<p>D wants to attend school in the southeast (tired of cold winters) and Hendrix is on her list. Unfortunately, none of the other schools she is considering is close to Ark.</p>
<p>Is visiting before she applies necessary? advisable? If D applies and is admitted, she can attend whatever on-campus yield program the college hosts.</p>
<p>Visiting is not necessary and I don't think it gives you any edge in the application process. But she should definitely apply and visit if she gets in because it is really beautiful and my decision is pretty much what sealed the deal for me. In the early spring they have an overnight stay for accepted students, so I would save the trip until then.</p>
<p>Thanks, Katie - - but I'd also like to hear from current students or parents of students.</p>
<p>I'm not sure a visit before making an application is strictly necessary. A good interview could tip the scales on an admissions decision, however. My daughter is a freshman and extremely happy. She had pretty much settled on accepting an admission to another college before we visited Hendrix, but her visit changed her mind.</p>
<p>What about the visit changed her mind? What was so special about Hendrix??</p>
<p>Hi, foolishpleasure. My DD is a junior at Hendrix, but currently doing a semester abroad in France. She loves Hendrix and I can't imagine her being happier anyplace else. We visited several schools during her junior and senior years of high school, but when we visited Hendrix, we all knew it was a match made in Heaven. IMO, the visit is really important, as you'll read in the link below. I don't visit here at CC much any more, but thought I would respond to your post. Here is a link to a very LONG message I posted after DD's visit to Hendrix. Please read it if you have a chance and let me know if you have any specific questions. I'll answer whatever I can.<br>
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/99708-just-returned-overnights-hendrix-rhodes.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/99708-just-returned-overnights-hendrix-rhodes.html</a></p>
<p>Foolishpleasure, my daughter is a sophomore at Hendrix and I live about 30 minutes from Conway. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have about Hendrix or the central Arkansas area. BTW, SplashMom's linked post about her DD's visit is well worth the read! :-)</p>
<p>Hi ArkansasMom! I hope your DD is enjoying Hendrix. It's hard to believe how time flies, isn't it?</p>
<p>Hi SplashMom! Time does, indeed, fly - at warp speed! I can't believe my DD is already in her second year and yours is in her third. Wow, a semester abroad in France, how marvelous! I don't think my DD is going to do a semester abroad, but she is looking forward to the possibility of a choir trip to Bulgaria in late May. She is really enjoying her time at Hendrix. Glad your DD is, too!</p>
<p>Wow!! So much activity on this and a related thread. </p>
<p>Splashmom - - interesting that your report on Rhodes confirmed all of my suspicions. </p>
<p>ArkansasMom, what would a city kid from the northeast do in Conway? Is the area neac campus conservative (always somewhat reluctant to venture south of the Mason/Dixon line)?</p>
<p>This isn't a first hand observation, but my D and I asked the admissions rep basically the same question yesterday at an interview. He described Hendrix as a blue dot in a red state. That doesn't answer your question about Conway, I realize, but some of the answer depends on how much time a student spends on campus vs off campus. FWIW, we moved from a blue state to a red one several years ago. It hasn't always been easy, but we have found some likeminded friends (took a little searching) and otherwise just avoid certain topics. It can be done and we have no regrets :-)</p>
<p>Blue dot in a red state - - that's cute. My concern with the surrounding area is that the smaller the campus/enrollment, the more likely the students are to venture into town. Also, even if the college provides enough on-campus activities to keep students busy, they must occasionally leave the blue bubble and stroll into town for shopping or just a change of scenery.</p>
<p>As the blue mother of a blue daughter, I can tell you that my DD has not experienced any difficulty off-campus. She and her friends often go to Little Rock when they want to go out and do something, especially at night. There's a small coffee shop on the edge of campus called Something Brewing where many students go and DD reports lots of great conversation there. She used to visit a small bookstore in downtown Conway (walking distance), but I believe it recently closed. Conway is also home to a couple of other schools ... University of Central Arkansas and a small Baptist college (can't remember the name), so there are lots of college kids around. When we have visited, I have never felt any type of political divide, just mostly friendly folks.</p>
<p>foolishpleasure, as a Little Rock resident (not a native), I can say that Little Rock will always provide something to do. Conway is just far enough away from Little Rock to seem like a college town (which it very much is - you've got University of Central Arkansas (13,000 students enrolled) and Central Baptist College). </p>
<p>As for the "political divide," I am EXTREMELY liberal, and while the state's politics as a whole can be frustrating - there is a definite community of invididuals who think like me. Furthermore, it's true about Southerners - hospitable to the end. "Mostly friendly" is right - and I would say a bit of an understatement.</p>
<p>I attended Arkansas Governor's School at Hendrix this summer, so if you would like to hear more about the facilities/campus/etc., I'd be glad to answer any kind of questions you have.</p>
<p>How far away is Little Rock? If one needs a car, getting there won't be practical for most students (of course, as a NYer, I assume that decent public transportation doesn't exist outside the 5 boroughs - - well, not beyond the LIRR and MetroNorth).</p>
<p>I have to admit that I find the phrase "Baptist college nearby" unsettling. </p>
<p>And, in terms of the town and friendliness, I worry that it might be a less friendly place for black students. I have considered calling and asking to speak to black students, but I figure anyone the college recommends is having a good experience (I mean I suspect this to be the case in general).</p>
<p>I think Little Rock is about 30 minutes away. Hendrix is a tight knit school and I'm sure anyone going that way would be happy to accept a few dollars for gas in exchange for a ride. Because the school is small, most people have a friend or two that have cars, so I get the impression it's not a problem. </p>
<p>DH and I are fairly liberal and DD is very liberal and classifies herself as agnostic. The only other students besides those at Hendrix I ever hear her speak of are the students from University of Central Arkansas. Central Baptist College has an approximate enrollment of 500 or so students, I think, and my guess is the students at Hendrix (liberal) and the students at Central Baptist don't have much in common and therefore rarely cross paths.</p>
<p>As for the friendliness towards blacks in and around Conway, I really can't speak to that because it's not something I've noticed one way or the other when visiting. My DD, who works in the admissions office, thinks the world of Jenn McKenzie, Assistant Director of Admission and Campus Visit Coordinator, and I would suggest calling her to ask for the names of several black students with whom you can communicate. If at all possible, perhaps your DD could visit. My DD makes occasional runs to pick up prospective students at the airport in Little Rock, as do other students. Obviously, as parents, we want our children to be at a school where they are comfortable and happy. I hope your DD finds that, whether it be at Hendrix or not.</p>
<p>Comfortable and happy - - you hit the nail on the head! I'm sure we will find a number of schools that will fit the bill - - how could we not with so many choince. Narrowing down the list is the hard part! </p>
<p>(Yes, I know I could ask to speak to students, but as I said in my earlier post, but I'm sure students hand-picked by the administration are happy and will give positive reviews. Visiting would be best, but that's a long trip to take a peek at just one school - - there are no other schools nearby that are of interest to D; c'est la vie.)</p>
<p>I agree with all that has been said about the kids from CBC and Hendrix not interacting. I have MANY friends who go to Hendrix (my arts high school is pretty much a feeder) and none of them have ever said a single word about Central Baptist. My guess is as good as anyone's, but I'd like to figure that Hendrix kids KNOW who they're going to get along with! :)</p>
<p>I cannot speak to the friendliness toward black students other than.. I haven't noticed any UNfriendliness. </p>
<p>I truly hope you choose to keep Hendrix on your daughter's list, as it is an amazing school and deserves a second (or third or fourth!) look!</p>
<p>Hi Arkansas Mom,
My D visited Hendrix last spring--beautiful campus. Not sure it's for her. On the plus side it is 3 hours from home and she just got a big scholarship, but she has been looking at more conservative schools like Wheaton, Ill and Grove City. She likes Centre, too. Is Hendrix campus culture very liberal? Big party school?</p>
<p>Hey there, 2daughters. I'm sure ArkansasMom will reply when she sees your question, too, but I was chatting with DD this morning and I asked her your questions. Here is her reply:</p>
<p>"It's not Oberlin, but it's pretty liberal... and there are a fair amount of parties although I wouldn't call it a "party school". If someone really likes Wheaton, then I don't think they'd like Hendrix."</p>
<p>We visited several schools, Centre included. We all liked Centre, especially DH and me. I find Centre and Hendrix to be very comparable in many ways, but I believe Centre leans a bit more to the right and Hendrix a bit more to the left. DD is a left-leaner so Hendrix is the perfect school for her. I hope this helps.</p>