Oxford or Starkville? (Hattiesburg, Pearl, Sardis: house, school, university)

[ainmemphis]

I lived in Starkville for 4.5 years and loved it, it keeps growing everytime I go back there. There is a feeling of togetherness and everyone gets along very well, I have only been to Oxford a few times for football games, so I don't know much about the population but I know that theydon't have an accredited engineering program, and that MSU has much better sporting facilities. I know that the last time I heard Ole Miss was 85% greek, MSU is very diverse and I think you'll find what you are looking for there. But, you should base this decision on the academic programs, not the "party" environment if you want a real quality education.

[AppalachianAngler]

Originally Posted by ainmemphis

and that MSU has much better sporting facilities.

Huh? It is not even close. MSU has one of the oldest and smallest football stadium in the SEC. That thing is terrible. Our football stadium is extremely nice and recently renovated - and we just got a multi-million dollar indoor football practice facility a few years ago. Our basketball stadium is pretty old, though, but we are getting a new one. Our baseball stadium is one of the nicest in the country. As far as facilities for working out, the Turner Center is actually quite good, although a bit old; they are talking about building a new one in a couple years.

I know that the last time I heard Ole Miss was 85% greek, MSU is very diverse and I think you'll find what you are looking for there. But, you should base this decision on the academic programs, not the "party" environment if you want a real quality education.

There is no way Ole Miss is 85% greek. It is large, but I'd say it is maybe 50% and probably not even that much. I agree you should base it on the academics, but the environment should be a factor as well, that is just the way it works.

[annieswen]

IMHO, after living in Meridian for 10 years and being an Alabama graduate, I think Ole Miss would win hands down if we were staying in Mississippi and sending our children to a state school for college. I have been to both campuses, and I have been out in both towns. Ole Miss has a beautiful campus, the Grove has a great atmosphere on game days, and Oxford is a very nice town, with nice restaurants and shops. Starkville's campus is not nearly as nice, and the town itself is lacking (no wonder so many people leave on the weekends). Good luck in your decision!

[tennreb]

Originally Posted by ainmemphis

I lived in Starkville for 4.5 years and loved it, it keeps growing everytime I go back there. There is a feeling of togetherness and everyone gets along very well, I have only been to Oxford a few times for football games, so I don't know much about the population but I know that theydon't have an accredited engineering program, and that MSU has much better sporting facilities. I know that the last time I heard Ole Miss was 85% greek, MSU is very diverse and I think you'll find what you are looking for there. But, you should base this decision on the academic programs, not the "party" environment if you want a real quality education.

Moderator cut: rude Ole Miss has easily the best facilities in the state. The football stadium is bigger and nicer with more suites and clubs, the baseball stadium is not as big but has a much nicer atmosphere (especially after the $15 million expansion is completed), football practice facilities aren't even comparable. State's basketball arena is a little better, but they are both pretty crappy. Both the atheletic department budget and donations are higher at Ole Miss, and the facilities reflect this. The Ole Miss student body is 1/3 Greek, Moderator cut: just the facts, please, no commentary necessary And the engineering schools are both accredited by the same body.

[jaceman]

Let me first state that even though I go to Mississippi State, I hate Starkville. On that note, I also hate Ole Miss and oxford. They both suck actually. Being from the Chicago area, I often ask myself why I even wanted to come down here. But everything is all what you make it. It is more where you want to go. I wouldn't base anything off of football stadiums or any stupid stuff like that, I would just go to both colleges and just see which one you like better. They both have their ups and downs, and both towns are really boring to be in, but you can find something to do in both towns. It also kinda depends on what you want to major in. I would think that MSU has a better engineering and music, and architecture department, but Ole Miss has a better biological science and Law school I think... from what I have heard at least. And on the fact that Ole Miss has a HUGE greek life... haha... thats funny, maybe for Mississippi yes, but not really all that huge. I am in the greek system and love it, but some of the fraternities are better at Ole miss and some are better at state. And who cares about the football team, they both suck. They may have a good year here and there, but I don't see anything happening any time soon for either of the teams. Other than that, I know that MSU has a good baseball team... and pretty good basketball team.

[AppalachianAngler]

Originally Posted by jaceman

I would think that MSU has a better engineering and music, and architecture department, but Ole Miss has a better biological science and Law school I think... from what I have heard at least.

Mississippi State doesn't even have a law school. But since he is going to be an undergrad, I don't think that is really an issue right now.

And on the fact that Ole Miss has a HUGE greek life... haha... thats funny, maybe for Mississippi yes, but not really all that huge.

Actually, it is pretty big, not just for MS. It is always ranked in the top 25 schools in the COUNTRY for greek life (The Princeton Review). Fraternity life is huge at SEC schools, with maybe a few exceptions like Kentucky, State, & Arkansas.

[jsherman9901]

Originally Posted by jaceman

I know that MSU has a good baseball team... and pretty good basketball team.

Ole Miss also has good basketball and baseball programs.

As for Starkville and Oxford, I agree that they both pretty much suck; also, housing is overpriced. There are only a couple of decent bars and a handful of good restaurants in Starkville, and nothing much else to do.

As far as Oxford, I don't really know why so many people are moving there, since about all there is to do there is party and go to Square Books. At least they are not too far from Memphis.

[eddie gein]

Oxford and Starkville are both interesting in that they seem to make you feel like you are going back to the 1950's. I am not from Mississippi and that is how I feel every time I go there.

Oxford's downtown seems like it could have been the set for "Back to the Future" while Starkville comes off as Anytown USA. Oxford seems much more pretentious and elite than Starkville which really feels more like a small regional university than a major state university. Starkville seems almost the opposite of pretentious. Starkville just looks like it is economically depressed

Ole Miss is a beautiful campus while MSU is just ok (it seems as if MSU is just tacked on to the edge of Starkville. Oxford is almost like a poster town for southern aristocracy (it almost seems like a tourist town) while MSU seems like a more normal run of the mill type place.

Oxford seems like a black tie town and Starkville seems like a blue jean town.

Although USM is the stepchild in Mississippi, Hattiesburg is a lot bigger town than the other two. It feels more like a Tuscaloosa, Auburn type place than the other two do.

[JMT]

I went to Ole Miss to grad school and absolutely loved it. I was originally planning on going to a much larger school, but as soon as I went to Oxford I fell in love. I don't drink, either.

Oxford and Ole Miss are so steeped in history, I never tired of walking across the beautiful campus and hanging out on the Square downtown. And let me repeat: I DO NOT DRINK. Anyone who says that you have to drink in order to appreciate Oxford and Ole Miss is being completely irrational and unreasonable.

Not only does Oxford have a lot more live music and good independent restaurants than Starkville, Oxford is also closer to a big city, Memphis. When people in Starkville talk about going to a big city, it's Columbus. woohoo.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by ainmemphis

I have only been to Oxford a few times for football games, so I don't know much about the population but I know that theydon't have an accredited engineering program, and that MSU has much better sporting facilities. I know that the last time I heard Ole Miss was 85% greek, MSU is very diverse and I think you'll find what you are looking for there.

Moderator cut: state your facts, please
The Engineering School at Ole Miss is most certainly accredited and has been continuously since 1949. It has 850 students and 45 faculty members. Not bad for a university that's more known for its liberal arts, law, and business schools.

Only about 1/3 of students at Ole Miss are Greek.

As far as being "very diverse" I suppose you mean skin color. Fine. But Ole Miss isn't exactly homogenous. About 1/5 of students at Ole Miss are minority, and 1/3 of all students at Ole Miss aren't even from Mississippi.

And MSU has "much better sporting facilities"? According to whom??? If that's merely your opinion, then you should state it as such. Moderator cut: edit