Thoughts on SMU - s/o from ole miss thread

[Anonymous]

Went to grad school there and had at least three cousins get their BAs at SMU. The PPs nailed it...its like what you see of Alabama during rush on steroids in a very small environment. I think its a really good (and beautiful) school with solid academics but I think if a student didn't fit the typical mold it may be a very, very tough place to be. They called it Southern Millionaires University for years for a reason. I'm very glad I wasn't there as an undergrad because I think I would have really suffered. Grad school, however, was great.

My cousin's who attended all come from extremely wealthy families. I have a very vivid memory of one of the younger ones being very upset about the fact that her family didn't have a plane and her friends did (her family now has a plane). That is the kind of student body we're talking here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Went to grad school there and had at least three cousins get their BAs at SMU. The PPs nailed it...its like what you see of Alabama during rush on steroids in a very small environment. I think its a really good (and beautiful) school with solid academics but I think if a student didn't fit the typical mold it may be a very, very tough place to be. They called it Southern Millionaires University for years for a reason. I'm very glad I wasn't there as an undergrad because I think I would have really suffered. Grad school, however, was great.

My cousin's who attended all come from extremely wealthy families. I have a very vivid memory of one of the younger ones being very upset about the fact that her family didn't have a plane and her friends did (her family now has a plane). That is the kind of student body we're talking here.

Do you mean jet? Because you don't need to be rich to have a plane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Went to grad school there and had at least three cousins get their BAs at SMU. The PPs nailed it...its like what you see of Alabama during rush on steroids in a very small environment. I think its a really good (and beautiful) school with solid academics but I think if a student didn't fit the typical mold it may be a very, very tough place to be. They called it Southern Millionaires University for years for a reason. I'm very glad I wasn't there as an undergrad because I think I would have really suffered. Grad school, however, was great.

My cousin's who attended all come from extremely wealthy families. I have a very vivid memory of one of the younger ones being very upset about the fact that her family didn't have a plane and her friends did (her family now has a plane). That is the kind of student body we're talking here.

Always heard that everything was bigger in Texas, but do you really need a plane to get around campus ?

[Anonymous]

This is how Texas schools stand.

Rice
UT Austin
SMU, Baylor, TCU, Texas A&M, Trinity College
UTD, U of Houston
TXU, Texas Tech, UNT
others

Other than first two, rest offer merit scholarships so sometimes even top students who aren't eligible for need based aid, go to lower tiers for merit money.

That being said, SMU doesn't have a good return on investment unless you are getting aid, scholarship or have jobs lined up though contacts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went to grad school there and had at least three cousins get their BAs at SMU. The PPs nailed it...its like what you see of Alabama during rush on steroids in a very small environment. I think its a really good (and beautiful) school with solid academics but I think if a student didn't fit the typical mold it may be a very, very tough place to be. They called it Southern Millionaires University for years for a reason. I'm very glad I wasn't there as an undergrad because I think I would have really suffered. Grad school, however, was great.

My cousin's who attended all come from extremely wealthy families. I have a very vivid memory of one of the younger ones being very upset about the fact that her family didn't have a plane and her friends did (her family now has a plane). That is the kind of student body we're talking here.

Always heard that everything was bigger in Texas, but do you really need a plane to get around campus ?

No. Its a small campus. UT Austin and A&M have huge campuses but not no planes needed.

[Anonymous]

More than 72% of SMU students receive some merit money and some need based aid.

Not many high school stars or 1% students go there but most students are in 10-30% range at their high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went to grad school there and had at least three cousins get their BAs at SMU. The PPs nailed it...its like what you see of Alabama during rush on steroids in a very small environment. I think its a really good (and beautiful) school with solid academics but I think if a student didn't fit the typical mold it may be a very, very tough place to be. They called it Southern Millionaires University for years for a reason. I'm very glad I wasn't there as an undergrad because I think I would have really suffered. Grad school, however, was great.

My cousin's who attended all come from extremely wealthy families. I have a very vivid memory of one of the younger ones being very upset about the fact that her family didn't have a plane and her friends did (her family now has a plane). That is the kind of student body we're talking here.

Always heard that everything was bigger in Texas, but do you really need a plane to get around campus ?

No. Its a small campus. UT Austin and A&M have huge campuses but not no planes needed.

Attended a fairly small rich kid school for college. Occasionally, a student would be brought to school via the family helicopter. Possibly where the term "helicopter parents" originated. Not sure.

[Anonymous]

Laura Bush attended SMU in her pre marriage era but her daughters declined and one went to Yale and other to UT Austin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is how Texas schools stand.

Rice
UT Austin
SMU, Baylor, TCU, Texas A&M, Trinity College
UTD, U of Houston
TXU, Texas Tech, UNT
others

Other than first two, rest offer merit scholarships so sometimes even top students who aren't eligible for need based aid, go to lower tiers for merit money.

That being said, SMU doesn't have a good return on investment unless you are getting aid, scholarship or have jobs lined up though contacts.

This list was obviously not compiled by a politician. If I may, I would like to make a couple of adjustments to your list:

U Texas at Austin Texas A&M

U Texas Satellite campuses Texas A&M satellite & affiliate campuses

U Houston, Baylor, TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech, UNT

(This space intentionally left blank)

SMU, Rice, Trinity University

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is how Texas schools stand.

Rice
UT Austin
SMU, Baylor, TCU, Texas A&M, Trinity College
UTD, U of Houston
TXU, Texas Tech, UNT
others

Other than first two, rest offer merit scholarships so sometimes even top students who aren't eligible for need based aid, go to lower tiers for merit money.

That being said, SMU doesn't have a good return on investment unless you are getting aid, scholarship or have jobs lined up though contacts.

This list was obviously not compiled by a politician. If I may, I would like to make a couple of adjustments to your list:

U Texas at Austin Texas A&M

U Texas Satellite campuses Texas A&M satellite & affiliate campuses

U Houston, Baylor, TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech, UNT

(This space intentionally left blank)

SMU, Rice, Trinity University

Aggies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is how Texas schools stand.

Rice
UT Austin
SMU, Baylor, TCU, Texas A&M, Trinity College
UTD, U of Houston
TXU, Texas Tech, UNT
others

Other than first two, rest offer merit scholarships so sometimes even top students who aren't eligible for need based aid, go to lower tiers for merit money.

That being said, SMU doesn't have a good return on investment unless you are getting aid, scholarship or have jobs lined up though contacts.

This list was obviously not compiled by a politician. If I may, I would like to make a couple of adjustments to your list:

U Texas at Austin Texas A&M

U Texas Satellite campuses Texas A&M satellite & affiliate campuses

U Houston, Baylor, TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech, UNT

(This space intentionally left blank)

SMU, Rice, Trinity University

Aggies

But, if you know Texas, you know that the state is divided between the two schools--and those divisions run deep and last for life.

[Anonymous]

The info about complaining a family doesn’t own a plane/jet is an interesting tidbit

I know (through an internet board for people looking at college dance) several parents with children at SMU. I know one of them is a single parent who said that scholarships were the only thing that made a school like SMU possible for her. It makes me want to ask her how her daughter is doing with that social climate. I wonder if the dancers are somewhat separated from that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is how Texas schools stand.

Rice
UT Austin
SMU, Baylor, TCU, Texas A&M, Trinity College
UTD, U of Houston
TXU, Texas Tech, UNT
others

Other than first two, rest offer merit scholarships so sometimes even top students who aren't eligible for need based aid, go to lower tiers for merit money.

That being said, SMU doesn't have a good return on investment unless you are getting aid, scholarship or have jobs lined up though contacts.

This list was obviously not compiled by a politician. If I may, I would like to make a couple of adjustments to your list:

U Texas at Austin Texas A&M

U Texas Satellite campuses Texas A&M satellite & affiliate campuses

U Houston, Baylor, TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech, UNT

(This space intentionally left blank)

SMU, Rice, Trinity University

Aggies

But, if you know Texas, you know that the state is divided between the two schools--and those divisions run deep and last for life.

Another internet board friend of mine is an A&M alum and married one as well. They lost one of their children in a tragic accident and they set up an A&M scholarship fund in her name.

Imagine my surprise when she said her eldest is looking at UT!

My husband is from TX (did not attend either of these schools) and I have been fully educated on the rivalry, although I also knew about it before I met him through my friend who was the daughter of the UT football coach at the time we were in school. She would fly home for the big games each season-it was always fun to catch her in the crowd like “hey, I just saw her yesterday”

[Anonymous]

I’m from Texas and have many friends and family members who went to SMU. It’s one of the few colleges I won’t let my kids consider due to the conspicuous consumption and drug culture. I have one family member who ended up in rehab straight out of college and many friends who talked about being exposed to way more drugs that I ever saw on the frat scene at UT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All the alums I know are rich, southern, white frat boy types. I’ve been really underwhelmed by the alums I’ve met, but maybe they’re thee minority?

I came in to say: a college populated by exceedingly conventional, well-off white kids.