What is it exactly that sets our campus apart from others? Is it our beautiful campus and academic buildings complete with the newest technology? Could it be the advantageous student-to-teacher ratio that our school offers? Or could it be the melting pot of students our school appeals to year after year?
Well, according to Forbes Magazine’s “Center for College Affordability and Productivity” feature, SMU ranks No. 13. After falling to No. 1 Harvard, SMU outshined rivals Rice and Vanderbilt to break into the top 15 colleges.
So was it our lush, green boulevard that earned us this recognition? Maybe, but the real qualifying factors came down to outstanding student evaluations, high college graduation rates and an incredibly high percentage of students receiving schloarships and other grants.
As new students pass through Convocation during their first week as Mustangs, they develop a high sense of pride in their school. Passing through the doors in Dallas Hall as freshmen opens the door to opportunities unavailable at most other campuses. In a student’s first class, they are welcomed by a comfortable classroom setting complete with a professor who actually cares about his or her students on an individual basis. Try taking an intro to business class at the Univeristy of Texas in Austin, and you’re bound to get swept up among the mass of thousands of other students vying for the teacher’s approval and attention.
What makes a great school is truly the students who call this campus home for the four, five or even 10 years they attend classes. You can visit campuses nationwide and see frowning students dreadfully lugging rainsoaked bacpacks to overfilled classes. At SMU you’re more likely to see groups of student chatting between classes in the sun, studying together on a blanket sprad out over the boulevard or tanning at the resort-style tanning pool in Dedman.
At SMU, students have the opportunity to excel in anything ranging from art history to finance to political science, and then combine it with a minor in almost any subject one can dream up. Even as a freshman you can dive right into nearly any class you want. SMU doesn’t believe in reserving the best classes for upperclassmen. Rather, the university wants to open classes to as many students as possible each semester.
Speaking of activities outside of the classroom, SMU offers an immense variety of activities to keep students preoccupied. A strong Greek system provides a connection for many students that they have never experienced before, while intramural sports provides students with a competitive angle on a fun activity. Then there’s our athletic program. It may not be our strong point, but at least it provides us with something to do on Saturdays. And while still on the subject of Conference USA, SMU ranks the highest on the Forbes Magazine list. Even better news, TCU didn’t even make the top 50. We can only hope the Horned Frogs’ resting place at No. 81 is symbolic of the upcoming football season.
So when the new students turn onto Bishop Boulevard in their jam-packed cars, ready to customize their miniture dorm rooms, they can rest assured, knowing they are attending one of the top universities not only in Texas, but in the country.
Looking back, it’s safe to bet that SMU is one of the best campuses to spend the best years of your life on. Well, unless you take parking into consideration. But that’s a completely different story.
