@DJFlash, you need to get out and see a little more of the South. What you label as “Southern culture” is only what you’ve observed at your one high school. It is only one out of thousands of Southern high schools and wouldn’t look at all familiar to me. You can’t compare one Southern high school to the entire city of New York, just like you can’t compare one New York high school to the entire South – or even one part of the South.
I see this over and over. Someone has an experience in one place in the South, or has HEARD of one thing happening in the South, and this person extrapolates from that that ALL of the South is that way. Does one bad experience with a clique in a New Jersey high school mean that the entire Northeast is snobby and rude? Does one murder of a gay man in Wyoming mean that the West is a hotbed of homophobia?
Well, if there’s one thing good about stereotypes concerning the South, maybe it’s that the people who hold the most outlandish of them are less inclined to move here.
I would just like to point out that, as a Northern white person who does not speak disparagingly of minorities, either to their faces or behind their backs, and who resents being put in a category because of the color of her skin, her socio-economic position or her marital state (all things that tend to be reduced to statistical verities: as a white married woman, I “should” have an entirely different voting pattern than I do!) I sympathize with those wanting to defend their cultures and their schools from egregious stereotyping. All schools have an atmosphere and a (usually self-cultivated) culture, and the only way OP will know whether he or she feels comfortable there is to visit.
@missywilliams Certainly all of the schools you mentioned have southern traditions - some good, some really bad. I would also suggest checking out College of Charleston, Appalachian State, and NC State.
^I second that, especially College of Charleston for “Southern charm”. You may like UNC Asheville, perhaps UNC Wilmington (although it’s not so much Southern as “resort-like”.)
What about Centenary of Louisiana? Christopher Newport? Loyola New Orleans… or even Tulane?
As an Auburn grad I say just go visit and see what you think. I think you’ll find a large variety of people - like you’d expect from a school of 22,000 plus people. I know that a land grant school like Auburn will have a few more “country” students - those studying poultry science, agriculture, turf science, vet/animal husbandry, etc. however, that kind of variety is super interesting. I was a student of the College of Architecture, where the professors and students were very liberal. Then spent time hanging out with ROTC cadets, who were very conservative and clean cut. I had friends , sorority sisters, and roommates from all over the south and states like New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, California, Illinois, Texas, etc. My sorority wasn’t terribly southern, while others were dripping in southern protocol. Some frats were super laid back, while others were flying rebel flags. Like any big school, you find your people. In general terms, I feel students at Auburn are known for their friendliness and school spirit. The school loves it’s sports and traditions - as a graduate you become part of the Auburn family.
^I agree - go visit and see what you think! If you can, plan to visit while school is in session so you can interact with the students and see what it might be like to be a student on a regular day there. Some Southern colleges have lots of people from other places - Alabama in particular is trying to attract a national reputation with their big scholarship program, and UGA is trying to do the same. 50% of Alabama’s students are now out-of-state (many of them come from Georgia, Tennessee and Florida - but not all). Georgia is much more dominated by GA students (92%) but many of them come from Atlanta, a large metropolitan area with lots of transplants. Ole Miss is likewise made up of 32% OOS students and USC 30% - most probably from neighboring states, but you never know!
I agree with the additional recommendations of College of Charleston and Clemson. Also, many parts of North Carolina and even Virginia still have a lot of Southern charm and roots (NC definitely, VA depending on where you go). If you have the stats, I would consider UVa, William and Mary, maybe University of Richmond (a private LAC). The suggestions of several UNC campuses like Wilmington and Asheville are also great.
I am also a Southern transplant - was raised in and around New York City, went to middle school through college in the South. I still consider myself a Southerner - it’s a state of mind! But that said, I disagree with @DJFlash’s characterization. My high school was completely different from his; I see more kids in polos and khakis/tunics and yoga pants here in the Northeast than I ever saw in suburban Atlanta. Most affluent people do go to church there, but that’s not really that different from the suburbs of the Northeast either (the suburbs of New York are VERY different from the city). And there are counties in New York that are less racially diverse than metropolitan counties in the South - the county I grew up in suburban New York is less racially diverse than the county I lived in in Atlanta.
@DJFlash - My son would disagree with your claim that a liberal will not fit in. He’s a very liberal left-wing strong Christian (they are not mutually exclusive) son fits in perfectly with a very conservative right-winged base at Auburn. They share a character trait that is common in the south - mutual respect and kindness. And he’s not the only liberal - the very nature of college opens the mind and even the most conservative students listen a little more than they did before college.
It is true that there is not as much diversity in the southern schools but I think some of that is due to self segregation based on rankings not ethnicity.
Not all the affluent go to church and likewise not all churchgoers are affluent. No one will look down on you if you don’t go to church but because Southerners are a good, kind and compassionate demographic they will care about you and want what they deem best for you.
You will enjoy life in the South much more if you take advantaged of the goodness and let go of the negative perceptions.
Football is very prominent - it will sweep you up and make fall memories for a lifetime,…enjoy it now because you can’t get this time in your life back.
- it’s a state of mind! But that said, I disagree with