Southern Methodist University Reviews

In the University Honors Program...

In the University Honors Program at SMU, professors are very engaging in the classrooms, a lot of reading is required, and students do a lot of papers. Along with the small size of classes comes an intimate setting inside the classroom and a close relationship with professors outside the classroom. I have found this to be very beneficial. For example, I can get coffee with any of my professors to talk about materials in class, or maybe just talk about other interests. This makes class so much more interactive and very interesting; not like a lecture at all.

Dallas is a great college city....

Dallas is a great college city. There are tons of restaurants and bars, and there is plenty to do on the weekends. If you are into the party scene, you can’t go wrong with Greenville Avenue. It is so close to campus, and Deep Ellum is right downtown.

Most teachers in beginning level...

Most teachers in beginning level classes are nice but not very personal. Once you are in a major-oriented class, then the teachers can have fun and make what you are learning lively. They are definitely more personal and much more willing to help outside of class. They remember your name and most are available all the time.

The dining halls are good at...

The dining halls are good at first, but they get old really quickly. Really quickly. The breakfast at Umph [Umphrey Lee Center] is the best. Besides that, Subway and Chick-fil-A are okay, depending on your mood.

There’s a party, boring, rich...

There’s a party, boring, rich girl, and random dorm. The rich and crazy kids live in Boaz. Avoid Boaz. The more serious student lives in Cockrell-McIntosh. McElvaney houses mainly daddy’s girls and pretty boys. Shuttles has the nice down-to-earth people.

Each dorm is different. There are...

Each dorm is different. There are two all-freshmen dorms, Boaz and McElvaney. Boaz tends to be a lot of fun, and there’s always something happening. Cockrell-McIntosh and Morrison-McGinnis are really nice four-year dorms with cable. Virginia-Snider is the Honors dorm. Mary Hay and Peyton are the fine arts dorms. There are some substance-free dorms as well.

When living in the dorms, your...

When living in the dorms, your experience all depends on which dorm you’re in. The dorms in the South Quad are all nice, but they are more expensive. The North Quad dorms are older, and that’s where all of the art students live. I’d steer clear of Boaz if you’re a first-year. You won’t get much done with everyone sowing their wild oats around you.

Every dorm has its own experience....

Every dorm has its own experience. Some say that you should stay away from Boaz (the party dorm), but I had a great experience. You meet many people and make friends. But after a while, you want some peace and quiet, and you move to better dorms like Cockrell-McIntosh.

This campus is not diverse at all....

This campus is not diverse at all. It seems like you’re always looking at the same people.

The girls are definitely hot, but...

The girls are definitely hot, but they all look the same. The guys all look the same but aren’t hot. They all wear the same stuff. Overall, we’re a pretty good-looking campus.

The guys are a weird cross-breed...

The guys are a weird cross-breed of polite southern men and ‘I’m cool because I’m a rich frat kid.’ Since there are more girls than guys, I can be ugly, stupid, in a frat, and get the abundance of hot girls to do one night stands.Most of the girls are beautiful—beach babes and southern belles. They are mostly rich. There are some smart, some stupid, some plastic, mostly size two or less. Weren’t we ranked in Playboy for the hottest girls? For the most part, everyone is very nice. That’s why I chose to come to SMU. As a high school senior, I walked around campus, and everyone I passed said hello. I didn’t even have a name tag.

The guys can be very cocky at...

The guys can be very cocky at times. You find a definite mixture between really down-to-earth kids and very cocky people. People here can be very into material things, more so in a name-brand way. At home in Illinois, clothes are just more functional. You buy Birkenstocks because they’re comfortable, and they last a long time. People here buy Coach high heels that they’ll probably wear twice. People here have very large wardrobes. It’s very accessory oriented.

The girls tend to dress up for...

The girls tend to dress up for class. I guess it’s a southern thing, but most of them do their hair and make up and look pretty put together, even for their 8 a.m. classes.

The girls at SMU are top notch....

The girls at SMU are top notch. They wear short, tiny little skirts, and their wardrobe probably costs more than my car. Most of the guys are worried about the sun burning their necks and light getting through their aviators at the night club. Most of the frat boys look like they just got off a sailboat.

Greek life is very present at this...

Greek life is very present at this school. I would say that it borders on domination of the social scene.

If you’re underage, they usually...

If you’re underage, they usually let you go with a warning. On the other hand, if you do get caught, the punishment is typically spending a Saturday learning about drugs and alcohol.

If you get caught, they’re strict,...

If you get caught, they’re strict, but if you are careful enough, you can get away with almost anything.

The police are very strict with...

The police are very strict with drinking and drugs, but they tolerate kids drinking in moderation rather than binge drinking.

Sororities pay for status. They’re...

Sororities pay for status. They’re so pointless in comparison to fraternities. Girls pay huge dues and don’t reap the same benefits as guys. You don’t see the same dispersal of money with sororities as you do with fraternities. It doesn’t dominate the school, but it has a definite presence in the social scene. Greeks have the parties on the weekend. It’s worth it to join, if you meet the right people. You’re by no means ruled out of Greek life if you don’t join.

You are not overwhelmed by Greek...

You are not overwhelmed by Greek life, but it is extremely easy to get into. The frats and sororities are nice in general, especially if you find the non-hazing ones. Most parties are Greek related, so if partying is your thing, then go Greek.

I don’t wish I was somewhere else....

I don’t wish I was somewhere else. I’ve loved my SMU experience. I’ve made friends here that I will have for the rest of my life. Hopefully, this school will help me get a good job in the future. SMU was my accidental last minute school, and I ended up getting a lot of scholarship money, so I came. But I’m glad I did.

I am generally pleased with the...

I am generally pleased with the school. I think that had I not chosen my specific major (dance), I would have liked to go somewhere a little smaller, a little closer to home, and a little less Greek.

Even though I hate the frats, and...

Even though I hate the frats, and our football team sucks, I have made so many friends here. The faculty in Dedman have helped me do so much that I can’t imagine being anywhere else. Besides that, the fact that so many guys at our school act like total tools just increases my chance with some of the hottest and richest women in the United States.

I don’t know about the guys, but...

I don’t know about the guys, but the girls are hot! But it’s more like a museum with pretty pieces that you can’t touch.

I don’t really wish I was...

I don’t really wish I was somewhere else. I have had an excellent experience at SMU. I’ve found so many great people and organizations here. I’ve enjoyed the Texas environment, and the people here are generally a lot friendlier than the people of the coast cities. It’s just a great place, especially the area. If you were only on campus, you would never know that there is a huge city out there. SMU is its own little paradise in the middle of Dallas. I really like this school. There’s something for everyone, and there are people coming from all walks of life here. There’s a student organization for everyone.