Why are Northern Kids Flocking to Southern Universities?

[Anonymous]

Many kids that I know going to southern schools from McLean have not posted their results yet (and many do not plan to).

[Anonymous]

Weather, less woke, more bang for the buck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Easier to get in than their in state flagship options
Many southern schools are recruiting more in the north to boost their student stats and the scholarships help

True at VA privates: they cannot get in to UVA so the go to UGA and Clemson. Tennessee or SMU or FLA if they cannot get in to Clemson. Bama if they can't get in to those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Easier to get in than their in state flagship options
Many southern schools are recruiting more in the north to boost their student stats and the scholarships help

True at VA privates: they cannot get in to UVA so the go to UGA and Clemson. Tennessee or SMU or FLA if they cannot get in to Clemson. Bama if they can't get in to those.

Agree with most of what you said, but Florida State and University of Florida are very difficult to get into OOS, so not the right comparison.

[Anonymous]

Weather, great sports (even womens sports are very strong and draw large crowds), less woke, diverse student bodies

[Anonymous]

Jewish students feel safe on the southern campuses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see kids in our Jewish community definitely thinking twice about elite liberal arts schools run amok in antisemitism, and looking at alternatives including in the south, Tulane, Emory, Vanderbilt etc.

What are you talking about? There is not rampant antisemitism at elite schools. More criticism of Israel perhaps, which is a function of their intellect and them being more politically involved. I do not see evidence of increased hate crimes or animus towards Jewish people at these schools. In fact, I would say there is more tolerance for Jewish people at these schools. I know for certain that the Southern schools are not more tolerant.

You're kidding right? Have you seen the incidents at Michigan and Wisconsin and Penn Harvard etc?

Jewish students at Penn and Harvard have been severely threatened and made to feel unwelcome on campus. Some of the other colleges in the northeast have had serious antisemitism incidents.

Southern colleges have a lot of diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought about this topic some more and there is NO WAY the weather is the reason for selecting southern colleges.

I live in Alabama and have visited Texas and Florida many, many times.

The summers in the south are so hot and humid, people are not outside in the summers. They're inside with air conditioning on. It's too hot to hike, do any outdoor sports and even be at the pool for very long.

Summers last 6 months, in Alabama from April until October. TX and FL are even hotter than AL.

Winter in FL is nice, but in Alabama it's not particularly pleasant, it's cold and rains often. Again, no one does outdoor sports in the winter for that reason.

So let's be honest. Weather is not the reason they pick southern colleges. If you wanted nice weather you'd go to California.

you go home from college in the summer though

Exactly. And South Carolina UGA UF aren't as hot as south Florida or Alabama.

Um UF is absolutely as hot (actually hotter) than Alabama.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hilarious to see someone mention UF and ER in the same sentence.

? ooh, do tell

DP. UF acceptance rate 23%. UF average SAT scores: 1310-1450. Embry-Riddle acceptance rate 65%. Embry Riddle Average SAT scores 1140-1330.

Just…totally different schools. Not comparable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought about this topic some more and there is NO WAY the weather is the reason for selecting southern colleges.

I live in Alabama and have visited Texas and Florida many, many times.

The summers in the south are so hot and humid, people are not outside in the summers. They're inside with air conditioning on. It's too hot to hike, do any outdoor sports and even be at the pool for very long.

Summers last 6 months, in Alabama from April until October. TX and FL are even hotter than AL.

Winter in FL is nice, but in Alabama it's not particularly pleasant, it's cold and rains often. Again, no one does outdoor sports in the winter for that reason.

So let's be honest. Weather is not the reason they pick southern colleges. If you wanted nice weather you'd go to California.

you go home from college in the summer though

Exactly. And South Carolina UGA UF aren't as hot as south Florida or Alabama.

Um UF is absolutely as hot (actually hotter) than Alabama.

I love UF - but I agree, UF is very hot and humid (especially during the summer). Don't plan to style your hair!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see kids in our Jewish community definitely thinking twice about elite liberal arts schools run amok in antisemitism, and looking at alternatives including in the south, Tulane, Emory, Vanderbilt etc.

Tulane is 43% Jewish and has had large #s of Jewish students for a long time. Emory 17% Jewish. Vanderbilt 15% Jewish. This is nothing new.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought about this topic some more and there is NO WAY the weather is the reason for selecting southern colleges.

I live in Alabama and have visited Texas and Florida many, many times.

The summers in the south are so hot and humid, people are not outside in the summers. They're inside with air conditioning on. It's too hot to hike, do any outdoor sports and even be at the pool for very long.

Summers last 6 months, in Alabama from April until October. TX and FL are even hotter than AL.

Winter in FL is nice, but in Alabama it's not particularly pleasant, it's cold and rains often. Again, no one does outdoor sports in the winter for that reason.

So let's be honest. Weather is not the reason they pick southern colleges. If you wanted nice weather you'd go to California.

you go home from college in the summer though

Exactly. And South Carolina UGA UF aren't as hot as south Florida or Alabama.

Um UF is absolutely as hot (actually hotter) than Alabama.

I love UF - but I agree, UF is very hot and humid (especially during the summer). Don't plan to style your hair!

Yeah. It’s not a matter of opinion. Gainesville is just as hot or hotter than anywhere in the state if Alabama.

[Anonymous]

Merit money - and these schools are still accepting UMC unhooked kids - the kids that many schools just ignore because they’re not rich enough for full pay or to donate and not poor enough for an acceptance to be a good deed for society, diversity, equity, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see kids in our Jewish community definitely thinking twice about elite liberal arts schools run amok in antisemitism, and looking at alternatives including in the south, Tulane, Emory, Vanderbilt etc.

Tulane is 43% Jewish and has had large #s of Jewish students for a long time. Emory 17% Jewish. Vanderbilt 15% Jewish. This is nothing new.

+ 1.

Tulane has more Jewish students than most northern schools. In fact, Tulane has the #3 largest Jewish population among private universities in the country, behind only Boston u and NYU. https://www.hillel.org/top-60-jewish-colleges/

Other southern schools w large Jewish populations:

UF 19%
Umiami 18%
Duke 13%

[Anonymous]

More recent data re: this trend -

https://www.axios.com/2025/03/16/college-south-sec-northeast-students