matter- it’s where you are now!</p>
<p>Desiderium,
Here’s my take:
diversity - not as much as I’d like, but there is some.
Yes, there are kids from both coasts. Everyone will be welcoming. We are the South and that is something we excel at.
We are in Dallas. Perhaps what you were wondering about is heading into downtown Dallas. We have a good public transportation system with the ‘train’ station within walking distance. Now, whether you want to head downtown or not, I’m not sure, but you can reach it handily. There will also be many people with cars, so again not a problem.
Food - I ate on campus once and thought it was bad, but I’m picky and it was only one day. However, you are within walking distance to many good restaurants and I think all that I can think of have good vegetarian options. (One of my favorites is a Lebanese spot.)
Good luck on your decision.</p>
<p>Desiderium,</p>
<p>I am a junior here at SMU from Lakeland, FL.</p>
<p>I want to address your questions: </p>
<p>(is this overall accurate?)
-everyone is quite friendly and open –>YES
-it is possible to generalize a decent amount of the population with the phrase(s) white/rich/conservative, but there are still other sorts of people out and about –>YES
-greek life is there but not necessarily a majority, or a “make or break” in terms of making friends. –>YES, we have over 200 student organizations here
- is there is a decent amount of diversity/ intermixing of groups? ( would be preferable D: )–>Diversity is here, could be better, but we’re getting there
-are there…any…kids from the east coast? and if there are, does it matter that they (we? xD) are not southern?–>Plenty of easte coast kids–lots of CT, NH, MA, and NJ kids.
- how easy is it to just head into dallas / do people base any part of social life on the city?–>Social life is in downtown Dallas which is 5 minutes away. There is also plenty of stuff to do right around SMU. It’s easy to get around to other towns–hitch rides with friends or student organizations–lots travel!
- how are the foooooood options? ( vegetarian maybe?)–>On campus, we have a vegetarian, spa, and gluten free section in our dining hall. Off campus, there are lots of options. Dallas has the most restaurants per capita in the country. We’re legit. There are SO many options it’s ridiculous!</p>
<p>Hope that helps. Good luck!</p>