<p>Thanks to a fellow poster here on CC, I have just learned about Truman State University in Kirksville, MO. We were looking for a financial safety, but it turns out that it could end up being just what we are looking for overall.</p>
<ul>
<li>Fairly rigourous academics</li>
<li>Incredible financial aid for top students</li>
<li>Size S2 is looking for -- about 5,500</li>
<li>Smart, friendly, down-to-earth students</li>
<li>Greek system that is low key</li>
<li>Business and language programs</li>
<li>50% of grads go to grad school</li>
<li>Great study abroad program</li>
<li>Low key party atmosphere (from what I can tell)</li>
<li>Just 5 hour drive from home</li>
</ul>
<p>But I'd love to hear some experiences from actual students, alumni or parents. Anybody out there that can throw in their two cents about Truman?</p>
<p>I can’t give you any actual experiences with Truman State, although my Dad received his Masters from the old NEMSU and I spent a couple of summers there as a 2-3 year old. I don’t remember much.</p>
<p>We are also looking at Truman for our S. It is not a financial safety for us as our instate flagship is just as cheap but we like the size and academic aspect of Truman. We live about 3 hours away.</p>
<p>We visited this past summer. The city of Kirksville is the biggest downside to Truman. It is an old farm town with not much going on and a slightly depressed local economy. The town is not terrible but if you are used to a suburban/urban lifestyle, it will be a shocker. I grew in a poor rural town of about 2000 people so the town does not really bother me. My S has grown up in a college town so Kirksville was a bit of a shock to him but he seemed to think it would be ok.</p>
<p>The students we met were fantastic. Serious LAC students with plans for med school, PhD, etc. But they also have a large pre-professional aspect with about 10% being business majors. They also have ag majors.</p>
<p>Right now it would be my number 1 choice over our state flagship mostly because of the size and academic environment.</p>
<p>We also visited over the summer, and I’ll endorse everything Haystack said. I’d also add that 5 of the 7 dorms have recently been renovated and they are the best we saw in visits to six colleges. DD12 really liked the college - and we’re from a town even smaller than Haystack’s, so Kirksville was not a deal-breaker. We’re 5-6 hours away in Illinois, and Truman OOS is $6K less than UIUC in-state, and even a little cheaper than the Illinois “directionals” - and a much better school, to boot. It’s our financial safety, but it’s also a school that DD would be very happy to attend.</p>
<p>We haven’t looked at Bradley, but only because one of DD’s non-negotiable requirements is the chance to continue her Russian studies (though not as a major), and Bradley doesn’t offer Russian. I do have several friends who have kids at Bradley, and they are uniformly pleased with the school.</p>
<p>My take on the difference between Bradley and Truman…</p>
<p>Bradley gets a very pre-professional student with the intention of getting your degree and going to work. </p>
<p>I think Truman has more of a mix of pre professionals and liberal arts type students with plans for PhD and community service work after graduation. On average, the Truman students have higher test scores than Bradley.</p>
<p>Both are good choices. Another school similar to Bradley is Drake in Des Moines and they are known to give very good merit aid to good students.</p>
<p>Actually my oldest goes to Bradley and absolutely loves it. So I was just curious how you would see them as different. Even though S1 is happy at Bradley I wish I would have known about Truman at the time. We are anxious to visit to see for ourselves.</p>
<p>Something else that I like about Truman…great prep for grad school in most majors. Using Sociology as an example…</p>
<p>Required classes for a Sociolgy major at Truman:
SOAN 360 - Sociological Theory Credits: 3 hours
SOAN 380 - Research Design Credits: 3 hours
SOAN 381 - Data Analysis in Sociology/Anthropology Credits: 3 hours
SOAN 490 - Senior Seminar in Anthropology and Sociology I Credits: 1 hour
SOAN 491 - Senior Seminar in Anthropology and Sociology II Credits: 1 hour
(I believe these last 2 are for a senior research project)
Truman also requires a an additional statistics class as part of their liberal studies requirements.</p>
<p>Compare to Bradley:
SOC 240 Research Methods
SOC 320 Social Theory or SOC 420 Critical Theory
They may require an additional stats class…don’t know.</p>
<p>I have two nieces who went to Truman State for telecommunications and have been TV news reporters and producers ever since. They loved it there.</p>
<p>My college boyfriend (a brilliant mathmetician at a top university) is a math prof there now. If he is the type they are drawing for the faculty, then I would expect that the quality of teaching is very good.</p>