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The fall 2020 acceptance rate for University of South Dakota is 88%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020 , _____ students were offered admission. The number of males who applied was _____ vs the number of females which was _____.
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What should every freshman at your school know before they start?
As a current working professional running the Career Center at a high school, I help hopeful seniors with college choice, scholarships, part-time jobs, and financial responsibility. My previous, teenage self was not so qualified. I was a first generation college bound student who had inflated ideas of my own capabilites. I was going to be a neonatal surgeon just because it sounded good. The truth is, I was much better at delving into a philosophical discussion and writing short stories and poetry, and though interested, I had my limits with the hard sciences. Knowing all of this now, I would take a very long time to discuss ego and its relatedness to fiscal responsibility and academic choice. I would have steered myself in a more artistic direction than that of the hard sciences, though I do believe personal study in the sciences is incredibly important.
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Describe the students at your school.
Very friendly people who have a one sided view of the world.
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What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?
Getting scholarships at my school seems to be one of the hardest things I have done. I am a straight A student, and yet all the scholarships I apply for, I never hear back. Also the food on campus is less than satisfactory; it is also a working progress.
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What's the most frustrating thing about your school?
Since I'm going to the University of South Dakota through the University Center in Sioux Falls, the campus is way smaller than a normal college campus. The most frusterating thing about my school is not having enough space to sit where I want to do my work in between classes.
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What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?
That I would be surrounded by such talented people. Also that Greeks run this campus and it's not a bad thing. People on this campus are fun and it's not the worst place to go.
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Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!
It is just the right size so you know plenty of people on campus. It is a rural area but close enough to larger areas so you can shop and find recreational activities. it has a very close knit greek community. it is also very diverse in the majors.... there are no really highly emphasized majors
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What kind of person should attend this school?
Anyone who doesn't mind a small town feel. USD is a nice size, not too terribly small but you won't get lost in a crowd either.
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What's unique about your campus?
The best thing here at USD is the class size. I like having smaller classes because then you get to work closer to the teacher and have a closer realtionship with them, so when you have a question about something, you feel comfortable going to them and then they also know your name. Also another nice thing is if the class is a larger lecture hall, then there is a teacher's aid that you can go to for extra help, and they help reteach lessons you have questions on.
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What is your overall opinion of this school?
The Univeristy of South Dakota has a very liberal feel as well as a diverse student demographic based on the variety of majors that are offered. There is a blend of artistic and theatrical students as well as students in medicine or law programs, to psycology, education, and business majors. In my experience, the faculty is definitely helpful and you can tell how much the professors care about the education of their students. Although it is a large school, I think that the size still feels comfortable and there is room for individuals to shine. I will admit that, although rarely, the large number of students can be inconvienent in terms of waiting in line for certain resources (food/drinks, library computers/printers, student services, etc.). While on campus, I spend most of my time etiher in the Muenster University Center, when I feel like being social, or at the library to study. I also frequent the wellness center, which is fairly new and very nice. At USD, there is a lot of school pride and you can easily see it in the sports teams and the soroities/fraternities.The town of Vermillion is small and quaint, but it has a unique atmosphere unlike other small towns in the area. It is also nice that the town completely revolves around the university and students are recepted quite well within the community. There are several stores including a Wal-Mart, a few fast food chains, and several local restaurants to enjoy and if you get bored with all that there are two much bigger cities located less than an hour away. One downfall that many students will complain about is the cold winters...and I mean COLD! Otherwise, I think USD is a great place to be and I have had an amazing time so far.
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Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it.
USD is a great place to be, a wonderful community of students and professors all working toward the common goal of good education and a truly positive college experience. USD has an awesome Greek Community, record breaking athletic teams, and great job placement after graduation. Go Coyotes!
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Describe your favorite campus traditions.
We are known for our active Greek Life and spirit of volunteerism, as well as our Medical and Law schools.
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What kind of person should not attend this school?
Someone who is used to city life and enjoys it shouldn't attend this school. There is a lot going on, but it's in a small town so there aren't limitless possibilities. Also, it gets very cold and the walks to class are treacherous, so students from warmer climates might hate it.
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What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?
One association/organization that seems very important at USD (as compared to other schools in the surrounding area) is Greek life. There are several fraternities and sororities on campus, and pledging at the beginning of the school year is a big deal. Stereotypes that exist about greek life are that different houses become too cliquey, or isolate themselves from others. As a non-greek, I have several friends in fraternities and sororities, and have found that most members aren't as isolated as rumored to be. The same kind of cliquey stereotypes also holds true for athletes at USD. The general stereotype is that athletes pretty much keep to themselves and to others in their organization. This holds true for a few select sports, but often many athletes still branch out and get involved with other students and clubs on campus.
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What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?
I brag about our beautiful campus, our food, and the overall social life!
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What are the academics like at your school?
At USD, I feel that the majority of professors take initiative to get to know their students as well as the unique learning pace that each class will need within the semester. Every professor I’ve ever had has taken the time and effort to remember my name and connect with me, as well as the other students, over the subject matter and any questions I may have had. Personally, I like to make sure that I visit with each professor outside of class; I need the one-on-one attention to make sure I understand the subject. Also, the professors here take notice of who comes to office hours and who does not, and sometimes it can make all the difference when they evaluate final grades and you are sitting between an ‘A’ and a ‘B’. Just like high school, you will see some students who love to participate in class and others who do not speak a word unless forced to, or others who will resist participation and dismiss the importance of what is going on in class to look cool. I would say that you find less of this reluctance to participate once you’ve taken all of your general classes and move on to the classes directly associated with your field of study. Class sizes tend to decrease in the upper level classes and most people seem to realize the importance of in-class participation in regards to achieving success while attending school. Many students seem to be concerned about their personal levels of achievement and I feel that students here are very competitive. The amount of time spent studying really depends on the individual and their intended major/class. In the library or often in the commons, you will find a large number of students studying, especially during finals week! I am an English major specializing in Creative Writing, as well as a Theatre minor. In my experience at USD, the English department seems very well put together and the professors solidly know their subjects. They also offer opportunities such as writing workshops, guest writers, internships, and other job offers related to the field. Within the Theatre department, I am also offered many opportunities and just within the past semester the faculty within the department has helped me realize my potential as well as offered personal guidance on how to achieve my specific career goal. I feel like I am not just taught certain skills in these areas simply just to learn them, but that I am directly taught to use them in the job fields which they are related. The most unique class I have ever taken at USD was Introduction to Acting. The class dynamic was set up quite differently from that of other classes and the traditional learning atmosphere was strongly infused with creativity that pushed new boundaries for me. We started each class with yoga and tai chi warm-ups to relax ourselves and prepare for preforming with each other. The class size was less than half of all other classes I have taken and there was also a large trust factor amongst all the students participating within the class. My least favorite class would have to be Shakespeare, not to say I didn’t enjoy what I have learned from the class or that the teacher wasn’t great, but the difficulty of the class kept me up late nights and the amount of work that I had to do far surpassed that of my other classes. One of my favorite classes at USD was an American Literature class that was taught survey style with a large number of students. The professor did an amazing job of keeping the subject material interesting and also made many connections that pertain to modern day life and especially to the life of a college student. He used humor and common interests to encourage deep thoughts about what we had read that semester and he presented daily power-point presentations to remember the key concepts of his lectures. The subject was not necessarily interesting for me, but this professor found a way to entertain his students and make us find ways in which the works discussed were fascinating when closely examined.
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What are the most popular student activities/groups?
Vermillion can easily be considered a ‘party town’ and many students drink on the weekends (and sometimes during the week) at house parties or downtown at the bars. I would say that there is an equal split between students that spend their time engaged strictly with academic activities, or at least constructive activities and those who party like a rock star every chance they get. If I am awake at 2 A.M. on a Tuesday, I can guarantee that I am working on homework for the next day’s class. ?If you wanted to do something besides drink on a Saturday night, there are usually a few bands playing at random locations, open-mike nights, two movie theatres that give student discounts, bowling, or a number of varying activities put on at the dorms and student centers (video games, arts and crafts, team games, etc.). Most students that want to stay connected or interact with others will leave their dorm doors open. Although I don’t live in the dorms anymore, I hear that almost everyone leaves their door open while they are there. Greek life is a huge deal on campus, with over 30 fraternities/sororities to become a part of and each one supporting a system of life-long friendships (I know from friends involved with several different Greek houses). Athletic events gain the most popularity of all campus activities, especially football, but theatre productions are definitely a must-see among the USD community. Depending on the guest speaker, there will be an influx of students attending the event, especially when it is mandatory for credit in a particular class. In my experience, I have found the guest speakers to be very interesting, especially when related to my field of study. Personally, I spend most of my time off campus working or hanging out with friends at some of the previously mentioned hang-outs. I met my closest friends not on campus, but through my job at a local restaurant. Most of my co-workers are students as well, but I would probably never have met them through classes alone. In fact, with the help of a friend from work, I started the Improv Club on campus last semester. I love being a part of something I am so interesting in and we always have so much fun with it. We meet once a week for a couple hours and basically just play improv games and learn about the craft from my co-founder, who teaches us what he knows about improv from his experience. Hopefully by the end of the year we will be ready to perform for an audience! It is one of my proudest accomplishments since I have been at USD and I have formed many important friendships since we started the group.
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Why did you decide to go to this school?
I decided to go to this school because I had heard about it's fantastic reputation from several individuals ranging from those a few years older than me to those my parent's age. I wanted a school that I knew would provide me with the education I needed to get into professional school, and at an affordable tuition cost. But the ultimate reason I chose USD was because of how I felt talking to students and faculty during tours and orientation. I've always felt like a unique, valued individual at USD, and always felt that my advisors and professors genuinely cared about my education and well-being. I desired to attend a school where I wouldn't be considered just one of the masses, and I never felt that way at USD.
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What do students complain about most?
Boredom. Boredom is by far the most cited topic when people complain about Vermillion or the U. Unfortunately, many of our students feel as if they live in a bit of a bubble. There are many things to do in Yankton, Sioux City, and Sioux Falls, though, and wise students will head out of town once in a while to get a bit of culture or excitement when the summer months come around, especially.
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Describe the dorms.
The dorms at USD are a little small and kind of tight, but there's just enough room to share with your roommate. Though the rooms are small, the halls are kept very clean, and the most popular/largest dorms on campus also happen to be the newest. North Complex, which contains four freshman dorm halls, has been around for only 15 years, and contains a dining hall as well as a convenience store. Quite a bit of traffic goes through North Complex, and students generally keep their doors open to mingle with others on their floor/hall. After freshmen year, many students sign up to live in USD's newest dorms, Coyote Village. The complex has only been finished for a couple of years, and has an excellent location next to the Dakota Dome as well as the Wellness Center, and contains a convenience store, small movie theater, and coffee shop within the complex.
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