<p>I put this on the OU forum, figured I’d post it up here too. Again, if you have any other questions, I’ll be happy to answer them to the best of my ability. I also put some info about the social life at OU on the OU forum. As for the honors dorms, be sure you get the National Merit or honors community in the towers, not the Honors College. They’re bigger, cleaner, nicer, have wifi, better heating/AC (a must in OKLA), and are closer to the main cafeteria, which is superb. Sorry in advance for the long post! </p>
<p>Just some background info about me: This is my first year at OU, like most students here I am a native Oklahoman, and I chose OU over Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Georgetown, and Baylor last year.</p>
<p>Q: Anyone accept a NM scholarship to Oklahoma (or, know anyone who did)?
A: I accepted the NM offer. It was one of the main reasons I attended OU, as I did not qualify for need-based aid at my other choices. After adding a few outside scholarships, I actually end up making about $1,900 per semester here.</p>
<p>Q: While the free ride for NM Scholars at OU is a financially attractive option, can anyone comment on what the academic experience was like for those who choose this option?
A: There are some students who are serious about academics. That being said, academics definitely take a backseat to Greek life/social functions/football, at least among 1st and 2nd year students. Greek life is a HUGE deal, and it really detracts from the academic atmosphere of the school. Community/campus involvement is also a big deal, which is a plus. The problem, however, is that these organizations are Greek-dominated, as the frats/sororities control who gets to elected to student leadership positions. Non-Greeks can be very involved in community involvement if they wish, it can just be hard to get an office in a club/student government. </p>
<p>I’m not saying that no one takes academics seriously. There are quite a few Greeks and non-Greeks who work hard and contribute to the classroom experience. Overall, the academic experience is about what you could expect from a public school. The top 5% of students are as competitive academically as anywhere in the country. Another 20% try hard in class and excel academically. 35% do enough to get by, and the rest couldn’t care less about academics. It does get better as the bottom 40% starts to drop out. Not trying to be a jerk, but you can definitely see an improvement in the academic atmosphere after Christmas Break when a number of kids go home and don’t return.</p>
<p>Q: Did the honors college live up to expectations?
A: I have only taken 2 honors courses so far, but both of those classes were excellent. My honors perspectives class was challenging without being overwhelming. The second class I took is unique to the honors college. Sometimes, when guests visit OU, they will teach a 1-credit course that lasts only a week or so. These classes are typically reserved for 10-15 honors students. This semester, I was able to take a class on the JFK assassination taught by the head historian at the History Channel. There was a TON of work packed into one week, but it was by far the best class I have taken thus far. I learned more in that class than I have in any gen ed class. I’ve heard President Boren’s honors section of his government class is wonderful, but it’s VERY hard to get into as it is limited to 10 student. He does have a non-honors class, but it has upwards of 150 students.</p>
<p>Q: Was it challenging enough for brighter students?
A: On-level gen ed courses are not challenging at all to brighter students. So far, my lowest grade in a gen ed has been a 98, and I’ve yet to make below an A on any assignment/quiz/exam. My best friend’s lowest grade was a 97 last semester, and that was in econ, one of the harder courses. Basically, students who show up to class, pay attention, read the syllabus, complete assignments, and spend a little bit of time studying can make As with minimal stress. It really is amazing how few people actually do these things, though. As I said before, academics take a backseat with the majority of students. It’s always amusing to see people who never pay attention/complete assignments/study look shocked when they realize how badly they bombed an exam. Still, it can be depressing how often this happens. Staying motivated can sometimes be tough when it appears that no one else cares about the class.</p>
<p>Honors courses are a different story. Advisors typically suggest that students take no more that 2 honors courses a semester. If you want to be challenged in gen ed courses and surrounded by people who actually care about the class, you MUST take the honors sections.</p>
<p>Upper division classes are MUCH better than the lower level gen eds. The atmosphere is more serious (people actually want to be in the class) and students put forth much more effort. Not to be mean, a lot of the kids who aren’t willing to work in the gen eds tend to drop out before they advance to the upper division classes. When you come to OU, remember it is not an Ivy. It’s a public school in Oklahoma. A good number of kids from OK and TX are not at all prepared for college life. Not saying they aren’t smart. They just aren’t willing to put forth the effort. After a few semesters of partying and performing poorly classes, they leave. By the 3rd and 4th year, you’re left with the kids who are serious about classes.</p>
<p>Q: Do grads get accepted into good graduate programs?
A: If you complete the honors program, apply yourself to your studies, and maintain a high GPA, then yes, graduates do get accepted into good graduate programs. I’m involved in pre-law club. While a majority of our senior members are going to OU or OCU law next year, we do have members who were accepted to Harvard, Duke, UTexas, UChicago, and NYU. Students also do well in national scholarship competitions. This year, we had 2 Truman Scholars and 3 Fulbright Scholars. A number of OU students also win Rhodes Scholarships. It helps that President Boren was a Rhodes Scholar. He is always available to help students who apply for this scholarship.</p>
<p>Q: Though OU offers numerous study-abroad options, how good are they?
A: The study abroad options are wonderful. OU has its own summer programs in Italy, Germany, Costa Rica, Mexico, China, and Oxford that are taught by OU faculty. The Oxford and Germany programs are limited to only honors students, while the Italy program has both honors and non-honors sections. In addition to these, OU has tons of reciprocal exchange programs with universities in Spain, Ireland, England, Scotland, China, Japan, UAE, Jordan, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, Switzerland, South Africa, India, Portugal, etc… I could be mistaken, but I believe OU has more reciprocal exchange agreements that any other university in the Big 12. Because these are reciprocal exchanges, students pay OU tuition. For NM scholars, this means that tuition is waved. All students get $1,000 for travel expenses, and NMs get an additional $1,000 as part of the scholarship. Next summer, I plan on taking 2 courses either Madrid or Pueblo, Mexico. A friend of mine is finishing his European History degree in Aberdeen, Scotland this semester. Because I haven’t personally studied abroad yet, I can’t tell you exactly how good these programs are. My friend in Scotland has nothing but positive things to say about his experience, though. Another friend is going on an archaeological dig in Pompeii this summer, which should be a great experience.</p>
<p>Q: While OU seeks to recruit NM Scholars, did it continue to provide strong support after they were enrolled?
A: Yes, the NM office does a wonderful job helping scholars. They are ALWAYS there whenever you need them. If you have a question, a problem, or just want to talk, they are available. The honors advisors are also very helpful. They have access to enrollment overrides for any class. Basically, if there’s a class a NM scholar wants to take, they will be able to take it. NM scholars also have early enrollment privileges throughout their time at OU. If you have fewer than 24 credits, this doesn’t help a ton, as OU scholars also get to enroll early. But once you get above 30 credits, you pretty much get first choice of classes. Finally, NM scholars get to conduct personal research projects with OU faculty, thus enabling the student to make close connections with the professor. It’s also a nice addition to a job or grad school application.</p>
<p>Q: Did anyone regret choosing OU over a more expensive option?
A: At times, yes. Honestly, I came to OU mainly because my girlfriend came here. I know that every single advisor tells you not to go to pick a university because of your significant other, and that is certainly good advice for high school students. In the end, I decided I would rather regret not getting a prestigious undergrad degree than regretting not staying with her. So far, it has been a good decision. The college transition has been much smoother thanks to her, and I see us staying together for a very long time. Still, there are moments that I wonder what I missed by not going to Duke or Stanford. For the most part, I feel that I missed out on learning a great deal from the diverse, academically driven classmates I could have had at another school. The honors courses do help in easing some of these feelings. Also, knowing that I will be entering law school with zero debt will be nice. I am hoping to get into Duke, Georgetown, or Vanderbilt Law, so I do have reasons to stay motivated in my classes.</p>
<p>Regarding OU’s non-engineering majors, I’m a Criminology/Spanish major, so I know a little about some of OU’s art and science majors. The majors really vary by department. The journalism department is fantastic. Their building is gorgeous, and the classes can be rigorous. The meteorology department is the best in the country (where else can you go sunbathing in the morning and have a snowball fight in the evening?). The History department is…not great. I was a history major, but at the moment, there are only a few good profs. The history classes offered are not very diverse either (American history classes are nearly exclusively western US; also, surprising lack of Native American history). The professors in criminology are amazing. They are the reason why I changed majors (took a class last semester, loved it, got to know some of the faculty better). Foreign languages depend largely on what professors you get. The business department is known for having tough classes, but OU’s Price Business College is a great school. Personally, I’m a Native American and was looking forward to taking some Native American Studies classes. However, I was greatly disappointed in the quality of the intro class. The Native American language classes are very good, though they quickly fill up with people simply trying to get an easy foreign language credit. The intro English classes are pretty good, but I don’t really know if they improved my writing. The professors in that department are very accessible and work hard with students. Zoology, economics, letters, and psychology can be tough, but the professors are top notch.</p>