<p>Any more thoughts on TSU?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>John.</p>
<p>Limbwalker…that’s the key statment here…first hand knowledge…many of the posters here do not have first hand knowledge and are relying on what they have “heard” about the school.
What you and your daughter have to do is decide what is right for her and not rely on people’s second, third and fourth hand opinions. If you are not sure, I would suggest that she visit the school again and possibly sit in on a class or two. I am sure that they would even be happy to set up a meeting with the head of the department, as it appears that they really would love to have your daughter attend there…
I will tell you that a couple of my daughter’s freinds have already been “waitlisted” at TSU. They are really trying to improve thier party school reputation and become more selective. It sounds like to me that your daughter is just the kind of student that they are striving to aquire.
As far as D1 football…this is Texas and like it or not, football is king here. Our tour guide did tell us that TSU is striving to be D1 in two years…not sure which conference they would go into though. They are D1 in every other sport.</p>
<p>HighlandMom, you might know it as Southwest Texas State, which was its name until a few years ago.</p>
<p>Limbwalker, good luck to your daughter!</p>
<p>Thanks FFS, hmmm… I still don’t think I’ve heard of it - which is immaterial to Limbwalker and his d’s decision ;)</p>
<p>HighlandMom, You aren’t alone. I’ve lived in Houston for 20 years and had never heard of it either until my son was a junior in high school. I have no first-hand knowledge, but none of my DS1’s friends plan to attend. The seniors I know who are looking for something less demanding than UT or A&M typically look at Sam Houston State or Blinn. Possibly just because they are closer to Houston.</p>
<p>Limbwalker - I second what SWTCAT said - “that’s the key statment here…first hand knowledge…many of the posters here do not have first hand knowledge and are relying on what they have “heard” about the school”</p>
<p>There are lots of non name schools out there that provide great opportunities. I suggest your D sit in on some classes at TSU and see what she thinks. Please disregard the status freaks on CC. If you want some laughs, there is a thread in the financial aid section (I can’t find it right now) started by some texas mom I believe about finding a college where her child could get a free ride. It was good info but to some on CC - well they attacked her voraciously because they could not believe she would settle for a “lesser name school” at no cost instead of striving for something more well known (and costly). Seems like a few folks here want to do the same to you which is sad.</p>
<p>good luck in your search for info</p>
<p>SWTCAT, I think that’s good advice. Thanks. Now that they have expressed an interest in her, I think it would be good for her to schedule a visit and take a harder look…</p>
<p>Yes, for those who haven’t heard of it, TSU is indeed the “old” Southwest Texas State. That’s what I grew up calling it… Mom and I attended SFA, another state school in Texas, and we had the impression that “southwest” was a little better school - in general - than SFA. But we went to SFA for their excellent Forestry program, so it really didn’t make any difference to us.</p>
<p>After graduating from a nationally-recognized program (even if it was from a “low rent” state school) I recognize that it’s as much the PROGRAM within the school that matters as the overall school itself. So we try to keep that in mind. I don’t get the impresson that everyone does though…</p>
<p>Berryberry, I recognize that thread you mention. They criticize the mom for not being willing to bankrupt her home to send the child to a school with a “better reputation.” Again, I think that many (not all) are as interested in reputation and status as anything. That to me is sad. I actually feel sorry for them in a way.</p>
<p>Thanks again…</p>
<p>John.</p>
<p>So what’s the program that is so great at TSU?</p>
<p>LW, congratulations on your D’s scholarship offer. I know a wide range of folks who have graduated from SWT or TSU (as it is now known). They are smart, productive people with good jobs and happy lives. I know one who recieved his masters there and is now at the top of his field in Texas. If your D likes the school, that counts for a lot in my book.</p>
<p>I am posting because you mentioned Trinity and Southwestern and being concerned about financials. My S had stats similar to your D (SAT in 22xx’s and high class rank) and was offered very good scholarships at both those schools. As I recall, either option would have been cheaper for him than UT. If those still seem like options, you might want her to put in apps there to see if offers are made.</p>
<p>Otherwise, go Bobcats!</p>
<p>For those who don’t know, LBJ graduated from there, back when it was a teacher’s college.</p>
<p>Limbwalker, with your daughter’s stats, I would recommend that she apply for admissions to the Honors College so that she can take more challenging classes. My DD had similar stats and is a freshman at a liberal arts school that is somewhat selective but not highly selective. She was not in Honors first semester and found many of her classes to be boring. She was also disappointed in class discussions and found many of her classmates to be uninterested and unprepared. A big change from the IB classes she took in high school. She will be in Honors next year and is looking forward to more challenging classes.
Oh, and since it seems to matter to you that those posting here have some familiarity with TSU, my uncle taught there for 30 years, one of my first cousins has 2 degrees from there and another just graduated from there last year.</p>
<p>Good point about the Honors College, M’s Mom. Also, there may be perks such as priority registration, which can nip one of the biggest frustrations about college in the bud–not getting the classes that you want and/or need.</p>
<p>M’s, Thanks for the helpful post! Now we’re getting somewhere. </p>
<p>I thought they had an honors program. We will definitely look into that. I know at SFA, the kids accepted into the honors program are eligible to live in the honors dorm. Is that the case at TSU as well? That may be a good situation for her.</p>
<p>Eggmom, thanks. I agree that the point of all of this is to help them have successful (as THEY define it), productive lives. Regardless of what they choose to do. I took her to tour Southwestern, Rice and Trinity, but she’s not interested in applying to those (UGH!). We even had a great 1/2 hour visit with the head of the Anthro. dept. at Trinity and I thought that would really get her interested. After talking to him and seeing the campus, I really thought that was the school for her. And she really likes San Antonio too. So I don’t know why she won’t apply. But hey, I’m not that pushy either. I want her to make her own decisions and then learn to live with them…</p>
<p>So, on the “to do” list … TSU Honors program… :D</p>
<p>If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m using this forum and my internet searches to help me resist the urge to pester her with questions… So far, it’s working…</p>
<p>John.</p>
<p>Wow. This thread sure got ugly fast … I got to page 4 and got so uncomfortable reading it that I skipped right on to the last page! It looks like things may have smoothed over a little since page 4.</p>
<p>You’d think I’d be smart enough to let it be, but no … I’m gonna put in my two cents, like the slow learner I can sometimes be.</p>
<p>On one post, limbwalker said something about getting flamed on CC if you say anything negative about somebody’s pet school – like you had to say something nice or not say anything at all. I’ve noticed the same thing. I find greater value in hearing both positive and negative – impressions that are favorable and unfavorable, about any school. And I don’t read people’s unfavorable impressions as the black and white truth. Different people just have different opinions of the same exact things. I’m interested in hearing the opinions of all different people here on CC. The more I can hear, positive and negative, the better big-picture I can form in my head.</p>
<p>The one big-Rice-fan/mom justified her vehement disagreement with lw’s perspective of Rice on his TSU thread with the notion that lw gave the “wrong” impression of Rice, and she wasn’t going to stand there and allow that to happen. Huh? I thought there was no right or wrong about this sort of thing – we all have our own impressions of colleges. I don’t think any educated reader would read lw’s perspectives and say to themselves, “Well, that seals the deal. Rice is inner city and pompous, full of trust fund kids who aren’t interested in learning. Guess I won’t apply there.” Lw gave his opinion, which I found valuable at a certain level, and the vast majority of readers will take it as just that … his opinion – something else to fill in the big picture when trying to choose a school.</p>
<p>I’m mystified when somebody takes such great offense to another’s perspective that is different than their own. Shouldn’t any poster be allowed to state their honest opinions without risking flameage, hijacking, and criticism? Aren’t those honest opinions valuable to all of us in weighing our choices in the end?</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, we visited Rice as well. A few times. Son was accepted with a little better than 1/2 tuition. He went elsewhere. There were tons of things he really liked about Rice. There were other things he didn’t. That’s okay, isn’t it?</p>
<p>Phew. I’m glad I got that off my chest. I just don’t understand angry, self-righteous flaming over somebody else’s opinion of a school. </p>
<p>And now I’m done hijacking this thread! (Sorry … nothing to offer about TSU. Haven’t been there. Know some kids who’ve gone and liked it, others who’ve moved back home and didn’t.)</p>
<p>The TSU campus is nice and they are developing some solid academic programs. They have one of the best Geography departments in the world. San Marcos has a great location, Austin is 30 minutes north, San Antonio is 30 minutes south. Plus, you have the “worlds largest shopping complex”, which I think is stupidly awesome.</p>
<p>I know a lot of people (friends, neighbors, etc) that go to TSU and they are all party lovers and not terribly academically inclined. Granted, this is a small sample size, so take from it what you will. </p>
<p>I was accepted to the honors program a few years ago but declined to attend. From my observations, the honors program isn’t incredibly selective or demanding. The caliber of student in honors seems to be on par to the average student at UT, SAT range around 1250-1300. It is certainly not UT Plan II, nor is it a mini-Rice, in terms of student quality. I cannot make any comments about the instruction. </p>
<p>TSU does make a good deal of merit money available to entice students who might otherwise attend UT to come. If finances are a concern, TSU could be a great option. Finding merit money at UT is like finding pearls in Lake Travis, it’s almost impossible, unless the wealthy boaters dropped some in…</p>
<p>i think what ruffled peoples feathers was limbwalkers calling rice inner city, and that is just not accurate. i don’t care if limbwalker love rice or hates rice. makes no difference to me.</p>
<p>i can assure that there are not many kids at all that will be choosing between RICE and TSU!</p>
<p>my dd is lower stat than limbwalker’s and i don’t think TSU is a good fit for her, and i am not a status whore.</p>
<p>so, limbwalker, go ahead and send your kid to TSU. whatever. i don’t think it is the best choice, for many reasons, but you don’t seem to want to listen to any of that.</p>
<p>Yes, SimpleLife, you missed the point. If you actually read my posts you might learn that I understand that there are plenty of reasons someone might not like Rice. Calling it “inner city” is inaccurate. Rice is clearly not a good fit for the OP, which seems to be more important than where his daughter might spread her wings.</p>
<p>No, I didn’t miss the point. I did read your posts. I could tell you took great offense to “inner city.” I knew that you thought it was inaccurate. But then lw explained that he meant it was inside the loop that defines downtown Houston. He also explained that he meant no offense. By his definition, which was not meant in a deragatory way, Rice was “too inner city” for his daughter … it was too close to the city. I was just surprised that the argument continued after that point. What’s offensive about that? His daughter thought it was too “in the city.” It is “in the city.” A mountain did not need to be made out of a molehill … that’s all I’m saying.</p>
<p>But that’s okay, MomofWildChild. I don’t need to or want to get into it with you. I just find it strange each time I “hear” somebody get all up in arms about somebody else not liking their (their kids’) school. It’s all okay.</p>
<p>Besides, I think you missed the point, MomWC. My point is that no educated reader is going to walk away thinking, “Oh no! Rice is an inner city school? (in the more negative, deragatory sense) There’s no way I’m applying there!” Everybody knows that Rice is a prestigious, impressive school with a great reputation. One person’s description of Rice as “inner city” is not going to change anybody’s mind – and most people would take it the way it was meant – within the city. That was MY point.</p>
<p>I think it was helpful for someone to point out that the use of the term inner city would be considered inaccurate by most people and might have given the wrong impression.</p>
<p>The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the poorer parts of the city centre and is sometimes used as a euphemism with the connotation of being an area, perhaps a ghetto or slum, where residents are less educated and more impoverished and where there is more crime. Sociologists in these countries sometimes turn this euphemism into a formal designation, applying the term “inner city” to such residential areas rather than to geographically more central commercial districts.</p>
<p>[Inner</a> city - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_city]Inner”>Inner city - Wikipedia)</p>