Texas State University?

Parents Forum
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<p>Thanks. Yes, it has taken quite a bit of worries off our shoulders. We talked again last night and I think that she’s still holding out hope for a scholarship offer at UT, but I told her that she should be proud to have received the offer she got from TSU. If UT is meant to be, then so be it. But we have another one following right along behind her, so we can’t mortgage the farm for her. Esp. since she’s so undecided with respect to major and career goals…</p>

<p>At least now we’re able to get into finer details of what it would look like for her to attend in San Marcos. Housing, transportation, meals, etc…</p>

<p>If I know my daughter at all, I think she will blossom pretty well in college. I can see her really taking off once she’s around like-minded folks and she gains a little confidence in her ability to take care of herself… She really has no idea how capable she is now. Once she’s around other college students however, I think she will quickly realize her capabilities…</p>

<p>John.</p>

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<p>Limbwalker, have you BEEN to SFA lately?! It was the only state school of the 9 we visited and had the nicest facilities of any school we visited. Incredible fitness facility. Rock climbing wall. Outdoor pool with LAZY RIVER. Movie theatre in the student center (next to the Starbucks.) Lovely botanical gradens.</p>

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<p>Any impression of Rice as “inner city” is certainly wrong. Sorry, but it just is.
On my many, many visits to the Rice campus, I found the students very engaged and intellectually curious. The presence of the Shepherd School of Music adds incredible cultural opportunities right there on campus. Yes, the facilities are wonderful. That is a plus, in my opinion, and neither of my kids would have been interested in a school that did not have great facilities. It’s obviously not the right place for your daughter if she had that reaction, but both the reactions of you and your daughter are curious.
When someone rejects Rice, it is MOST often because they have never been on the campus, “don’t want to go to school in Texas”, think it must be too conservative because it is in Texas, or that it is a city campus with no “green”. Once they see the place and visit, all that changes.</p>

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<p>Sorry you were having a bad day, LW. Hope things are looking up for you, and that the burners are turned down a bit more today. The flames were pretty intense yesterday.</p>

<p>People look at and/or choose to post in different threads for different reasons. Some posters go to the “new posts” link and see what is being talked about. Some go to specific areas of interest or what have you, and may choose to post for any of a variety of reasons. Posters reading this thread may be looking at other Texas schools as well, including Rice, and I felt your comments about Rice were unkind and unfair, especially based on such limited information/experience. For example, Rice is fortunate to have a large endowment, and has the opportunity to use it in many ways. There is nothing wrong with making the buildings or resources attractive. You seriously criticizing a school for having nice facilities, resources and curb appeal? The ultimate goal is to attract students, and if that is part of it (great facilities with great resources) that is a good thing. Rice, until recently, had an old, dumpy HS-looking gym, with limited fitness resources for students. It was kind of a joke. The work-out facilities for the athletes, now thats another story!! Wonderful facilities for them. The gym was in serious need of updating or replacement, and the new recreation center is a huge plus for the school.</p>

<p>Also, who knows if monies donated for new buildings and facilities had some strings attached? If some benefactor wants to donate millions for a new facility (eg the new Duncan and McMurtry residential colleges) and wanted, for example, to require the bathrooms to have purple toilet seats (I am making this up!) as a contingency in their donation, then purple toilet seats it is!! When I was in college, som old biddy left a broccoli endowment. We had broccoli at more meals than I would like to remember. But she left the $$ and indicated how she wanted it spent.</p>

<p>If I recall correctly, the students participated in the design of Duncan Hall, the School of Engineering, so it has some pretty interesting features. I believe they just completed a new addition to the Engineering school as well. This is all good (except for purple toilet seats…). If you are turned off by attractive facilities, then you might find the old thread “schools with the ugliest buildings” thread amusing. I think , IIRC, Oral Roberts had a particularly unattractive set of buildings. But students choosing to go to ORU probably arent selecting it based on its curb appeal. And if you think the Rice students have some air of entitlement, then you definitely didn’t spend much time getting to know the students there. Never heard that said about Rice students. Are there some wealthy kids there? Sure. That is true anywhere. So what. Not sure why you are making an issue out of attractive facilites and good groundskeeping. Do you prefer ugly, rundown facilites with dirt, barren fields or overgrown weeds? Rice, and its students, pride itself on the number of trees on their campus. There is always a bit of a to-do when they have to cut some down for new construction. They care about their grounds and resources. Again, all good. Taking care of their facilities is not likely to be at the expense of other services to their students and faculty, so what is the problem?</p>

<p>So why did I post here? To present a fair and balanced opinion of Rice, which is a phenomenal school. It is as valid a reason to post as any. Why did you feel the need to take a swipe at Rice yesterday in this thread about TSU? MOWC asked you about your d’s thoughts on Rice in post #11. You responded, and so did I. Threads take all sorts of twists and turns, which makes for interesting reading. No oneother than the mods get to dictate what is or isn’t discussed, or who can or can’t post in any thread. I think thats a fair statement too.</p>

<p><strong><em>cross posted with MOWC</em></strong></p>

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<p>Umm… it IS an “inner city” as in “inside the inner loop” school…check a map. I don’t think the OP’s daughter meant it as an insult. Just a characteristic that didn’t suit her.</p>

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<p>If by “inner city” to poster meant an urban campus, that would not be an accurate description of Rice. It is surrounded by its ring of hedges, and is a totally enclosed campus with no city streets running through it. Yes, it is inside the city, close to downtown, near the park, museum district Rice Village and across the street from the massive Texas Medical center that goes on for blocks and blocks. There are some rougher, gentrifying areas near campus. That gives the students the opportunity to “fix the problem” with volunteer opportunities, as suggested by some posters. Many of the Rice students were very actively involved in helping the Katrina evacuees in 2005.</p>

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<p>Missypie,</p>

<p>My wife and I are both SFA grad’s. I have a BSF (forestry) degree, she has a BS (bio) and MS (Forestry) degree. Great school, if you’re interested in teaching or Forestry, and beautiful location and campus. In the spring of '08, I took my oldest two there for my niece’s wedding. We spent 1/2 day walking the campus and I could NOT BELIEVE the changes. Fantastic (good) stuff. I saw the rec center and about fell out. The student center is fantastic too, as are the new dorms and apartments. What a great feel. The dorms I lived in were removed, and rightly so. They were roach motels. Daughter liked it but they had zero to offer in anthropology or linguistics, so… But it certainly was a nice benchmark for her to compare other schools against after that.</p>

<p>Folks, if Rice ain’t “inner city” them I’m a monkey’s uncle. How else would you define that? Fancy hedgerows don’t = rural living, no matter what Martha Stewart would have you believe… When Skyscrapers are shading the campus in the morning and you can hear the humm of the interstate loop in two directions, I think the only way to describe it is “inner city.” Sure, the grounds are nice and it doesn’t have a real “urban feel” to it. They’ve done well to avoid that much, but it’s inside the inside loop in the 4th largest city in the U.S.!!! for cryin’ out loud. And what’s wrong with a school being called “inner city” anyway? It’s not meant as a slam. It is what it is… And for the record, I would have no problem with her attending there if that’s what she wanted. I was actually a bit surprised by how quickly she was turned off by the place. That was her call, not mine. I only visited there to speak months later…</p>

<p>“So why did I post here? To present a fair and balanced opinion of Rice…”</p>

<p>Again, nothing to offer about TSU. Thanks.</p>

<p>Again, could we please talk about TSU instead of obsessing over your pet school? Good grief! Congrat’s Jym, you’ve managed to hi-jack my thread to go on and on about Rice U. If that’s what a person wants, then go for it, but I’d like to hear more about TSU since it seems that may be where my daughter ends up… Rice was off the table a long time ago.</p>

<p>Anyone else with something to add about TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY? Your thoughts would be appreciated… I think we’ve heard enough about that inner city school in Houston… ;)</p>

<p>John.</p>

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<p>If you are going to give the wrong impression about a school to others who might be interested in actually having an accurate description of it, then I will continue to post about it. Maybe by your personal definition of “inner city school” Rice qualifies, but that is certainly not the way it is described by the majority of students or people who have visited the campus. It is a gorgeous campus with beautiful neighborhoods on two sides, an upscale shopping area on one side and a huge medical center complex on the other. By skyscrapers are you referring to the medical center? If offers all the advantages of a campus setting with great access to what the nation’s 4th largest city has to offer in the way of cultural events. I hope you aren’t slamming Rice (in somewhat of a passive-agressive way) to justify your attraction to a non-flagship state school. No need to do that, even here in the rarified area of CC. I work with a lot of SFA forestry grads, by the way and have the utmost respect for them and their degree. I am less familiar with Texas State, but am open to learning about it. I’ve visited a lot of colleges, put two kids through colleges and attended a few myself. Rice represents near perfection. If you want to ski or be proud of your football team, it probably isn’t for you. Otherwise, it offers the perfect college experience.</p>

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<p>limbwalker, your D is entitled to have a bad impression of whatever school she wants…that’s why there are visits. There is even a long thread on CC about schools you crossed off the list and why and many of the reasons for crossing a school off a list were pretty funny. </p>

<p>The school that I thought would be my son’s first choice was his (and my) least favorite. I know that the bad impression was totally human error - the admissions department could not have done a worse job of planning the vist, but Son certainly wasn’t going to travel back there to give them a second chance. To each his or her own.</p>

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<p>The expression “inner city” has a negative connotation, as surely you realize, LW.

[inner</a> city: Definition from Answers.com](<a href=“Answers - The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions”>Answers - The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions). that would be somewhat like calling campuses in more rural areas cowtowns, booneyville or hicksville. It has the potential to leave a bad taste in ones mouth.</p>

<p>Many posters have contributed their thoughts and comments about things other than TSU in this thread. These threads are open to anyone to post their comments, which often leads to interesting side conversations, information, comparisons, etc., when someone isnt trying to control the conversation or otherwise bulldoze others into doing as you say. I did a little looking at comments posted elsewhere about TSU, and saw both good and bad. Some disliked the quality of the education, the lack of good healthcare in the community, er… lack of diversity… and sorority cliques. Hope that helps.</p>

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<p>Well it looks like I get to defend myself from hijackers with both hands now…</p>

<p>Jym, I mean no disrespect by using the phrase “inner city.” It is what it is. If you felt that was a slam, then I’m sorry, but it wasn’t intended as one. </p>

<p>Mom, how can it be the “wrong” impression when it is MY impression? Folks can make up thier own minds. They don’t have to take my word for it, and I would be dissapointed if they relied on my description alone…</p>

<p>I have to laugh though. You guys obviously aren’t from the country. Because if you were, you’d read what you just wrote and chuckle…</p>

<p>“neighborhoods on two sides, an upscale shopping area on one side and a huge medical center complex on the other…” </p>

<p>And that’s not inner city? You forgot to mention being surrounded by literally millions of people and several interstate highways. You’re funny. ;)</p>

<p>“rarified area of CC?” What does that mean? </p>

<p>“passive-agressive?” LOL. I’ve never been accused of that before. There’s hardly a passive bone in my body. Wish I could tell you that to your face actually :wink: </p>

<p>“work with a lot of SFA Forestry grads?” Really? There aren’t a “lot” of SFA Forestry grad’s to work with… </p>

<p>And nobody told me that TSU was a “non-flagship” state school. What are you trying to say about TSU? Or, what are you trying to say about Rice? ha, ha. </p>

<p>“Rice represents near perfection…” Really? I thought SFA was pretty perfect. To each their own.</p>

<p>Quit shoving your rice down my throat and I’ll quit commenting on my impressions of it, thank you.</p>

<p>Keep it up, and folks really will start to believe my impressions were accurate ;)</p>

<p>Can we PLEASE talk about TSU, or am I going to have to start another thread since this one keeps getting hijacked by hyper-sensitive Rice fans…</p>

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<p>I’ve always been under the impression that UT-Austin is the state flagship - there is only one. Do other states have multiple flagships? I’ve always thought that the flagship was typically the main campus of the “University of ___”.</p>

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<p>“I did a little looking at comments posted elsewhere about TSU, and saw both good and bad. Some disliked the quality of the education, the lack of good healthcare in the community, er… lack of diversity… and sorority cliques. Hope that helps…”</p>

<p>Now, that sounds real fair and balanced? Exactly what were you trying to accomplish there? Some kind of childish tit for tat? </p>

<p>Look, I could care less about Rice, okay. As I said, it’s off the table, end of discussion. Not sure why that should bother anyone really. However, the reactions by a couple of Rice supporters have only confirmed what I saw during my visits there. Too bad they have to misrepresent their own school.</p>

<p>And I’ve been involved in internet message forums for over a decade. I think I know how these things go. Regardless, the OP generally has “ownership” of the thread because they are the ones who asked the question. In a forum like this where I asked for help about a specific school, I have a reasonable expectation that the discussion will stay focused (good or bad) on the topic at hand. When someone comes along and derails the thread, it’s referred to as “hijacking” and that’s never appreciated by anyone who starts a thread. In fact, it is generally seen as just bad manners…</p>

<p>Missypie, I agree that impressions aren’t always fact-based. But I believe that everything happens for a reason, and if a person is turned off, well, it’s probably not meant to be then. Hey, it sounds like they wouldn’t want my money anyway, right? ha, ha.</p>

<p>I think I’ll just start another TSU thread. This one is starting to smell rotten.</p>

<p>John.</p>

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<p>Not sure why I feel compelled to mediate, but I hope we just have a misunderstanding and different standards for what makes a school “inner-city.” Rice, while technically in a large city, has never struck me as “inner-city” in the way some NYC schools do.</p>

<p>Full disclosure: I have two dogs in this fight. Dh got his master’s at Texas State, and Rice is ds’s no. 1 choice for a school. ;)</p>

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<p>Alas, we parents on CC don’t get high marks for staying on point on any given thread.</p>

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<p>missypie, truer words were never spoken.</p>

<p>Look, something shiny!</p>

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<p>Youdon’tsay, </p>

<p>Thanks for your input. It’s some of the little I’ve received about the actual topic of this thread… ;)</p>

<p>I started a new one. This one is going nowhere…</p>

<p>John.</p>

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<p>Shiny? Where?!?!?!!</p>

<p>limbwalker - Has your D attended any classes at TSU? My D is going to schedule a day on campus this month since she is considering their BFA Acting program. Even though she has stayed on campus for camp, attended theatre productions there and visited friends, she wants to attend a theatre class and see what it’s like. Perhaps your D could attend a class with the Anthropology professor mentioned earlier in the thread and see if that sparks something in her :)</p>

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<p>Since you are relatively “new” to cc, you might wish to get a feel for <em>this</em> forum, rather than to unilaterally impose your idea of how it should work. Sorry, but but no one “owns” threads. Perhaps if you hadn’t taken an unnecessary and uncalled for smack at Rice just because the students didnt like your lecture, your thread would have stayed more on topic. Looks like you took it off topic yourself and then got your panties in a wad because posters responded to your comment. You thought your school was “gorgeous” and the facilities “fantastic”, yet for some reason the fact that Rice has wonderful facilites and grounds is somehow a detriment? Seems a little hypocritical, no? Its fine to have school pride, but don’t laud one school for resources and fault another for the same. </p>

<p>BTW, Rice is IN A CITY, but it isn’t, by most people’s definition, “INNER CITY”. </p>

<p>Oh, and by the way, with regard to your question about housing, the comments I read about Texas State/San Marcos said the city housing was shoddily constructed and much was in disrepair, and the roads were in terrible shape and hard to navigate. Don’t shoot the messenger. Just answering your question. Happy to help. That’s what we are all here for.</p>

<p>*** cross posted with youdontsay, who made me LOL with the “look, something shiny”. I have yet to see a thread stay complete on topic with no sidebars. Most have more tangents than a HS algebra class (line shamelessly stolen from another poster).</p>

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<p>OP, Remember that it’s information that we’re requesting and gathering here. Just because there are negatives, doesn’t mean you can’t get a good education there. Have you read some of the things people have posted about the area in which Yale is located? Somehow, quite a few people continue to want to go to college there.</p>

<p>A tidbit of information like “bad food” or “overcrowded dorms” might be the thing that would make one student not want to attend a school, while others would be indifferent. That’s why many of us, when requesting info about a school, would like people to share everything they know. (I’m the one with the son who rejected a very nice school that offered fantastic merit aid because only community bathrooms were available for freshmen.)</p>