Going to college was really important to me - especially going to the right college. Call it a childhood dream if you will, but all through grade school that was definitely my end goal.
Enter senior year in high school. I was all ready to settle for nearby and cheap UNT for lack of a better institution, when I run into two SU professors at a high school theatre convention. They were telling me about their theatre program (my intended major at the time) and how they thought I would be a good fit. I was also impressed with everything they told me about the university in general. I returned to my school the following week only to find out that many of my teachers were alumni!
I applied and was originally waitlisted for admittance to the school. My correspondence with my admittance counselor was always active, engaging, and informative. There was such a good relationship that my counselor actually called me at school to let me know when the first opening came available and - viola! - I was a Southwestern student.
Overall I am very satisfied with the four years I had at SU. The campus is a quaint size and very, very beautiful. As the first institution of higher learning in Texas, there is a lot of historical depth and beauty to be taken advantage of here. There are about 1,300 students here, small enough to feel homey but definitely large enough to make a lot of friends and meet plenty of new people all the time.
Campus life is full of variety and very engaging. There are plenty of wonderful opportunities to stay active and to get involved, from Greek life to service clubs to just going rock climbing with a bunch of students one weekend. The university does an amazing job of providing social and intellectual events to keep everyone stimulated.
The housing is spot on. I was terrified about going to college and having to deal with community showers. Unless you're a freshman guy there's no real worry about that. Even though some of the dorms are 70 years old, they are in wonderful condition and boast great amenities. Most of the residents life is hands on as well.
The curriculum of the school is very engaging. This definitely isn't the school for someone looking to skip class all the time and just coast through and party. The potential for learning and growing is phenomenal. The faculty is very bright, creative, and truly interested in your education. If you put in 100%, then so will they. And as a liberal arts school, the curriculum is designed to allow you to dabble in other interests and experience ideas and areas of study you normally wouldn't be exposed to. That's how I ended up double majoring in two different studies I never thought I would as a freshman.
Georgetown itself is also a nice quiet town to be in, but not so small that it doesn't offer the necessary outlets for college life - such as a rich and active downtown, shopping, movie theatre, and, well, liquor stores. There's also an IKEA just down the interstate for cheap student living, and Austin and it's night life is just 20 minutes away.
I would recommend that any future college student keep Southwestern in mind. It might seem small and expensive, but over 85% of students receive some sort of financial aid, and there are even full scholarships to be had from the University itself. It's definitely not the place for everyone, but it's definitely worth a tour. Once can't be too thorough when picking their college, after all.
As far as shortcomings are concerned, they are similar to any other smaller liberal arts school. The athletics program isn't large and in a higher divisions (they just now announced the formation of a football team), nor are there any athletic scholarships available at the time of this review. Some amenities like fast food chains on campus are lacking, and like any other small, tight-knit school, rumors news and drama can travel lightning fast and even spark ferocious outcomes. But of course, all of this falls in with what type of college is right for you, etc. In the end that's a decision that you can only make for yourself. read more