The Professor’s Road Trip – Southern Methodist University

The Professor has landed in Dallas, Texas at Southern Methodist University, home of the Mustangs.

A little over 6000 students are enrolled at this school just five miles outside of downtown Dallas, TX. Despite its name, Southern Methodist is a secular, private institution. It was originally founded in 1911 by what became the Methodist Church, but now students of many denominations call it home.

SMU has a policy that all first-year students live on campus. In 2014, when they completed construction of additional residence halls, this policy extended to second year students as well. There are many options when it comes to residence halls including themed housing and academic communities. You can find a living situation that will mesh with your own interests and goals.

SMU has achieved several rankings on the various lists, but the most unique one The Professor discovered was The Princeton Review’s ranking of Southern Methodist University as #15 for Happiest Students.

Maybe these happy students come from their willingness to help others?  SMU’s community service organization, Mustang Heroes, is composed of SMU faculty, students, staff and alumni dedicated to organizing and providing volunteers for both long-term projects and one-time service events. Their goal is to help others in a sustainable, engaging, and impacting way while creating more and more active citizens from campus. 

Another way students are happy is “Boulevarding.” Football is big at this Division I school. A long-standing tradition in place of tailgating on Saturday before a game is “Boulevarding.” A few days before each football game, tents pop up along the Boulevard and the lawn in front of Dallas Hall. On game day, students, faculty, alumni and fans converge on the tents to enjoy pre-game socializing with beverages, food, and games. It’s also a great place for people (or owl) watching! Who knows, you might just see notable alumni like Aaron Spelling, Kathy Bates, or First Lady Laura Bush.

To learn more about Southern Methodist University’s application requirements and deadlines, please visit their website at www.smu.edu.