Rhodes College — Local services in Memphis

I enjoyed my academic experience there. It wasn't terribly challenging or anything, but they offer a lot of interesting classes. I had a few really great professors that were very influential to me. And one thing I loved was the small classes (my gf had a 400 level class with 4 people in it once), and the fact that a lot of professors were very accessible outside of class.

On the other hand, the student body was very one-dimensional. I constantly felt like I was meeting the same person over and over again. The large majority of people at Rhodes come from similar socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds as well as have similar interests, values, and goals. Campus social life primarily revolves around Greek life. They tout that everyone finds their niche at Rhodes, but what really happens is you usually learn how to fit into the "Rhodes" niche. If you don't find yourself fitting into the Rhodes niche, don't worry. There are other people who feel the same way you do, and by junior year small pockets of people will emerge outside the Rhodes bubble that you might enjoy integrating into. However, this is a very small number of people, and you'd more than likely have enjoyed yourself better at a school that was actually diverse. Don't underestimate how important diversity is before you go to college.

Also the administration sucks...

There is not a day that goes by that I do not miss Rhodes College. The doors it opened and the opportunities I had to not only impact communities but be impacted by them will stick with me forever. Rhodes helped me to develop into an individual that values the humanness in everyone. It challenged me to look at the life that I am living and ask myself how I can utilize this life to help others find joy in their lives. I made some amazing friends! I still keep in contact with the administration and go to alumni events quite often. I graduated in '12 and, though I understand many of my peers had experiences where they felt like diversity was an issue, my experience was one of inclusiveness. I was able to mingle with all people and make friends across societal divisions. It was an absolutely amazing four years. My advice to prospective students is to reach out if you find that you need help. The support here is tremendous. I don't think I would have made it without Carol Casey, Dean Laakso, and Walt Tennyson! If I could go back I would. I...

As an alumni from the class of '12, I admit I have a love-hate relationship with Rhodes. While I appreciate the wonderful professors and people I have met, I am very disappointed with the Rhodes administration. Rhodes simply does not take diversity seriously. Racial / socio-economic / & sexual orientation discrimination is rampant on campus, yet Rhodes fails to properly address the problems.

Amazing and life altering professors are never recognized or granted tenure. And no reason is given (ex: Banerjee, Johnson, etc) Although I am truly thankful for my experiences at Rhodes and the doors it opened, I will never support Rhodes again until action is taken to make Rhodes a true liberal arts college that welcomes and embraces diversity. Emails sent to administration remain unanswered.

Prospective students, BEWARE, it's probably best to keep looking if...