<p>Just wanted to say to any who stumble on to this post that I am very happy with D's school of choice. She is a second semester first-year who could have gone anywhere (almost literally) and she chose Rhodes for what appears to be very good reasons. The opportunities for an ambitious student are phenomenal. She is a science major (Bio or Chem or both ) and she has found her Prof's to be top rank and the research and volunteering opps beyond belief. (D is already doing NSF funded cancer reseach as a freshman and has already been offerred a paid summer position in the lab). Rhodes also has very well thought of IR , Physics, and Writing Programs. </p>
<p>The campus is as pretty and well maintained as any I have ever seen. Truly outstanding facilities. Well planned , wonderful walking campus. Gorgeous.</p>
<p>Rhodes has one of the most generous merit-based scholarship programs in the country. Several award levels, and several awards within each level. Service scholarships and special scholarships for AGI of $85K and below are also available. I believe well over 40% of Rhodes students receive a merit/service award. Hint: Rhodes is really keen on community service. </p>
<p>Rhodes takes liberal arts education seriously and the Search program (required interdisciplinary) is a highlight of her week. She has had zero duds as Prof's (although I know there has to be at least one). Grading is tough. Coursework is demanding. Grading is tough - did I already mention that? LOL Rhodes is not a place to go if you plan on sliding by on your intelligence alone. Rhodes also expects excellence in your academic writing and when a course is labeled as "writing intensive" you better believe it. </p>
<p>She was concerned about the sorority/frat influence but was repeatedly told that it wasn't as exclusive as at most schools and that is the way it is working out. She did pledge and is having a great time but her best friends either did not pledge or are in other sororities . There is no difficulty maintaining those relationships. </p>
<p>Dining hall food leaves something to be desired but I think that is the norm at most places. So...big neg's ? Well for a science major and potentially double major there are not enough spaces to take all the cool courses you want to outside your major field. D is taking Spanish in Spain to free up 3 slots. And this campus would be horrible for a kid who succumbs to temptation too easily. Memphis is "lively" entertainment-wise and the campus opportunities dwarf Memphis. I can see how kids don't make it past Christmas (and there are more than a few each year that don't.). I wouldn't have made it, that's for sure. </p>
<p>It has really been a great experience for my D so far and I don't believe she can outgrow the opportunities that Rhodes has made and will make available to her over her four years. It's just so difficult for her to pick from the cornucopia of choices, both academic and community sevice related. She is constantly fighting against becoming too involved - or maybe I should say, I am constantly fighting her against becoming too involved. Everybody needs a little down-time, a little me-time or so I keep repeating like a mantra.</p>
<p>For a smart, charitable, ambitious kid with good standards of behavior and a healthy work ethic this may be as good as it gets.</p>
<p>Curmudgeon -- wonderful to hear that your daughter is thriving at Rhodes! I remember the stress and work that came before the choice was made. So glad that things are going so well. Well done !</p>
<p>It's really great to hear that your DD has had such a wonderful experience. Thanks for taking the time to share her experiences. </p>
<p>It's also useful around these parts to get a reminder that truly first-rate education is going on at places other than the usual suspects. I wish I could convince my D to consider Rhodes, but she's dead set on being someplace in the Northeast.</p>
<p>footballyus, well - she was waitlisted at Duke. That's where the "almost" comes in. She declined the waitlist.;)</p>
<p>Not everyone choses the highest ranked school they get into.;) There are lots of places to get a fantastic education. </p>
<p>This process is very personal and what works for one might be horrible for another. For example, had my D been planning on an UG degree being her ending place, I'm fairly sure she'd be at Yale or Amherst today. Maybe not. </p>
<p>But to give you some idea of why she chose as she did:</p>
<p>My D was very fortunate to be given the highest scholarships possible at a few LAC's that had appealed to her for a long time, and at a couple of more known schools. Some of those were top twenty schools. </p>
<p>Decision time was tough for her but it ultimately came down to Rhodes and $100K for med school, or Yale or Amherst as she felt Rhodes was pretty close to the other top LAC's (the top twenty-ish ones). She felt very comfortable from her 5 :eek: visits that there would be a critical mass of smart kids at Rhodes . She knew that 9 kids from her scholarship weekend were going to attend that were national caliber kids , as "smart as any I've been around at any school" . Some weekend attendees turned down top twenty schools, and some accepted them. (One who ended up at Amherst, actually.) She knew that she could take part in study abroad and summer activities we could never have afforded otherwise. </p>
<p>She would like to work wherever she wants upon becoming a doctor (private, public, charitable org) and felt that being at least $100,000 less in debt would be a good start in that direction. </p>
<p>The opportunity she felt she would have to help do cutting edge research and present papers under the guidance of St. Jude physicians and scientists (and Rhodes Prof's with current NSF funding) was the deciding factor. "That's a pretty worldclass opportunity itself". So, she fell off the fence on the Rhodes side. Another equally thoughtful kid will go the other way. </p>
<p>I don't know why she didn't apply to Vandy (or Emory). They just didn't click on her visits. I would have loved it if she had. I like them both a lot.</p>
<p>Great report and that will be helpful for future applicants. Sounds like she is doing great and taking full advantage of all Rhodes has to offer.
Tennessee IS a great state, as I am realizing more and more every day.</p>
<p>Thanks. That's why I posted the 'splaination. I know somebody will be in this exact predicament come April (if they are not already). I wanted to gve them something to chew on.</p>
<p>I've been pushing my sister to look at Rhodes. Do you know anything about their English/Creative Writing program? (BTW cancer research as a freshman is very impressive!)</p>
<p>warblersrule, I don't personally. My D took a great writing seminar with 15 kids and probably that many papers :eek: first semester and it was a bear. She learned a whole bunch and now feels quite comfortable with college writing (although she says it still takes her longer than it should). One of our CC parents is quite familiar, I think it is faline. Try pm'ing her and I'll see what I can find..</p>
<p>warblers, I sent you a link on the research. I don't have a clue what she's doing. I think I understood two things when she told me about it . DNA and yeast. The rest was just mumbling to me. ;)</p>
<p>My neighbor's junior daughter is looking for an LAC in a warm(er) location. She's a good student with about a 3.8 unweighted, 700 CR and 680 M at the beginning of her junior year (she will prep and retake).</p>
<p>The complication is that she keeps kosher. Do you think she would fit in at Rhodes?</p>
<p>footballyus, did you even read curmudgeon's post #7?
Decision time was tough for her but it ultimately came down to Rhodes and $100K for med school, or Yale or Amherst as she felt Rhodes was pretty close to the other top LAC's (the top twenty-ish ones). She felt very comfortable from her 5 visits that there would be a critical mass of smart kids at Rhodes . She knew that 9 kids from her scholarship weekend were going to attend that were national caliber kids , as "smart as any I've been around at any school" . Some weekend attendees turned down top twenty schools, and some accepted them. (One who ended up at Amherst, actually.) She knew that she could take part in study abroad and summer activities we could never have afforded otherwise.</p>
<p>She would like to work wherever she wants upon becoming a doctor (private, public, charitable org) and felt that being at least $100,000 less in debt would be a good start in that direction.</p>
<p>The opportunity she felt she would have to help do cutting edge research and present papers under the guidance of St. Jude physicians and scientists (and Rhodes Prof's with current NSF funding) was the deciding factor. "That's a pretty worldclass opportunity itself". So, she fell off the fence on the Rhodes side. Another equally thoughtful kid will go the other way.
Where did you see any implication that it wasn't her decision?</p>
<p>Boysx3, I don't know. I saw your post on another thread and until I hit the kosher part I thought Rhodes sounded about perfect. Memphis is a pretty big place so I'm thinking maybe. But I'll try to find out and report back.</p>
<p>Rhodes is 77% out of state with a good number of kids from up north , at least in my D's dorm. Wisconsin, Pa., Maine, NYC, Long Island, really all over. Surprisingly more national in reach than one might think. I think it is clearly an institutional goal supported by merit aid Hint,hint. .;)</p>
<p>footballyus, I agree with you to a certain extent. My job was to tell her what we could afford and help her understand her part of the financial obligations which were not insubstantial. I felt comfortable that the decision was hers and she was basing it on sound reasons. After that , my job was over.</p>
<p>I'm not suggesting she made the right decision for anybody but herself. But she owned the process.</p>