<ol>
<li><p>You don’t even go there yet.</p></li>
<li><p>There are not 9,000 freshman coming in this fall or any other fall!</p></li>
<li><p>And conservative means politically, not how casually the students dress!</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I think College Confidential is a great website, but I think a possible shortcoming is how few current students post (I guess I should try to remedy that). No offense to the parents on here, but I think that I probably have a better hands-on and honest approach to Ole Miss.</p>
<p>I am an OOS student heading into my junior year, and I really do love my school. I will be the first to say that even in my senior year of high school, I never would have even considered Ole Miss. I believe it was a Google search of “international studies” that led to the Croft Institute, and then the Honors College, and surprise, this is my school!</p>
<p>What people are saying about changing majors is true, most students do, though I seem to have just added majors and minors instead of changing anything!</p>
<p>So far as the Theatre department goes, I was really involved in tech theatre in high school, and the program here is not alright. Not stellar by any means, but my friends in the program love it. One is a Business/Theatre double-major, and a lot of students pursue two tracks.</p>
<p>One of my majors is International Studies, so we have quite a few classes with professors from the Political Science department. I have been very impressed with the department as a whole. If you approach a professor for a paper, concept, etc. during office hours, they will always be willing to help you one-on-one, so long as you take the initiative to seek help.</p>
<p>So far as the “conservatism” goes, Ole Miss is definitely more conservative than most college campuses, but it is STILL a college campus. Certain majors are more conservative than others (business, for example), but overall I would say the student body is generally moderate, while the professors are liberal. In my opinion, it creates a very interesting dynamic. And just because I may be liberal does not mean that I am by ANY means alienated from the rest of the students… some of my best friends die-hard Republicans. If anything, I have been educated by the experience, and people who go into any school without an open mind in this regard are doing themselves a disservice.</p>
<p>As far as the Greek system goes, it is a very big deal at Ole Miss…for the freshman. I myself rushed freshman year, pledged, stuck with it for a year, and then decided it was not for me. There is a joke on campus that 70% of freshmen are Greek but only 30% of seniors because of such a high drop rate. I have a ton of friends who are Greek, and ton of friends who aren’t. As a freshman I think there is a lot of pressure to try to “figure out who you are”, and people feel the need to be accepted. Having Greek letters somehow helps that I guess, as seems like a big deal, but the lure fades quickly after freshman year. If you are outgoing and confident in yourself, this should not be a problem. The Residential College is a great place to live if you do not plan on rushing (I stayed there as a freshman, and I was an RA there as a sophomore).</p>
<p>I could go on all day about Ole Miss, but I will am very honest with its shortcomings as well. It is not the most prestigious school in the world, and the students can be “clicky”. Certain programs certainly stand out over others. In my view, it is all what you make of it.</p>
<p>If anyone has questions for a current Ole Miss student, or about programs like the Honors College and Croft Institute, feel free to PM me!</p>
<p>Hotty Toddy!</p>
<p>Just got back from a tour of Ole Miss. Can anyone give me their current opinion of the school? Concerned about the academics as that did not seem a priority from our tour leaders. The admission requirements seem fairly low compaired to other schools. We mainly heard about how the school was named prettiest campus and how friendly all the people were. Thanks!</p>
<p>Depending on your student’s choice of major and academent acheivement, Ole Miss can be a walk in the park or a very rich & challenging four year experience. (Believe it or not, most colleges and universities are like this) Admissions requirements are low due to a court ruling many years ago. If you are looking for academic challenge, please check out the honors college. Many of the majors at Ole Miss are extremely challenges and offer amazing opportunties for academic and personal development. If you give a few more specifics on what you are looking for, I will do my best to help.</p>
<p>Lexus1 gives a very good overview of life at Ole Miss.</p>
<p>Thanks. Never heard about any court ruling. Can you give more info on this? (we live in Atlanta area) My d is interested in the intelligence and security studies minor and possiblely the forensic chemistery major, which I am assuming will be academicly challenging. Also, do you know anything about the residential college? The dorm sound like a wonderful living/learning opportunity. And, like most girls, my d is very interested in greek life.</p>
<p>Lexus1 is right on the money. My daughter is a freshman at Ole Miss. It was very low on our rader, but we visited and she fell in love. Their International Studies program is excellent. A huge plus was the generous financial aid package they offered her. The administration is very responsive to both parents and the students. They are aggressively trying to attract top students and create a diverse student body. Hotty Toddy!</p>
<p>I would have to research the info on the court ruling (haven’t looked back at it since my dds were considering ole miss four years ago). But is is the reason for the very low admissions requirements. One of my daughters is completing the ISS minor this year. She has really loved the coursework and opportunities this minor has provided her. The director, Dr. Jensen, is ex-FBI. The students really think a lot of him. I can’t speak to the chemistry department, but maybe someone else will chime in.</p>
<p>Both of my daughters lived in the RC for two years. One was an RA her sophomore year. Though it is more expensive than some of the other dorms, IMHO, it is the way to go for more academically minded students. </p>
<p>Both daughters are also members of the Croft Institute for International Studies. I agree with Micromanmom, the program is very good. And let’s not forget about the Honors College. My kiddos did some amazing things with the support of the HC!</p>
<p>My d’s interest in Ole Miss began with the ISS program. Seekingknowledge - It is good to hear that your daughter enjoyed the coursework, etc. Unfortunately my d is not interested in international studies, so someone suggested the forensic chemistry major.
I personally liked the concept of the residental college. My d is definately wants to join a sorority…will living in the residental college conflict with greek life? Did your ds do the greek life? My d is tore between Univ of Alabama and Ole Miss. She will be applying to both and also a few GA schools. Any info about Ole Miss is appreciated.</p>
<p>This is a older thread with lots of good information on Ole Miss- <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/808445-ole-miss.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/808445-ole-miss.html</a></p>
<p>Two other place to learn about Ole Miss:
A book by Andrew Hacker called Higher Education. He recommends the honors college. I believe in the last chapter.</p>
<p>The Great American Country TV station (gactv dot com) has a special featuring Ole Miss and U of Alabama. It is called “Southern Living Tailgate Playbook”. It shows a good glimpse of some of the differences in campus culture of the 2 schools. There is a sneak peek on the website.</p>
<p>The old thread discuss the ruling about easier admission. It also mentions students from the Atlanta area. Good advice from some experienced and wise CC posters!</p>
<p>Great information Moreover.</p>
<p>Flanan79: The students in the ISS program are from many different majors. Remember that it is a selective minor. Students take an introductory class, then apply to the program. It is competitive. </p>
<p>The RC is a great place to spend the first year at Ole Miss. Yes, my daughters were Greek their first year. But at the end of that year, they decided to de-activate. Not that they didn’t enjoy the sorority, they just chose to become very involved in other pursuits and studied abroad extensively. While abroad, the sorority would have required them to continue paying dues. They decided that they would rather use that money to enrich their time abroad. Though Greek Life seems so important during a student’s freshman year, being non Greek at Ole Miss is just as fulfilling. A large percentage of Greeks de-activate by their Senior year.</p>
<p>It’s funny that your D is torn between Ole Miss and Alabama. My son is a freshman at Alabama! I can understand why you are torn! Keep asking questions and we will help if we can.</p>
<p>The University of Mississippi has very strong undergraduate academic programs that range from Pharmacy to Business and International Studies. Did you know that an honors double major student in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry won a Goldwater scholarship for the research that she’s been doing? Did you know that a public policy student in the Trent Lott Leadership Institute was awarded a Udall scholarship for her work with environmental activism? </p>
<p>PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do your full research (not just asking a friend what they think) about an institution prior to coming into an online forum and bad-mouthing it without all the facts. Ole Miss’ admissions standards are governed by the Institutions of Higher Learning Board. All Mississippi public schools have the same admissions standards. Come do a visit and see for yourself what UM has to offer you!</p>
<p>Programs like Honors College, Croft Institute, Lott Leadership, Chinese Flagship, Early Entry Pharmacy, Center for Manufacturing Excellence (Engineering), Intelligence Studies and others welcome students from all types of backgrounds (as someone mentioned “geeks”). Greek life only encompasses about 1/3 of the campus leaving the majority of students proudly non-Greek. </p>
<p>Check out some stories about students at Ole Miss doing great things!</p>
<p>[Senior</a> Honors Student Named UM’s 13th Goldwater Scholar | Ole Miss News](<a href=“http://news.olemiss.edu/senior-honors-student-named-ums-13th-goldwater-scholar/]Senior”>Senior Honors Student Named UM's 13th Goldwater Scholar - Ole Miss News)</p>
<p>[Engineering</a> Student Turns Love of Cars into Fulbright Scholarship to Germany | Ole Miss News](<a href=“http://news.olemiss.edu/engineering-student-turns-love-of-cars-into-fulbright-scholarship-to-germany/]Engineering”>Engineering Student Turns Love of Cars into Fulbright Scholarship to Germany - Ole Miss News)</p>
<p>[UM</a> Student Lands Prestigious Scholarship for a Year’s Study in Germany | Ole Miss News](<a href=“http://news.olemiss.edu/um-student-lands-prestigious-scholarship-for-a-years-study-in-germany/]UM”>UM Student Lands Prestigious Scholarship for a Year's Study in Germany - Ole Miss News)</p>
<p>[Honors</a> College Alum Plans to Use Rotary Scholarship to Hone Understanding of International Business | Ole Miss News](<a href=“http://news.olemiss.edu/honors-college-alum-plans-to-use-rotary-scholarship-to-hone-understanding-of-international-business/]Honors”>Honors College Alum Plans to Use Rotary Scholarship to Hone Understanding of International Business - Ole Miss News)</p>
<p>[Recent</a> Honors College Grad Named Prestigious National Portz Scholar | Ole Miss News](<a href=“http://news.olemiss.edu/recent-honors-college-grad-named-prestigious-national-portz-scholar/]Recent”>Recent Honors College Grad Named Prestigious National Portz Scholar - Ole Miss News)</p>
<p>Does anyone have any experience with the computer science department? Just wondering how strong the program is.</p>
<p>I am in the same boat. I am from Wisconsin and i heard that ole miss has a mentality that if you aren’t from the south you wont get into the Fraternities.</p>
<p>Well, these should tell you something about what it is like:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012311070044[/url]”>http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012311070044</a></p>
<p>From the campus newspaper: [Students</a> clash after election | The Daily Mississippian](<a href=“http://thedmonline.com/article/students-clash-after-election]Students”>http://thedmonline.com/article/students-clash-after-election) </p>
<p>[Ole</a> Miss students start racist protest after election result - Salon.com](<a href=“http://www.salon.com/2012/11/07/ole_miss_students_start_racist_protest_after_election_result/]Ole”>http://www.salon.com/2012/11/07/ole_miss_students_start_racist_protest_after_election_result/)</p>
<p>And these articles should tell you something about Ole Miss too. It’s a shame that a few intoxicated racist students can set back the years of effort of so many good students.</p>
<p>[Ole</a> Miss community reacts, moves forward | The Daily Mississippian](<a href=“http://www.thedmonline.com/article/ole-miss-community-reacts-moves-forward]Ole”>http://www.thedmonline.com/article/ole-miss-community-reacts-moves-forward) </p>
<p>[The</a> ghosts of Ole Miss are far from dead | The Daily Mississippian](<a href=“http://www.thedmonline.com/article/ghosts-ole-miss-are-far-dead]The”>http://www.thedmonline.com/article/ghosts-ole-miss-are-far-dead)</p>
<p>I urge you to consider the strengths of Ole Miss, not on the actions of a few, but on the efforts of the student body as a whole.</p>
<p>In light of all the recent negative events at Ole Miss, I thought I would pass along a story very different from the recent news coverage. </p>
<p>Yesterday morning, in a rush to accomplish everything before Thanksgiving break, my daughter lost her iPhone on campus. Knowing the value of a “found” iphone, we did not think she would ever see it again. In a last attempt to recover it, we sent a text message to the phone, asking the person to find it to call my number or return it to a certain location. The day ended without a call back.</p>
<p>At 6 am this morning I received a call from the wife of the man that found the phone on the ground. She explained that he was an OUT bus driver and knew that the phone was new and someone would be very upset to discover they had lost it. She read my text message late that night and called me first thing in the morning to arrange for my daughter to meet her husband’s bus so he could return it to her. When he returned the phone to my daughter, he asked for nothing in return. Nothing.</p>
<p>This man showed a level of honor, character and integrity that few of us will ever achieve. HE is Ole Miss, one of many of the amazing people from this University that will never be seen on the 10 o’clock news.</p>
<p>Just my two cents.</p>
<p>A note to the football coach
[Letter</a> to the Editor | The Daily Mississippian](<a href=“http://www.thedmonline.com/article/letter-editor-64]Letter”>http://www.thedmonline.com/article/letter-editor-64)
</p>
<p>I’m from around Ole Miss, and I love the area, and if I wasn’t accepted with a full ride out of state, I would be going there. </p>
<p>I would just like to say that the riots are not something that all of the students supported. When I spoke to quite a few students from the area, they didn’t support or participate.
You’ll deal with radicals wherever you go, but honesty, this state can be quite judgmental and people can be quick to share their opinions.</p>
<p>@maxferr It’s true that a lot of people will think you have to be from the south to want to be in a fraternity, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be excluded. I have a friend from California in a sorority, and her cousin is from the same area and in a frat.</p>
<p>Just a note though, if you want to go into engineering, you should look at Mississippi State.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Anybody know anything about the quality of Ole Miss’s Hospitality Management program? Extra credit if you have any info on how it compares to the hospitality management programs at U of Alabama and Auburn.</p>