Wednesday Discussion Thread: Why did you choose your school?
- Thread starter Jgbishop
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Told this before but what the hell. I was the first male to graduate from
college in my family so I didn't have anyone really pushing me anywhere. I was lightly recruited in football by both MSU and UM and wasn't good enough to play at that level but did not want to play Juco or small college. I grew up an Archie fan and an Ole Miss fan because my father took me to many of their games but he never pushed me in that direction. I was pretty much headed to UM but had a bad experience on a recruiting trip. Basically, I just felt I fit in better at MSU, I was turned off by some of the attitudes I encountered in Oxford. I think it was a great decision to this day but I also understand there are many, many, people that feel the same way in the opposite direction. Different strokes for different folks.
college in my family so I didn't have anyone really pushing me anywhere. I was lightly recruited in football by both MSU and UM and wasn't good enough to play at that level but did not want to play Juco or small college. I grew up an Archie fan and an Ole Miss fan because my father took me to many of their games but he never pushed me in that direction. I was pretty much headed to UM but had a bad experience on a recruiting trip. Basically, I just felt I fit in better at MSU, I was turned off by some of the attitudes I encountered in Oxford. I think it was a great decision to this day but I also understand there are many, many, people that feel the same way in the opposite direction. Different strokes for different folks.
My family lines meant I was either going to UGA or MSU. Mom was living in MS at the time and I graduated from a MS HS. Half way through my SR year in HS I was all set to go to MSU on full scholarship. Instead I decided to lose my 17'n mind and do whatever it took to piss my mom off, that included moving back to GA to live with my dad and going off to basic training. After a brief stint at a GA JUCO I decided being closer to mom wouldn't be a bad thing and landed at MSU. BTW, I learned the hard way those full scholarship offers are only good for entering freshman. A very costly rebellion that I'm still paying for today in student loan payments.
Wanted to get away from home, UNC was where 50% of my class went.
The biggest key to me was simply the visits. I had a great time on every one. And my dad always says Oxford reminds him of Chapel Hill when he was a student, size and feeling-wise. And the free ride convinced my mom.
The biggest key to me was simply the visits. I had a great time on every one. And my dad always says Oxford reminds him of Chapel Hill when he was a student, size and feeling-wise. And the free ride convinced my mom.
Sorta like Coach66. My family had no college grads in it. I was always told I would go to college. Period. I watched Archie as a kid. When I was in the eight grade, I had a job shining shoes and sweeping up a local barber shop. There was a Mississippi State Football schedule on the wall of the barber shop. The owners were state fans. I knew nothing about State. I wrote a letter to them asking about the university. Some wonderful soul sent me two large 9x14 envelopes with all sorts of stuff (decals, pencils, course catalog, etc). I was hooked. I went to football camp two years later and loved the campus. My high school coach played there too which helped. Got a $1500 academic scholly offer from USM and $500 from State. It was a tough choice money-wise but I had to be in Starkville. Never looked back and never regretted the $ I had to borrow to finish. Graduated in 1981. My sister graduated there in 1984, oldest daughter attended, and youngest wound up at MUW for nursing program but lived in Starkville.
"I'm a Bulldog born and a Bulldog bred and when I die I'll be a Bulldog dead."
"I'm a Bulldog born and a Bulldog bred and when I die I'll be a Bulldog dead."
Architecture (nationally top ranked in 86). Even though I changed majors later.
Plus my Dad was an alumni. This plus 23 on the act waved out if state tuition.
Best 7 years of my life.
Plus my Dad was an alumni. This plus 23 on the act waved out if state tuition.
Best 7 years of my life.
I was in the guard so it didn't cover too much. Think it was about 250 a month which helped. I actually only ended up with about 10k in loans after 5 years which isn't terrible. My wife on the other hand ended up with about 20k. I figure I'll have em paid off just in time to start helping pay for my kids college.
They waved out of state and I loved everything about it. The people are the opposite of most at OM which was a definite plus.
My father attended MSU (he didn't graduate because he had to serve in World War II) so MSU was always the leader. He'd known Sonny Montgomery for years though so when I kicked butt in the ASVAB, my father told Sonny and Sonny told me to let him know if I was interested in attending one of the academies. (I wasn't.)
My second choice was Millsaps, where my mother attended (and also didn't graduate).
As far as family members are concerned, my grandfather graduated from USM (and as legend has it, played football for them though I've not seen his name listed anywhere) and I have an aunt and uncle who are graduates of MC, Baylor (uncle), and UNC. My sister has degrees from MSU and UMC.
My second choice was Millsaps, where my mother attended (and also didn't graduate).
As far as family members are concerned, my grandfather graduated from USM (and as legend has it, played football for them though I've not seen his name listed anywhere) and I have an aunt and uncle who are graduates of MC, Baylor (uncle), and UNC. My sister has degrees from MSU and UMC.
My sister and brother went to State when I was in elementary school so I followed everything about State growing up. My Dad did a lot of business with the school and I got to travel with him so Starkville was a second home to me. By the time I was a senior, my Dad wasn't going to let me go to Ole Miss and my mom wasn't going to let me go to Southern, so my destiny was Mississippi State.
My grandfather was an Professor of Education at Ole Miss (got the job in the early 70's and moved from Ohio) and lived in Oxford until he passed away 3 years ago. Both my uncle and aunt went to school there (for free through academics & being an employee's child), but my dad actually went and played baseball at Delta St.
My Aunt and her family still live there. It was always the place where our families met for 4th of July and Christmas. Home away from home I suppose.
PS - My mom went to USM and stepdad went to MSU, so I've got this MS university thing figured out by now...
My Aunt and her family still live there. It was always the place where our families met for 4th of July and Christmas. Home away from home I suppose.
PS - My mom went to USM and stepdad went to MSU, so I've got this MS university thing figured out by now...
Chased a girl to Starkville from Jackson.
Had no idea what I was doing in school. Took an honors international relations class with Dr. Bansali (sp?), kicked that ***** to the curb, and ended up as a professor in cognitive psych.
Had no idea what I was doing in school. Took an honors international relations class with Dr. Bansali (sp?), kicked that ***** to the curb, and ended up as a professor in cognitive psych.
Like several others, I didn't have any legacy ties to MSU. Few in my family are college graduates and those that are were mostly from south LA so were LSU. I was always good academically so I had to just find my own way. I started with the academies as a HS Junior and went through all the applications, fitness testing, and physicals including getting a nomination from Trent Lott for West Point. Then, my dad died and I kinda went a bit wild. The West Point recruiter basically talked me out of going there. He showed all the negatives because they want to know how committed you are. Additionally, there were a lot of up front costs for me because at the time you had to have all your dental work up to date and buy your own laptop, etc. They pay you once you are there but I didn't have the money up front. Then, I started dating a girl and realized that distance thing would really not be good, plus you don't get but about 2 weeks off your plebe year. In short, I was confused and had little guidance or help. I ultimately decided not to take somebody else's spot (2 for Mississippi based upon the nomination process) and declined the nomination. I chose MSU because they had the best engineering school in the state. They invited me for Academic Spring Testing based upon my academics and I tested out of 22 hours of college credit from those tests and AP classes. That along with my ACT Scholarship secured the deal and I found my way to StarkVegas.
It was down to MSU or Ferris State up in westcentral Michigan. At the time, they were the two 'best' PGM programs in the country.
In state tuition helped seal the deal.
I loved how rural MS was and is. Growing up in the Chicago burbs, it was something I wanted to experience. I wasnt quite ready for the overwhelming deep poverty around the state, that was a shock, but damn I love that state.
Plus, Michigan is covered in snow for 6 months of the year- kinda tough to golf.
In state tuition helped seal the deal.
I loved how rural MS was and is. Growing up in the Chicago burbs, it was something I wanted to experience. I wasnt quite ready for the overwhelming deep poverty around the state, that was a shock, but damn I love that state.
Plus, Michigan is covered in snow for 6 months of the year- kinda tough to golf.
A 23 got in state? Wow that has changed...when did you spend your better part of a decade at MSU?
My Grandfather was a huge MSU fan even though he didn't go there. Took my dad to every, single game growing up. My dad went to MSU on a scholarship and graduated from the Engineering program, he dragged us to all the games too. Even with all that, I looked around and had narrowed my choices down to MSU or Auburn. I remember vividly sitting on my bed with both brochures looking through the financial aid stuff when my dad walked in my room and said, "you can go to school anywhere you want to, but if you go to MSU I will pay for it." Case closed, done deal. No regrets at all, best 5 years of my life!
Moved to MSU campus (University Village) as a toddler and stuck around til they gave me a diploma. Growing up on campus was awesome. Sold cokes at the Hump and Scott Field for some extra coin. Summer times were spent at the pool, Union game room, and checking out the hotties at Cheerleader and Band Camp. My grandmother was house mother at the KA house. I would hang out there often because there were porn mags a plenty.
MSU was really the only option that I considered. I sent ACT scores to Auburn and Tennessee as well, and I think I can remember getting a few pieces of mail from Auburn, but I never intended on going anywhere other than MSU.
Father graduated in 1982, grandfather and his twin attended until he got called into service during WWII. Younger sister is a senior there this year. Uncle attended, several cousins went there.... it's a family thing. Both my mother and dad's sides are solely MSU fans for the most part, even if they didn't attend.
Father graduated in 1982, grandfather and his twin attended until he got called into service during WWII. Younger sister is a senior there this year. Uncle attended, several cousins went there.... it's a family thing. Both my mother and dad's sides are solely MSU fans for the most part, even if they didn't attend.
I was your typical 5-star academic prima donna glory boy. I had all the measurables. Scored 33 on my ACT. Crushed my AP exams. Everyone told me I was the man, that I was special, that I was elite. Pretty soon I believed it. It all went to my head. I was all about me, me, me.
Colleges from all over the country were calling, so I took some visits. Visited Ole Miss for the Big Geek weekend. **** got out of hand. The Computer Club girls (“byte girls,” we called them, and before you ask, yeah, they bit) were all up on my BVDs. TI-83 handshakes every time I turned around. I came home a changed kid.
Pretty soon I was out of control, partying every night at Mu Alpha Theta mixers and nailing Chess Club groupies and posting about it on Twitter and Facebook. But the scholarship offers kept rolling in from all over the country - everywhere but MSU.
You see MSU saw right through the charade. They knew I was just another highly-rated but troubled academic diva with no work ethic, no heart. “Son,” the MSU recruiter told me, “we actually evaluate and develop talent here at MSU. We don’t give a damn about arbitrary ratings and scores. Do you even grind?”
So I went to Ole Miss, and I fit right in with all the other morally bankrupt students. Pretty soon I was shooting heroin on Tuesdays and Thursdays, meth on Mondays and Wednesday, both on the weekends.
Meanwhile my neighbor was this humble little dyslexic 2-star salt-of-the-earth go-getter named Leon who was moonlighting down at the local library, mopping floors at night, sleeping in a broom closet, struggling to sound out pop-up books by flashlight, trying to teach himself basic algebra and the intricacies of your/you're in hopes of one day getting a qualifying score on his ACT, all while nursing abandoned puppies back to health in his spare time. And when he got that ACT score, he burned those offer letters from Co-Lin and EMCC and signed on the dotted line with MSU.
We would face off in the EcoCar challenge a couple years later and he totally OWNED me. I wept like a baby. Sometimes I wonder where it all went wrong, whether things would’ve been different if I had gone to MSU, but then I remember I was born an entitled, elitist prick, so I guess I never really had a chance.
Colleges from all over the country were calling, so I took some visits. Visited Ole Miss for the Big Geek weekend. **** got out of hand. The Computer Club girls (“byte girls,” we called them, and before you ask, yeah, they bit) were all up on my BVDs. TI-83 handshakes every time I turned around. I came home a changed kid.
Pretty soon I was out of control, partying every night at Mu Alpha Theta mixers and nailing Chess Club groupies and posting about it on Twitter and Facebook. But the scholarship offers kept rolling in from all over the country - everywhere but MSU.
You see MSU saw right through the charade. They knew I was just another highly-rated but troubled academic diva with no work ethic, no heart. “Son,” the MSU recruiter told me, “we actually evaluate and develop talent here at MSU. We don’t give a damn about arbitrary ratings and scores. Do you even grind?”
So I went to Ole Miss, and I fit right in with all the other morally bankrupt students. Pretty soon I was shooting heroin on Tuesdays and Thursdays, meth on Mondays and Wednesday, both on the weekends.
Meanwhile my neighbor was this humble little dyslexic 2-star salt-of-the-earth go-getter named Leon who was moonlighting down at the local library, mopping floors at night, sleeping in a broom closet, struggling to sound out pop-up books by flashlight, trying to teach himself basic algebra and the intricacies of your/you're in hopes of one day getting a qualifying score on his ACT, all while nursing abandoned puppies back to health in his spare time. And when he got that ACT score, he burned those offer letters from Co-Lin and EMCC and signed on the dotted line with MSU.
We would face off in the EcoCar challenge a couple years later and he totally OWNED me. I wept like a baby. Sometimes I wonder where it all went wrong, whether things would’ve been different if I had gone to MSU, but then I remember I was born an entitled, elitist prick, so I guess I never really had a chance.
Dad and Sister went to MSU. I wanted to study EE so seemed like the obvious choice. Considered Ga. Tech, but too expensive and too far from home.
Visited OM a couple times. Genuinely enjoyed the times I was there but just never felt like I fit in and liked MSU's EE department a lot more.
Visited OM a couple times. Genuinely enjoyed the times I was there but just never felt like I fit in and liked MSU's EE department a lot more.
Grew up New Orleans Saints, LSU , and MSU fan ... Family went to both
I wanted to do Petroleum Engineering (grandfather) but that meant going out of state to LSU and he persuaded me to attend State due to my affinity to beer and go more broad and go Mechanical since state had dropped Petro Eng...I ended up co- oping 7 semesters at an electric utility power plant in Florida and loved it ...now I work in that industry
Off topic... Gov Bryant on Fox Business said he is working with State to restart petroleum engineering program.....17!!!!
I wanted to do Petroleum Engineering (grandfather) but that meant going out of state to LSU and he persuaded me to attend State due to my affinity to beer and go more broad and go Mechanical since state had dropped Petro Eng...I ended up co- oping 7 semesters at an electric utility power plant in Florida and loved it ...now I work in that industry
Off topic... Gov Bryant on Fox Business said he is working with State to restart petroleum engineering program.....17!!!!
