Ole Miss, Alabama, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State

College Search & Lists
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We are from NY and daughter is a junior. She is looking to go south. She is interested in possibly majoring in accounting, or HR Management with the idea of possibly going to law school. She is still trying to figure out her possible major. She also wants the sports atmosphere and greek life. She has a 3.5 gpa unweighted in a private catholic school. She is not taking the SAT yet but based on the PSAT- estimating 1150 SAT.

We have been to University of Alabama and plan on going to Ole Miss. Oklahoma St and Oklahoma were recent interest adds by her. I believe she will be accepted by the four schools. Can anyone give any insight and comparsions vibes of the four schools, best programs, social and greek life. Will it be a large adjustment for someone from NY? She liked Alabama but parents were not totally sold on it. Alabama is the least convenient for flights from NY. Merit aid would be good but we are not chasing it.

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How much experienced has she had in the South/Bible belt? If she’s visited enough/lived there for a while, then she’ll be able to handle the adjustment. If her only experience is watching sorority tik-tok’s then she might be in for a steep learning curve! There are lots of “sports and Greek life” schools that are closer to home than the ones you’ve mentioned- any particular reason for the focus on these??

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She also wants warm weather and the ‘southern vibe” Alabama has about 50% oos students.I am sure Oklahoma and Oklahoma St. do not have as many from the northeast. Ole Miss has a fair amount from the northeast. Southern schools are very popular for NY, CT and NJ students.

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But has she lived there or visited for an extended period of time?

I live in the Northeast so I understand the appeal. The culture shock (in my observation) is greater for kids who haven’t spent summers with relatives, gone to camp or a summer program, or spent much time specifically in Alabama, Mississippi. And Oklahoma (in my neck of the woods) is really an outlier except for a few kids at TU who went there specifically for their exceptional Cyber program.

I’m sure she’s got friends at these places if they are popular in your area- has she gotten a sense of the “vibe” from them? Southern sororities are VERY different and much more intense than their Midwest or Northeast chapters. And expensive (from what I’m told) if you’ve got to decorate the room, provide the professional grooming and wardrobe!!

Just so she knows what she’s getting into…

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Are women in your family alumnae of some sororities?
(Often you will need recommendations from alumnae and it helps if you’re a legacy).

Alabama has a solid honors college and merit scholarships that attract students from the North/Midwest. Outside the Honors college it’s a basic Southern flagship.

Oklahoma ranks very low in education achievement and doesn’t fund its universities well so I’m not sure they’re a good destination. I don’t think it’s what people lean when they mean students are interested in Southern schools.
OU used to have a solid program for NMFs but I think it lost its luster in that niche to Alabama and UTulsa.

What about FSU (reach)? FIU? (Target, could qualify for Honors program?) USouthCarolina? College of Charleston? Kennesaw State in GA has D1 football and would be a target/likely, Georgia State is urban but also a D1 target. ASU would be a target too. UNC-Charlotte?

Since she attends a Catholic school, would she be interested in Barry (FL), St Edward’s (TX), Loyola New Orleans?

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She has not spent an extended period in Mississippi, Alabama or Oklahoma. We are exploring options and I know that Alabama has a program for rising HS seniors that live on campus in the Summer. We plan on having her do that program or another program at a southern school. It would be a lot easier if she had interest in a NE or Mid Atlanitc school. She has been to several but none that she wants to attend. We were in Indianapolis and she liked Butler but does not want to attend college in Indiana. It is laid back and too quiet.

She does not want to attend school in Florida. We did not care for USC when we visited several years for my son. I have mentioned Charleston and may do a quick trip there. Iw ill look into Kennesaw. Thanks

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This is a great idea, but if possible, try to get to one or more of these schools this fall during a home football weekend. That may be the best way to get a vibe check on the environment outside of academics.

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S25 attends OleMiss. He is southern but has friends at school from all over. His roommates next year are from Illinois and Massachusetts. He says none have experienced culture shock and all are happy with their decision to attend. Alabama is similar. (Auburn too but will be a tougher admit.) Very Greek and sports oriented, but there are also lots of kids who aren’t into those things. Big schools have something for everyone. My son had Oklahoma on his radar for a minute but ultimately didn’t apply. I hear good things about Norman, though. I know nothing about Oklahoma State.

If she wants an SEC school experience, I don’t think Georgia State and KSU are going to fit the bill. At all. Lots of kids attend and are very happy at SEC schools.

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There are quite a few kids from D26s school (we’re in northern NJ) that have gone south. South Carolina is particularly popular, but we had several go to Ole Miss this year. From what I’ve gathered, they’re all somewhat similar in being SEC and Greek life dominated. They seem more similar than different. I’d suggest looking at vibes and convenience.

ETA: a good friend of mine years ago went to Ole Miss for accounting. He’s at a big 4 and quite happy there.

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Is Auburn on her list?

If she wants warm, consider Arizona and Arizona State.

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I know current students and alums at all of these, though I don’t have any alums in my immediate family. For the “Southern vibe” and Greek-and-football experience, Alabama and Ole Miss are your best bets. Oklahoma is similar in many ways but perhaps slightly less “Southern” feeling, and Oklahoma St. will feel noticeably different - not as many students from outside the region, and generally more of a “country” vibe befitting a school with lots of students from rural Oklahoma. Given what you are looking for, I would try LSU, Mississippi State, Arkansas, and Auburn before OSU.

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We are from the northeast. Our daughter’s second choice was University of South Carolina. She really liked the campus, the people she met, etc. The school won the prize for reaching out to accepted students. In the end, she chose to go to college in California, but her letter to admissions declining their acceptance stared that she would always wonder “what if”.

This was in 2006. South Carolina offered to hold her admission for the year, scholarship included, and she was welcome to transfer there as a sophomore. I’m pretty sure that doesn’t happen anymore.

You might want to check this college if it will meet your price point.

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I can’t give a comparison of the four schools either but, like some others, I’m surprised that LSU isn’t on the list. Of the SEC schools, I think that Alabama and LSU have the biggest football fandom bases/experiences. And since we’re talking SEC (an extremely enthusiastic conference for fans), that is really saying something. Plus Baton Rouge is definitely easier for travel than Tuscaloosa.

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LSU is a great idea! The exact vibe and not a reach. :grinning_face:
(My only, general concern is the budget cuts - OK, AZ, LA all affected AFAIK, for different reasons).

I agree Kennesaw/Ga State don’t have the same exact vibe as UGA (which is what I think OPs child is looking for but may be out of reach academically - off the top of my head I think 80% admitted students are above 3.5 and it’s test required - do check with the most recent class profile) and both colleges are nicer imho than Georgia Southern with its mosquitoes&many drinking holes. So Kennesaw&GA State were the closest to what OP wanted for the state of GA while having a pretty good chance at admission. The downside is that they’re more commuter than UGA or others already listed. Worth a visit to all three perhaps?

@yankee17: what did she dislike about USC? Any chance you might be open to revisit?

How important is football vs. Southern location?
(Interest in fanatical basketball supporters?)

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I missed this comment about U of South Carolina. What did she dislike about the college?

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Ah…I see. I guess I would want to hear what your daughter thinks. Plus, visiting as a possible applicant is a different point of view than visiting along with an older sibling. Ask me how I know!

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Well, shoot. My alma mater is getting absolutely no love here. I graduated from OSU in 1985, so I don’t know how much it’s changed, but I found the experience to be very positive and the academics were challenging IMO. My major required 145 credits, about 20 more than other majors. I had courses in business law, two in economics, computer science, calc, bio, chem including organic, physics, surveying, botany, entomology, hydrology, dendrology, and many more specific to my major. Plus an eight week summer field session worth 8 credits.

Even though it’s the Ag college, it’s very respected in OK - I got a big bump in my social status by being the only one in my high school class who went to either OU or OSU. Most kids went to a directional.

I admit it probably is more countrified than OU; there were SO MANY guys in the Ag building (where I took most of my classes) wearing STARCHED Wranglers, boots, hats, and button down oxford shirts! But I don’t see how the other schools being mentioned don’t have as many students from rural areas of their state. Arkansas? Mississippi State? Also, there were more guys and gals all decked out in the preppy fashion of the day.

There was plenty of school spirit, but I attended at the same time Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas were playing for OSU. Those were great years! However athletics are probably still popular every year because OSU is smaller and more isolated than OU. But still a shortish drive to OKC and Tulsa. Though not many people I knew ventured out of Stillwater for entertainment.

Finally, as with most areas of the country, IMO, the current political climate has created bad state laws and policies in addition to all the negative effects on federally administered programs. There is less freedom and more tension in the air everywhere. I attended when all those American soldiers were killed by a bomber in Lebanon. So it wasn’t a time of peace and tranquility. But I can’t recall students becoming divisive over those events. I don’t know if that’s the case on campuses currently. Oklahoma voted red in every county during the last presidential election. Not so in all the other states being discussed. They are all conservative, but not universally like OK.

Finally, finally, lest you think OSU might be less intellectual than other schools…. I had to take an English proficiency exam when I transferred to OSU, which consisted of writing an essay from one of several prompts. When I read them, I was terrified. I knew absolutely nothing about any of the prompts! I went to a horrible high school. Our small town paper was about 8 pages long. That’s two sheets of newsprint. We had one TV with three channels. I read a lot of books and always scored high in English on standardized tests, but I was evidently sorely lacking in knowledge. The prompts were crazy; I can only remember one. It was something about discussing some aspect of Margaret Trudeau! She is the Canadian PM’s wife. The end. The others were equally as sophisticated and incompatible with my brain. Looking back, that told me that the school expected us to be intelligent, curious, and know how to write. All but a couple of my professors were the same. They were smart, good instructors, and expected us to meet high standards.

** I passed the test by writing an essay on why I couldn’t write an essay about any of the prompts. I’m guessing relevance to the topic was weighted a lot lower than technical composition.

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Good friend’s D went to Ole Miss. They came from NY. She loved it and joined a sorority asap. She became southern very quickly.

It’s America. Yes, there are cultural difference, but I personally don’t think there is a huge culture shock as if suddenly moving to, say, an Asian nation. It’s college. Colleges, even in the deep south, tend to be a bit insulated from the surrounding community. The campus will have its own culture. I wouldn’t worry about it.

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If you went to a HS where both boys and girls show up in flip-flops and hair in a messy, undone bun and your books in a Trader Joe’s bag and you don’t know what a French or Russian manicure is, it IS culture shock to be in a place where fellow students “groom” before going to class.

Not insurmountable, but to pretend that getting dressed up for football games is the national norm isn’t fair to kids who need to understand regional differences!

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I didn’t say there are no differences. I just am not sure it amounts to culture shock. Perhaps I regard culture shock as something more, well, shocking.

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