Rhodes College Top Questions

The best thing about Rhodes is definitely the professors. The professors vary in their degree of difficulty but the ones that push you as a student are always willing to offer the extra support needed to get you to the next level. Rhodes is also designed as an academically friendly campus--Barret library is a great resource and is stocked with comfy chairs, sofas, and Starbucks (as well as a Christmas tree during the holidays) which makes it much easier to spend a lot of time there.

In my hometown of Baton Rouge, LA, LSU is the end-all, be-all of colleges. So when I mention my alma mater, I get a variety of reactions. Sometimes, people have never heard of Rhodes and their next question is, "Oh, where is that?". Most of the time, however, people tend to be impressed and either remark on how great the school is or say, "Oh, you must be really smart!". Sometimes they'll even know someone else who goes to Rhodes and ask me about them. I personally think that all of these reactions are descriptive of Rhodes. We do have a small population- right about 1700. There's no graduate school, so it's a purely undergraduate campus. Rhodes athletics in Division III (Go Lynx!) definitely don't get the recognition that some Division I schools get. With the small size, though, there are a lot of advantages. You really get a feeling of community at Rhodes; everyone knows everyone and it really creates for a family-style atmosphere. The tiny class sizes (average is 13) allow for more individualized learning and one-on-one help with professors. You actually have to do reading for class- professors will call on you and expect you to help with the class discussion. While Rhodes is obviously very academically-based, there are a TON of opportunities to get involved on campus and actually have a social life. College is about learning, but it's also about having fun- Rhodes offers the whole package.

Small school in a big city in the South with several strong departments. Good reputation, but not as well known as some larger schools. I don't have a problem with the administration, but know people that do. Some school pride, but not as much as pride as other schools, i.e. University of Memphis if you're at Rhodes but from Memphis.

I think Rhodes is great if you want a small school with a small campus. I came from a very small high school, so it was a perfect fit for me - but some of my friends couldn't imagine going to a college with the same graduating class size as their high school. Despite its size, there are tons of groups to get involved in, and if there isn't one for you - you can start one!

The best thing about Rhodes is that the teachers are genuinely interested in your academic progress. When you feel like you are not doing well, you should definately go talk to the teacher, they will do anything in their power to help you. Moreover, they will e-mail you from time to time to meet up and go over your progress. The professors also are very quick with e-mailing. The small school atmosphere is wonderful, because the fact that the professors are so interested in you doing well in the class. The biggest recent controversy on campus was on the anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King. Some students felt that because the fact that Rhodes is in Memphis, the administration should have done something to comemmorate the death of Dr. King. In reality the administration held a town meeting in Barrett Library which was attended by many promintent officials of the city. Furthermore, there was also a "Dining for Diversity" dinner.