What Brought You to School in Mississippi?

What draws out of state students to Ole Miss?

Young adults from all over the nation choose to come study here at the University of Mississippi. They come from New York to California, we have it all here at Ole Miss, but what is it that brings these out of state students to Mississippi?

Mimi Driscoll, a senior from Winston Salem, North Carolina, says that the thing that stood out to her the most about Ole Miss was that it was so beautiful. Driscoll also said that she, “really liked how Ole Miss had a small school feel in a large University.” She then went on to say, “I really don’t know what stood out to me the most at Ole Miss, but it definitely hit me when I walked onto the campus the Sunday afternoon of my first visit.”

So I guess it is true that you'll know it is the school for you the second you step foot onto the campus.

What’s the hardest thing to cope with while being an out of state student at Ole Miss?

North Carolina is pretty far away from Mississippi, however it is still not as far as Los Angeles, California, where junior Mary Hasbrouck is from. When asked what has been the hardest thing to cope with while being at school at the University of Mississippi, she had this to say, “The hardest thing for me is the short breaks. For instance, we don’t get the day after Easter off, making it essentially impossible for an out of state student to spend Easter with their family.”

Driscoll agrees with Hasbrouck saying that, “At the end of the day I still live 10 hours away from home, so if I have a bad day or even a good day, I am unable to share it with my family.”

Who did you know?

Unfortunately for many out of state student that come to school here at the University of Mississippi, they only know a few people or sometimes no one when they arrive. Driscoll said that she knew only two people on her arrival here whereas Hasbrouck knew no one when she came to Ole Miss. However with the energetic and friendly people at Ole Miss both made fast friends with girls in their dorms and from other parts of the University.

Where are they coming from?

According to an article in the Daily Mississippian, they are coming from everywhere. As stated in the article, "UM freshman majority will be from out of state", Larry Ridgeway, vice chancellor of student affairs, has estimated that 52% of the incoming freshman class for the fall 2011 semester will be from out of state.

Would you change your mind about coming to Ole Miss?

Even with all of the hardships of being so far away from your family, students still agree that they made the right choice in coming to school here. As Mary Hasbrouck said, “I could not be happier with my decision to come to school here.”

It's possible that more and more universities will be seeking out of state students to attend their schools, just as Ole Miss has, because with more and more out of state students come more tuition money and more diversity.