Protests, tough application processes, tougher workloads, and harsh weather. These are a few reasons why college-deciding juniors and seniors look to the Southeast rather than Ivies for their college education.
Many students look to schools like Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, and Alabama for “the fun and school spirit emanating from the South on their social media feeds.” According to Douglas Belkin and Andrea Fuller of The Wall Street Journal, “their parents cite lower tuition less debt, and warmer weather. College counselors also say many teens are eager to trade the political polarization ripping apart campuses in New England and New York for the sense of community epitomized by the South’s football Saturdays.”
Sororities also play an important role in the switch, especially with the new release of Max’s documentary Bama Rush. Sorority recruitment, especially at Alabama, along with some other Southern schools, has become nothing short of a cultural phenomenon, with the hashtags #rushtok and #bamarush on TikTok garnering over 136 million posts. The popularity of sororities has played a massive role in the popularity of Southern universities and the social environment that emanates from them.
Another key factor is sports. 34.6% of high school students (or 1 in 3 students) played high school sports in the 2022-23 season, according to Matt Schulz of LendingTree. This number doesn’t even take into account the millions that play club sports. Having a good sports program is something that many students and parents look for in schools, whether they’re being recruited or looking for school spirit. In the South, “large public flagships like the University of Texas and the University of Alabama are known for their school spirit, driven largely by their successful athletic programs, particularly football,” says StrategicMissionAdvice, a website that helps students in their journey to college.
College counselor Julia Tushaus has also noticed a shift in applicants from Cathedral to Southern schools, saying, “50% of our graduating classes all go out of state and the South has historically always been popular. SEC schools are very popular because of their football teams and just kind of the big sports culture that it brings so I would say it’s always been popular but there’s been a little bit more maybe in recent years.”
When she was asked about tips for students applying to Southern schools, Ms. Tushaus said, “Visit! No matter how many stories you’ve heard, or how many football games you watched, it’s going to have a very different feel [than what you’ve seen or heard of]. Look up the weather, at every point in the year, they get the seasons, and it gets very hot and very cold. And talk to people when you go visit the campus, make sure you engage in conversation so you know you’re around like-minded people.”
Overall, the popularity of Southern schools has helped students diversify their applications from just the Ivies, and led to more students attending because of the social aspect of the schools.
