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I go into Sewanee!/I don't know how you pronounce that ?/
I did not expect it!I am an international student with a major finaid needed.They placed me in a special waitlist and they called me on the phone today with the good news.

What is the reputation of this school in the US?Do ppl know about it or not?
Can someone tell me what to expect there?TN is not exactly the most famous state here in my country ;I just know Nashville is wellknown with the country music?Is TN much different from the rest of the States?

By Excusememixed (Excusememixed) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 03:05 pm: Edit

Never heard of it, but congratulations though.

By Northstarmom (Northstarmom) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 03:46 pm: Edit

It's pronounced "Swanee".

It is known as a good liberal arts university. I have not been there, but have an older friend whose husband went there. I also have a friend whose daguther recently graduated from there.

From what I can tell, the college is very attractive to people with fairly conservative values. It also is know as being a place where classes are small, and professors are good educators.

Tennessee is a fairly conservative state in the Bible Beltk, meaning many people are very religious (Christian). It is similar to many of the states in the south. The various states in the US differ a great deal from each other, so it's not possible to answer whether it's "much different than the rest of the States."

The South tends to be friendly and courteous. As a region, it is considered less sophisticated than are the Northeast, New England, and California. And, yes, country music tends to be popular as are pastimes such as stock car racing and horse racing.

The mountains of East Tennessee are lovely, particularly in the fall. Memphis, in the west, is a big city known for its barbecue and blues. Nashville is of course the capital of country music and also has lots of gospel music.

By Barrons (Barrons) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 04:02 pm: Edit

It's a long way from Nashville. The town is tiny byt pretty. Very southern and conservative--a unique school to say the least where some upperclass students wear academic robes to class.

By Stanfordman99 (Stanfordman99) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 04:18 pm: Edit

The South scares the hell out of me.

By Bluevartouhi (Bluevartouhi) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 04:59 pm: Edit

Academic robes?

By Joeybg (Joeybg) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 06:14 pm: Edit

"The South scares the hell out of me"
I know what you mean Stanfordman99.I have heard some scary stories about the south being like a diff country.With fanatic christions and stuff!That's why I opened this topic.However, I hope it's not that bad!!!I live in Bulgaria,Europe and as an european I am very non-conservative[except for the Brits above 50 ].I live in the country of sin .So I will have to get used to the southern way of life I suppose!
Hey, and transfer is not impossible;if it turns out to be that bad, tho I don't think that it's gonna be that bad, I will say BYE BYE BYE...and Northeast here I come
Stanfordman99 as far as I am concerned dude you will be attending the finest school in the nation.Congrats!!!Stanford is a dream to dream for;Hope you have good time there......but wait a sec, it's Stanford for God's sake, of course you will be having a great time

P.S. Hope that the admission lady with whom I spoke for 20 min today is not a regular visitor to this forum...otherwise I am doomed

By Excusememixed (Excusememixed) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 07:38 pm: Edit

Don't judge the South, unless you've been there, and lived there. Your experience is what you make it. I've lived in the South for the past 10 years, and to be honest, it sucks.

By Chapter322 (Chapter322) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 07:43 pm: Edit

Ok, the South is really not as bad as the Northern people make it look. The things they say are only general stereotypes. Southerners look at the North as an evil place. Everyone has a "cold" heart. Especially New England.... devil worshipers. The North scares the "hell" out of me. JUST KIDDING FOLKS!! Ok, ok, the Vanderbilt kids can be a little scary at times. The "Children of the Corn."

By Barrons (Barrons) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 07:46 pm: Edit

Academic robes--the big black things you wear to graduation. They call them "gownsmen". Maybe now it should be gownspersons.

More info

http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/index.php?p=1218

By Oldman (Oldman) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 08:04 pm: Edit

Sewanee is small,conservative,emphasizes liberal arts....about 1 hour west of Chattanooga. Notable for close student - faculty interaction. Alumni quite loyal. From my son's class about 6 are going-all OK kids.
For what it is worth the south is like everywhere else.....a little slower pace,recreation is outdoor oriented as it's warmer....but really no different...

By Daffodil22 (Daffodil22) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 08:12 pm: Edit

it's a good school, but in the middle of nowhere and social life IS drinking

By Koopatroopa (Koopatroopa) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 10:08 pm: Edit

Well, having spent my childhood in the heart of the Bible Belt (Mississippi) I can give you some advice/information that I hope will clear any fears you have of coming down South.

First of all, there's a "new generation" of children now. People may seem rather pious, but once you've spent some time alone with them, drinking/sex/gossip/any "sin" imaginable is practiced among youth albeit behind closed doors. It seems as if people are slowly forgetting the past and areas are becoming more liberal. (I know a number of interracial and homosexual couples.)

With the introduction of this new generation, the Bible Belt seems to be slowly fading. I was reading an article about the decline of the Bible Belt and it listed a menagerie of worship places in Nashville alone. Among them are "six buddhist communities, five Jewish congregations, five Islamic mosques. A Baha'i center. A Hindu temple and a Hindu ashram, or teaching adode. Plus assorted Sikhs and Jains."

Also--and I cannot stress this enough--BE RESPECTFUL TO THE ADULTS. Almost every adult I've met here lives their life based on this interesting philosophy which combines the traditional sense of honor, good-will Christian altruism and old-fashioned southern hospitality. I've also noticed how first impressions go a long way. If you get on their good sides, they can honestly be the kindest people you'll ever have the pleasure of meeting.

Although it's not without it faults, the South is MUCH more bearable than it was, say, 3o years ago. If you come down, I'm pretty sure everyone would be glad to have you. Besides, we've got good food...and southern chicks dig foreign guys.

P.S. The music scene is rocking! Although rap and country are the current dominant music styles here is Mississippi, I'm sure Nashville is rich in the blues/jazz. And, if you can go to Memphis, you can visit GRACELAND: HOME OF THE KING!

By Aspirer42 (Aspirer42) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 12:52 am: Edit

To be honest, it's even kind of hard to lump 'The South' into one big group. Outer states like Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida are going to differ noticeably from the Georgia-Alabama-Mississippi-Louisiana core (which, apparently, has become markedly less reactionary recently in itself). I won't go into a diatribe here, so suffice it to say that you'll almost certainly have no problem with most life in the South, and that the horror stories that frighten Mr. California up there are greatly exaggerated.

Sewanee, though, I know less about and can therefore speak less for. From what I understand, it is a pretty good institution, so I would assume you wouldn't have huge problems acclimating. Political orientation might prove to be the biggest factor, more than anything else, and there are plenty of great liberal schools in the South (Guilford and UNC-Asheville come immediately to mind) if Sewanee isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm going to guess that the 'conservatism' mentioned over and over in this thread is more social than political anyway--that is, you'll see more unilateral opinions on chivalry than campaign finance.

Whew. Hope *some* of that made sense.

...and yes, Southern chicks do dig foreign guys.

By Lkcrhcp (Lkcrhcp) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 12:51 pm: Edit

I live in Atlanta and honestly, the rudest people I've met down here were transplants from northern cities. Atlanta is very metropolitan with it's museums, fine dining, and upscale shopping. It's a fact that no matter what state your're in, the rural areas are more than likely filled with more conservative, christian types of people, so to say the entire south is that way is plain ignorant.

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 06:15 pm: Edit

University of the South is a very unique school. Here's what a one of the major US college guides have to say about it:

Number of students: 1495; 49% male/51% female

"Sewanee...has a storied tradition dating back more than 140 years. Through the years, a host of customs have emerged: students wear gowns to class, dress up for football games, and adhere to an honor code...Sewanee is located atop TEnnessee's Cumberland Plateau between Chatanoga and NAshville. The university's stately English collegiate Gothic buildings of native mountain beige and pink sandstone are home to both a college of arts and sciences and a seminary. The ten-thousand acre campus is fondly known as "the Domain." Sewanee's undergraduate curriculum is broad in the classical sense. All students must complete thirty-two full courses, including twenty-one courses outside the major field and must attain an overall GPA of at least 2.0 on all acaemic work. Core requirements include English, literature, a writing-intesive course, foreign language at the third-year level, math, a lab science, history, religion or philosophy, fine arts and physical education. Seniors take comprehensive exams in their majors as part of their graduation requirements.

Sewanee maintains many old customs and standards that add a quaint veneer - some might say stuffiness - to campus life. A voluntary dress code calls for women to wear dresses or skirts and ment to wear jackets and ties to class. Professors as well as the numerous honors students wear balck academic gowns to class. An honor code is strictly observed, and lying, cheating, or stealing usually results in expulsion.

The quality of teaching is top of the line and the relationship between professors and students s very intimate due to the small class size.

Tradition carries over into other aspects of life at Sewanee. Many students hail from Southern families and the student population is 92 percent white. "Alternative lifestyles or minority students really stand out on campus, " a junio warns.

Chances are you've probably never heard of the town of Sewanee. The town has a population of only about 3500, not including the students. "The university is the town, period," a junior syas. "It is beautiful and quaint and I would not change it, but the closes Wal-Mart is 20 minutes away. Most of the dorms are single-sex but there are now a few renovated coed halls.

The social life occurs on campus. Greeks provide an important social outlet and 62 percent of the men and 58% of the women join up. If you don't drink, don't come here, " a student says. "This school is all about alcohol." The party scene is changing, however, as the university has recently revised its policy concerning alcohol. For students who want to bug out of town, the beautiful rural setting, complete with lakes, waterfalls, and even caves and caverns, makes outdoor activities popular. Students who occaisonally feel a need for the "Real world" can go on longer excursions to Chattanooga, Memphis or Nashville.

For the most part, though, students are in no rush to get away. They seem content with their school's way of life, its rich past, beautiful location and caring people. As a student puts it, "You're not anumber here, you're a person. Teachers talk to you if you bump into them. They remember your name. There are some downsides to Seqanee, but when you walk through the quad on a warm,b eatuiful day, it more than makes up for it."

You might also be interested in what an alumnus of the University of the South has to say about the school:
http://www.epinions.com/educ-Colleges_and_Universities-All-University_of_the_South/display_~reviews

By Sirelio (Sirelio) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 06:41 pm: Edit

never heard of it....as an american from the north, I would advise you to stay faaarrr awwaayyy from the south (besides maybe Duke or Rice).

By Aspirer42 (Aspirer42) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 04:23 am: Edit

Well, there you go. A great education, but an equally large culture shock to go with it. The choice is yours. If they want you enough, though, to give you financial aid as an international, they must think you're a possible fit ;)

I'd also like to thank Sirelio for his lovely demonstration in proving Lkcrhcp's point.

By Northstarmom (Northstarmom) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 10:22 am: Edit

Re: The negative statements that people have been telling Joeybg about the South. It's important for us to recognize that since Joeybg lives in Bulgaria, he is going to have major culture shock whereever he moves to in the US.

I doubt that he will have any more culture shock in a southern small town than he would in a northern big city. Both would be very different than his experience living in Eastern Europe.

A big advantage of Sewanee is that due to the small campus and small town, he probably will stand out, and that will be a good thing. He should find it relatively easy to meet people and to make friends. Many of his classmates probably will welcome the opportunity to meet someone from Eastern Europe.

Everyone in small places like that knows each other, so if he's at all friendly and willing to share his culture, he may be invited into local schools, too, to talk to students. That may even be through some of his professors' spouses. This could be a nice way to meet some adults who could become like extended family, a nice thing to have when one is far from home.

There's a good chance, too, that he'll find the friendliness and courtesy of the South (people do things like greet the clerks when they go to grocery stores) to remind him of the manners of his home country. That can be very different than, for instance, large cities in the northern part of the US where people tend to be more impersonal, so focused on getting things done quickly that courtesies are forgotten.

While I haven't visited Sewanee, I am familiar with Chattanooga, which is an hour or so away. That part of Tennessee is gorgeous: mountains, woods.

I hear that doing outdoor activities is something that many Sewanee students enjoy. If he enjoys things like that, he may have a wonderful time at Sewanee. I also hear that the campus is beautiful and is surrounded by lovely mountains. It doesn't sound like a bad place to live for 4 years.

In addition, the cost of living should be relatively low for the US, which is another nice bonus.

Incidentally, I am from the Northeast, went to college in New England, grad school in Calif. adn D.C., and have lived in the midwest, midsouth (Nashville, Atlanta) and the deep South. Every region has its plusses and minuses. Parts of all regions have some of the same concerns that some people on this thread tried to indicate are strictly southern problems.

All of the south is not backward, racist, etc. All of the rest of the country is not sophisticated and liberal.

Joeybg, after you go to Sewanee, I hope you'll come back and post about your experiences.

By Foreignboy (Foreignboy) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 10:54 am: Edit

Chicks with Southern accents are hot.

By Joeybg (Joeybg) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 11:16 am: Edit

Northstarmom thank you for your comments.I think that we really cannot run away from generalizations and stereotypes.Like,for example, you mentioned Eastern Europe.But all the countries in Eastern Europe are not the same - different cultures, different way of living and habits.This is true for Western Europe as well.If you have been to Germany and Spain you can definitely tell the difference.


The problem is that I don't know what to expect.I did not plan to attend Sewanee at the very first place but it turned out to be one of the few places where I got admitted with a good finaid.The int'l cordinator with whom I have been communicating lately is a great person.
The problem is that I really fear that there won't be much to do.I live in the 4th biggest BG city,pop. 200 000, and have not been living in a small town or even rural community.

Another reason why I probably feel a bit unsure about my decision is the fact that for a long time there was a chance that I might be attending Dickinson College,PA and I really liked the school.

However, I will be going to Sewanee for good or bad if I don't like it there I could always transfer, right?

Could you also share a few thoughts about Dickinson?

A guy I know is going to attend Grinnell,AI; is Grinnell College too isolated as well?

By Barrons (Barrons) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 11:20 am: Edit

Grinnell is equally isolated--just more liberal and better known.

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 11:57 am: Edit

If it was me, coming to the US wanting a "typical US college experience" and financial aid was equal or at least comparable, I'd probably choose Dickinson over Sewanee. Sewanee is a very unique school - not really a typical US school in terms of its culture. Dickinson would give you more of a typical US college experience. Plus, Dickinson is larger, the fraternity and sorority scene is much smaller AND you don't have to wear a coat and tie to class! However, it's still small enough that you'll get a community feel and develop relationships with teachers like Northstartmom talks about.

Dickinson is also close to some great US cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and NY - you'll get a chance to see more of what you probably think of as the US in your mind. It may also be less expensive and a shorter trip in terms of getting to and from your home.

Dickinson also has one of the largest study abroad programs in the country - something like 80% of their students study abroad at some point so I suspect that this will mean students will be somewhat more accepting of an international student - you won't be so much of a campus "oddity".

Both are excellent academically but the feel and culture of the two schools is going to be very different. If you want an experience that's more typical of most US schools, go for Dickinson. If you want a unique - and probably wonderful - experience, go for Sewanee. Only you can make that choice.

By Northstarmom (Northstarmom) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 12:49 pm: Edit

Joeybg,
Unfortunately, I haven't been to Dickenson, though I grew up in the NE. A cultural difference, though, between the NE and the southern part of the US is that people in the NE tend to be extremely assertive, even aggressive, and to tend to be in a big hurry all of the time.

The humor is more cutting. People are more blunt. There's not as much time for social niceties as there is in the South. As a person from the NE, I have to tone my personality down a great deal to fit in in the South.

In many respects, I think that it would be easier moving from another country to the South than to the NE. In a small southern town, if one is from another country, one also would have the advantage of standing out in a way that would attract interesting people to you. In the NE, one might blend in so much as to find it hard to make new friends. Plus, due to the fact that there are so many people from other countries in the NE, the locals wouldn't be as interested in meeting someone from abroad.

When I made my comments about why I thought you might find that southern manners of the US more reminiscent of home, I wasn't assuming that you came from a small place.

What I have noticed about Europe in general is that neighborhoods are very important. People walk more and are known to others in their neighborhoods. They have friendly relationships with the the folks at the cafes that they frequent, the neighborhood grocery store, etc.

This is different than in much of the US where people drive far from their neighborhoods to shop in big stores that are very impersonal. In the US, one might not even know one's next door neighbors because one doesn't encounter them by walking around.

Anyway, I think that the type of friendliness that the south is noted for, would feel familiar to you.

You are right in that from what I hear, the campus activities and outdoor activities are the main things to do at Sewanee. Thus, it will be slow compared to live in your big city.

However, one important difference between many European universities and American ones is that at most US universities, students' main recreational and social outlets are on campus. This is true even in the case of universities in big cities.

Even small US colleges may have a 100 clubs representing all interests -- from sports (including things like hiking and mountain climbing) to fraternities to student government to literary magazines, student theater and music groups. The universities also will bring in speakers, musical groups, etc. This is the way most students socialize. They even do off campus trips this way.


Grinell, incidentally, is also in a very small area. I haven't visited it, but imagine it would be similar to Sewanee, but would lack the reasonably close proximity that you will have to huge cities like Atlanta. Iowa is a far more isolated state than is Tennessee, which has Nashville and Memphis, which have a lot going on, and also is close to Atlanta (about 4 hours away) and is an day's drive to Washington, D.C.

The Tennessee climate also is milder, which makes winter travel easier than in Iowa.

By Joeybg (Joeybg) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 01:01 pm: Edit

Carolyn I see your point here.I have been thinking about future transfer to Dickinson after a year at Sewanee, providing that I don't completely fall in love with Sewanee.
Do ppl get somehow mad at you that you are planning to leave them.For example, if you ask a prof for a rec won't he/she start feeling like you are betraying them or something?
Do many students in the US transfer?

By Ohio_Mom (Ohio_Mom) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 01:15 pm: Edit

Joeybg,
before you think about transfering, make sure that you give Sewanee a chance. I think that Northstarmom's observations are right on the mark, and that you will enjoy the experience if you give it a chance.

I hope that you are going to participate in the pre-orientation outing. Besides being a lot of fun, this will give you a chance to socialize before school starts up. Best wishes on your grand adventure.

By Northstarmom (Northstarmom) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 01:50 pm: Edit

Lots of students in the US transfer. Of course, one would have to seek recommendations tactfully, but if you give a reason for transfer that doesn't insult the college that you're attending, you should be able to get recommendations.

By Collegedadz (Collegedadz) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 01:50 pm: Edit

As much info as I can spew on Dickinson:

Having lived in Central PA for a good portion of my life, I know a bit about Dickinson. It tends to get lumped with schools like Bucknell, Franklin and Marshall, Lehigh, and Lafayette. LAC with a lot of prep school kids from the middle atlantic (PA, NJ, and NY comprise roughly 85% of the students). Drinking is huge on campus. As with most/all of those aforementioned schools, frats/drinking dominate campus life. Kids are conservative, rich, and decked out in North Face and Abercrombie. Dickinson's student body has a reputation of apathy towards academics and a penchant for partying hard. Their reputation is decent regionally but nationally it'll suffer like any other lower ranked, top 50 LAC does.

Carlisle is a blue collar town if there ever was one. You're located about 50 miles NW of Lancaster, PA and about 20 min from Harrisburg. Essentially you'll need to drive a distance to do anything outside of Carlisle.

Dickinson's campus is gorgeous and their library is fantastic.

That's about all I know.

By Joeybg (Joeybg) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 02:58 pm: Edit

Oh, I am definitely gonna give Sewanee a chance do not worry.I just like to have a clear alternative.

I understand that many of the good colleges and universities are relatively isolated and I have no problem at all with that.However, the extreme isolation is somehow scary at times /hope this is not the case and Sewanee will prove me wrong/

If there is one clear proof that a college is like a foreign dish - some like it some not - it's got to be the comments of a friend of mine who got into Colgate.I have always thought of Colgate as a top notch school with a lot to do;tho I knew it was also quite away from a major town;Hamilton is a bit bigger than Sewanee,I think.However, my friend said that he was on the verge of quiting Colgate and would have if it had not been Saterday and the office had not been closed.He said that there was nothing to do and that the social life SUCKED on top of everything academics were extremely rigorous.But he calmed down by Monday - so I suppose it's not that bad after all;hope he is not exaggerating to much it's Colgate after all!

I could not believe what he said.He had worked so hard to go there and was on a full ride. I could not believe he felt it was that bad.

But yeah, obviously even the best school for someone could turn out to be the biggest mistake for another, though I suppose that his complains were highly exaggerated.

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 06:13 pm: Edit

Joeybg, transferring is pretty commmon in the U.S. Keep in mind, however, that sometimes merit scholarships can be limited for transfer students. Usually, however, financial aid is available for most transfer students. I think Sewanee will be a great experience for you --- you should have no trouble if you want to transfer from there. Best of luck!

By Oldman (Oldman) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 07:47 pm: Edit

Whether or not your happy can be so subjective...is your bunkmate a good guy or not...luck of the draw with faculty....girlfriend or not. Sounds trite but you can be miserable or content anywhere. Transfer is often a function of the lack of a specific field of study you suddenly develop an interest in. The social stuff you make or break.