We visited SMU recently with my HS daughter and spent the night at a hotel overlooking campus. We did the official tour and two info sessions the day we arrived plus we had almost all of the following day to walk campus, eat in local restaurants and absorb a bit of the local area vibe.
First impressions of the campus were very, very good. Great neighborhood, beautiful buildings - it was well below freezing when we left home but sunny and 75F on campus. I’m convinced the weather and tour guide make a huge difference to a teenager visiting a campus for the first time.
The day was slightly disorganized. After an info session in the Blanton Building near the center of campus we were taken to lunch in the brand new Arnold cafeteria in the SE corner of campus. Our agenda then directed us to a room in Dallas Hall on the north end of campus where we discovered a note taped to a door telling us to return to Blanton for our final session.
But that minor logistic snafu aside, we were all very impressed. Our tour guide was excellent and didn’t give scripted answers to questions as we’ve heard on other tours. The presntation by the admissions staff was very good as well. A genuine enthusiasm was evident.
The students were friendly with a mix of kids in t-shirts and sweats to Vineyard Vines to a kid trying to look like Robert Smith from the 1980’s band The Cure. But for the most part, kids were dressed nicer than the ones we’ve seen at large state schools - for whatever that is worth. There was a general excitement on campus because we were there just before the NCAA basketball tourney.
About the only thing our daughter didn’t like was the dorm living arrangements. It sounded as if you remain for at least 2 years in whatever dorm to which you are originally randomly assigned. So some students are randomly assigned to brand new buildings in rooms which look like nice apartments, while others are in the old fashioned rooms with cinderblock walls and that is the way things stay for at least 2 years. There is “Harry Potter” logic at work as SMU hopes students in each “Commons” bond. SMU has created crests, etc. for each Commons but it seems a bit contrived.
There were about a dozen restaurants within walking distance of campus. We sat in the sun, had a beer and ate a burger at Twisted Root where there were a mix of students and others. Made me want to return to college. There are also shops and stores very close to campus. The immediate area is a mix of mostly residential and some commercial. A kid could get along just fine with out a car. There is a train station a block off of campus and bus routes as well.
We talked to a few students and one complaint we heard a couple times was how long it took to walk from one end of campus to the other. From end to end the SMU campus is less than ¾ of a mile and I think the student complaints about long walks is just a right of passage. I’ve heard that at every campus which we’ve visited - small or large.
Other than the price tag, there wasn’t much we didn’t like. SMU is now in the top 5 for my daughter but even a couple weeks after her visit she still mentions she didn’t like that you had to wait 2 years to switch dorms.