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.
What kind of experiences are your kids looking for at college? Is Greek life a big deal? Majors?
They both want a friendly environment with a lot of school spirit. Yes, they both want to rush. And both want to major in business. They also want to come back to the Midwest after graduation.
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IMO, it’s a toss up. The two schools have much in common. My S earned a BS in Economics at Clemson. He loved the school and felt the program was challenging (and he was a very strong HS student). Ironically, he currently works in finance in Austin TX.
A close friend’s D attends TCU and she is happy there as well. The Neeley School of Business is well regarded.
Greek life is similar. Both schools have lots of school spirit, big sports, and a friendly environment. More kids from the Midwest at TCU. The biggest difference is the location - urban vs rural. As far as culture, I’d say Clemson is more traditionally Southern, while TCU has that Texas/western vibe. Texas is its own brand of Southern. Each have plenty of students from other areas and are welcoming places so I don’t think fitting in or culture shock would be a problem.
Upperclass housing is an issue at TCU - students pretty much have to move off-campus after sophomore year and off-campus housing is more expensive than at Clemson. TCU also has a stronger religious vibe than Clemson.
I don’t think your kids could go wrong either way. Have you visited both schools?