This beautiful 180-acre campus located on a mesa overlooking the Pacific Ocean is an idyllic setting to learn and grow. USD is a private school with contemporary Catholic values and a diverse campus population. Religious services are available but not required. This is a liberal arts campus with a high research component. The beautiful Spanish-style architecture surrounds you as students live and attend classes around large central quads. The campus is noticeably building and renovating the campus each year. Their current project is to double the space and capacity of their respected business school. The undergraduate academic program has 43 potential majors, as well as master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees. Study Abroad is highly encouraged, they have 17 NCAA sports teams, numerous student clubs, and fraternity/sorority life. Some folks think private schools can be financially out-of-reach, when realistically, USD and other private campuses have excellent financial aid resources to support students.
The Lyceum (built in 1848), with its towering columns, immediately brings up pictures in one’s mind of the old South, however, the campus is well maintained, and the buildings are updated to meet all student needs. There was a new student gym built in 2019 and the student union building was completely renovated. The campus has a strong focus on student services. Athletics are very popular as is the Grove where alumni and community members turn out in droves for football pre-game and other celebrations. This is one of the most welcoming campuses I have ever visited. The campus is set in Oxford which is the epitome of a college town with the businesses providing student discounts and flying Ole Miss colors along the main avenues. Students have a wide variety of campus living and dining experiences to choose from on-campus. The students are also involved heavily in the community through internships and volunteer programs, they are living the motto “To whom much is given, much is required.” The University of Mississippi is the state’s flagship university. It is included in the elite group of R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity by the Carnegie Classification and has a long history of producing leaders in public service, academics, and business.
This small private campus in Sunny Southern California boasts big opportunities. 75% of the students have at least one internship and 40% study abroad. They have a 58% acceptance rate and a 79% graduation rate. The campus also encourages research experience at the undergraduate level and has a recently built (2018) science building with state-of-the-art equipment. The campus has an interfaith focus, welcoming students from around the world. There is a homey feel around campus with small classes and an average 13-1 faculty-to-student ratio in the classroom. The campus runs for two semesters with a January term to add an extra opportunity to tackle your classwork. The campus has an active fraternity & sorority life as well as 21 NCAA and 7 Club sports teams. First-year students live in triples in theme focused living & learning communities. Upperclassmen can apply to live in on-campus apartments and find apartments in nearby communities. The campus is easily accessible on the Metrolink Line and is integrated into the surrounding city.
Description: Arizona State University is a very large public institution in the suburbs of Phoenix. Starting as the Tempe Normal school to train teachers in 1884, it now has four campuses in the Phoenix area with the Tempe campus being the largest (@55,000 students). The campus sits on 1 square mile and though busy, did not feel overwhelming. A shuttle service connects the four campuses running continuously throughout the day. Each campus is self-contained with a residential community and all services available on each campus. Students can take classes at or live on any of the four campuses. ASU has over 400 majors in its 15 colleges. There is also a designed exploratory program for students who are undecided to help students focus on a major without losing time or credits in the process. I was impressed at the range of services available to students and included in tuition. There are tutoring services for every course; extensive international study programs; and three levels of sports. Tickets to all D1 sporting events are available for free to students and students who want to play can participate in competitive club sports or intramurals for fun. In addition, ASU has the 2nd largest recreation facility in the country. The campus is beautiful, well-maintained, and up-to-date. One of ASU’s claims to fame is that they have been voted the #1 school for innovation for multiple years running and it is evident all over campus as you see student-developed projects throughout the campus. Innovator labs, creation spaces, and entrepreneurial advisers are part of student tuition. The virtual science lab and Zoom Innovation lab are open to all students. The smaller campuses are specifically located to maximize student access. The Downtown campus is located near several hospitals and housing nursing and health-related programs. The aeronautical program is located at the Polytechnic campus which borders an airport where ASU pilots in training can walk to their airplanes.
