Grace McWatters didn’t intend to apply to Millsaps College, but she forgot to cross the school off her list when she was filling out The Common Application. The Washington state native wanted to go to a small school that offered creative writing, economics and an opportunity to act, but she didn’t have any desire to be in the South.
Then she was offered a theater scholarship and experienced the school’s Southern hospitality on a campus visit. “Everyone really cares about you,” says McWatters, an economics major now in her final year.
The private liberal arts college sits in the heart of Jackson, the capital of Mississippi and its largest city. A large bell tower overlooks the easily walkable 100-acre campus.
[Discover other colleges and universities in Mississippi.]
At its center, students gather and relax underneath the trees in the open space known as the Bowl. The school’s enrollment is small, too: about 750 undergraduates, a little more than half of whom are out-of-state students. The average class size is 14, and the student-faculty ratio is 9-to-1.
Millsaps offers 34 degree programs, including an accelerated MBA that can be started senior year and completed 12 months after graduation. No matter what your major is, writing is a significant part of the curriculum. All students are required to complete a writing portfolio that includes six papers by the end of sophomore year and a reflection on their growth as writers and thinkers during their senior seminar.
Among the study abroad options are programs in Yucatán, Mexico, where the college owns a nonprofit organization that operates a 4,000-acre tropical forest biocultural reserve. Students live there and take courses or conduct research in such disciplines as archaeology, ecology, geology and business. For students who prefer studying poetry and art in Paris, there’s an option for that too.
Students say the small size and close-knit community make it easy for them to find their niche and nurture their interests. “You don’t feel cloistered as long as you’re doing what you should be doing, which is trying to be involved,” says 2016 graduate Zachary Smith, an English literature and communications studies major from Madison, Mississippi. Millsaps boasts 75-plus organizations, from mock trial to acting groups, and more than 20 percent of students participate in intercollegiate sports on the 18 Division III sports teams.
[Check out five reasons to get involved in college.]
But “you’re not going to be just a football player,” says Kendra Williams, a sophomore political science major from Houston. “You’re going to be a football player who participates in Major Havoc (an improvisation group), and is in a frat and goes to support LGBTQ. You’re usually not just doing one thing.”
Students like the fact that Jackson has a small-town feel but plenty of city amenities — museums, restaurants, shopping centers, live music and bars — within a 20-minute drive of campus. Freshmen who want to get involved in community service in the city can apply to participate in the Wellspring Living and Learning Community; they live with other first-years who are interested in service and volunteer at local schools and other organizations in the Midtown area.
Millsaps is “very deliberate” in making sure grads enter the workforce with the skills to be competitive, says Daniel Kees, a 2016 graduate in political science and economics from Vicksburg, Mississippi, who thinks his strong foundation in writing, critical thinking and teamwork will help him “stand out.” Next up: He’s been awarded a Fulbright grant to teach English in Mexico.
Deep South College Road Trip:
— Xavier University of Louisiana — Tulane University
— University of Mississippi
This story is excerpted from the U.S. News “Best Colleges 2017” guidebook, which features in-depth articles, rankings and data.
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Deep South College Road Trip: Millsaps College originally appeared on usnews.com
