State schools where it doesn’t suck to be OOS

[Anonymous]

I’ve heard some state schools are easier on out of state students than others. My DC doesn’t want to feel like tons of people go home on the weekends or like most freshmen just hang out with kids from their high school.

Have you had experience with this — good or bad? We’ve visited several big, popular places and a few don’t even seem to have freshman orientation, which might help with meeting people. (So different from LACS.)

[Anonymous]

Great post. I’m hoping to hear more info on:

U of Vermont
U if Massachusetts
U of Wisconsin

[Anonymous]

UMD has been great for my kid from VA. Does that count?

[Anonymous]

Which state schools don't have freshman orientation? None that I know of.

[Anonymous]

This has maybe changed but it used to be that at Wisconsin the OOS (particularly East Coast) students ended up in private dorms together and so did not mingle much with in state students.

[Anonymous]

You will do fine as long as you aren’t a typical East Coast douche who thinks everybody wants to constantly hear about where you came from & how much better the bagels/pizza/corned beef sandwiches are back in Boston/NYC/Philly/DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard some state schools are easier on out of state students than others. My DC doesn’t want to feel like tons of people go home on the weekends or like most freshmen just hang out with kids from their high school.

Have you had experience with this — good or bad? We’ve visited several big, popular places and a few don’t even seem to have freshman orientation, which might help with meeting people. (So different from LACS.)

This is so strange to me. I've had kids at three different in-state schools and all have a ton of OOS friends. No one is hanging out with their high school friends. Which schools are you talking about that don't have orientation for freshmen?

[Anonymous]

When I asked on the Pitt tour about what events they have to help freshman meet each other the tour guide said she couldn’t think of any. A Midwest flagship said orientation was a zoom session on how to register for classes and a dorm meeting.

This was so different from F&M where they described so many summer programs they offer to help students connect. (Of course, that is one of the big differences between large publics and small privates. Pros and cons to both.)

[Anonymous]

Delaware! The majority of kids are out of state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I asked on the Pitt tour about what events they have to help freshman meet each other the tour guide said she couldn’t think of any. A Midwest flagship said orientation was a zoom session on how to register for classes and a dorm meeting.

This was so different from F&M where they described so many summer programs they offer to help students connect. (Of course, that is one of the big differences between large publics and small privates. Pros and cons to both.)

Weird answer. I wonder if her freshman year was the Covid year.

For Pitt:
At Adnitted Students Day, there was an activity to get students to talk with each other (similar to a bingo-style ice breaker, and if you finished it, you got a Pitt frisbee)
Over the summer, there is Panther Connect, an optional day-long or overnight program, with tours and fun activities in small groups. My daughter will stay in a dorm, etc.
And Welcome Week is an entire week-long orientation before classes start.
Then, first semester, there are many sections of a one credit class that further orients you to the university and the city.

There is A LOT.

[Anonymous]

UNC
NC State

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Delaware! The majority of kids are out of state.

But aren’t they all from Jersey and PA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UNC
NC State

Really? Even with the caps?

[Anonymous]

Penn State - 43% of undergrads at University Park (ie main campus) are OOS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UMD has been great for my kid from VA. Does that count?

Good to hear this! When I attended UMD (many years ago in the late 80s- early 90s), so many students went back home on the weekends. Mostly Montgomery, Howard and Baltimore Counties.