My twins (son and daughter) are interested in Clemson and TCU. We are from the Midwest and are wondering if there would be a “culture shock” in the South…and if so, more at Clemson or TCU? Would love to hear about experiences at both schools, fraternity/sorority life and fitting in as a freshman. Thank you.
Is budget an issue?
TCU has really dangerous parties and the frats have done heinous things on campus. It’s an okay school academically but I’ve just read way too much things about it. The campus is pretty though.
I can’t and won’t speak about TCU because I have no knowledge about that school, but I can tell you that Clemson is very friendly and inclusive with students from all over the country. The closest city to Clemson about 40 minutes is Greenville has drawn people from all over the country . I have close friends from Illinois whose daughter is a 2014 Clemson graduate , who loved her college experience. I recommend a visit to experience the campus first hand if possible.
Thank you for your responses. Budget is not an issue–with merit money, they’re both about the same. I haven’t heard about TCU frat issues.
Carolinamom2boys - you feel there is enough to do in Greenville?
okon2122 - I can’t find anything about TCU frat issues…could you please let me know where you got that information?
Thank you!
Greenville is neat city; I lived there for one summer while in school, and I have younger cousins who live there now and love it (they are also both Clemson grads).
There might be a bit of culture shock, but it will mostly be positive. TCU has been getting some California kids in recent years.
Going greek at a big state u like Clemson can be difficult if you are not from the area. Many contacts and parties are happening before your kid even gets to the school.
Clemson is rural, while Texas Christian University is in one of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas.
Having both a son (graduated '14) and daughter (sophomore) at TCU and coming from CA, it was a bit of a culture shock for them but since so many attendees are from the mid west, I can’t imagine it would be for your students. My daughter had the same choice between Clemson and TCU. She chose TCU because of Fort Worth (its a great, fun city), direct flights home and closer to CA. The schools were really similar to her except TCU has a more affluent student body (stating the obvious). As a mother of students for the past 6 years, I haven’t heard anything “heinous” about the fraternities in general and more about one or two bad, bad incidents involving individual students who may have been in a fraternity. I don’t think the party aspect of TCU is any different from Clemson and seems about middle of the road for most national universities.That issue is more about to home rearing as my daughter isn’t a partier and is perfectly fine with her social life (is in a sorority). TCU is easier on boys than girls with that skewed gender ratio. Good luck.
@terriw What data are you using to assess affluence? Quite a bit of affluence floating around Clemson as well. Several U.S. Congressmen’s children , and our current governor is an alum. I can’t really speak to environment at TCU as I’ve never attended that school.
While Clemson is not a urban or metropolitan school, I would classify it as more suburban than rural. It is about a 10 minute drive from Anderson , a small city and 35 minute drive to Greenville , a mid sized city with plenty of shopping and restaurants along the way. There are grocery stores , restaurants , pharmacies within walking distance of the university or easily accessed by the shuttle.
I think Anderson is actually a bit larger, but not as snazzy.
Actually @ScaredNJDad1 . I live 45 minutes from Clemson in a suburb of Greenville and work in Anderson, and Greenville is larger.
Sorry your right. The population data I saw was for Anderson and its “suburbs”
It’s a nice little city with a cute downtown.
My son is a sophomore at TCU and is happy there. Big change from the East Coast, but he was looking for a different experience. Kids are very friendly and it is extremely safe. As opposed to other schools we know of, my son says petty theft (cash, phones, laptops etc) is non-existent. Some examples - he will leave his laptop in the library unattended. Kids leave their dorm room doors open. He says the TCU police are great - not there to bust to people but to keep them safe. Fort Worth is a great little city (we live near NYC), with lots to do.
Greek life is big. Rush for sororities happens before classes begin. It is a very intense week and very stressful. Rush for frats begins after classes start. Not everybody who rushes is selected. For those not in greek life, like my son, it takes a bit of work to find your social groove.
Travel to/from TCU is a breeze with its proximity to DFW airport. My son will take a supershuttle to/from the airport for less than $30. He’s home quicker than friends at UVA, Viginia Tech or JMU.
My son considered Clemson as well, but preferred TCU’s proximity to the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He has made friends from all over the country, Europe and Africa. I would not expect a Midwest kid to have culture shock at TCU.
Good luck
Did you get into the Honors Program at TCU in addition to your Scholarship? That looks like an attractive option at TCU.
We visited TCU and the impression I had was a ton of affluent kids, and a lot of partying going on. They also have excellent physical facilities, and lots of money in endowment. Plenty of California kids attending, it that would help acclimation. Also, quite a few more female students. Finally, a lot of emphasis on their business programs, with terrific facilities.
Good luck!