Choosing a college is a difficult choice in the beginning. There are over 2,600 different universities across the U.S. When I began to search for a place to call home for the upcoming four years of my life, as well as a place to start adulthood, I began to keep my eyes on Mizzou. From its beautiful, historic campus, to its growing, urban downtown, there are too many positive reasons to lead you to the University of Missouri when starting your college career. Here’s why Mizzou is the best school on earth!
Mizzou is known for holding the first ever homecoming game. Ask almost any student at Mizzou what his or her favorite time of the year is. You’ll get the same answer. Experience a walk through Greek Town the night before as sororities and fraternities alike light up the streets with skits, pomp boards, and floats celebrating the history of the University. Parade with thousands of students and fans through downtown the morning of to get into the school spirit, and don’t forget to chant MIZ-ZOU in the stands of Faurot Field as you watch the first kickoff!
In 1908, Missouri created the first School of Journalism. Mizzou has continued the legacy by molding many incredible students who now hold positions all over the world, writing for organizations like Allure Magazine and CNN.
Mizzou’s campus is home to 16 Panhellenic Association chapters, 29 Interfraternity Council chapters, 5 Multicultural Greek Council chapters, and 8 National Pan-Hellenic Council chapters. The University of Missouri is also known for holding one of the largest sorority rush weeks in the country, sporting a 6-day journey through 15 different sororities and letting potential new members meet hundreds of new women to find their home.
Columbia’s downtown is steps away from Mizzou’s campus and holds tons of chic boutiques, lively bars, and many of your favorite small-town-feel coffee shops. Want to enjoy a meal with a view? Head to The Roof on Broadway and experience 5-star food while looking over the city of Columbia, Missouri.
The fraternity men around campus love to throw a good themed party if you’re into that, but if not don’t worry! There are many fun bars that are walking distance from campus- some freshman favorites are Fieldhouse, Harpos, and My House.
If you have never experienced an SEC game day, you are missing out on an experience like no other. Each Mizzou football game day on campus is treated as a holiday, where you’ll find thousands of students and families parading across campus in celebration of our favorite school.
In 2016, collegerank.net ranked the University of Missouri’s Rec Center as the number one most luxurious rec center. It holds ten full length basketball courts, different fitness gym rooms, studio rooms for classes, an indoor track, racquetball and squash courts, a rock climbing wall, a spa, a competitive swimming pool, and an indoor and outdoor pool.
Business Insider lists Mizzou’s Francis Quadrangle as one of the most beautiful and recognizable college quads. Whether you’re walking through Speakers Circle, sitting on the columns, or crossing Lowry Mall under Memorial Union, you will always feel special walking around Mizzou’s campus.
One of my favorite traditions on Mizzou’s campus is their Tiger Walk where freshman students will parade onto campus through the columns to commemorate the beginning of their college careers. Other great traditions include riding the tiger, kissing the 50-yard line, streaking the quad, and don’t forget to rub the nose of Mizzou-made David R. Francis for good luck on your first exam!
Mizzou has 13 different schools within the University. Browse through the University of Missouri’s easy to navigate admissions site and choose to look for a degree by career path, school, college, or interest area.
Mizzou has many incredible programs which allow you to continue your studies at the University abroad. Choose from nearly 60 different oversea locations to visit and get the opportunity to learn like you’ve never imagined.
Mizzou has great options for students who regularly live outside of Missouri’s boarders, including the option for students to stay over the summer and work to be able to claim the status of a Missouri resident. Gain the opportunity to pay a lower tuition and get to spend more time in Columbia; it’s a win-win!
Mizzou has many programs funded outside of what its students are paying for that they can use freely. They have a program called STRIPES. It runs Thursday – Saturday from 10 pm to 3 am and will pick up any student around Columbia for a free ride.
In 2017, the University of Missouri made the “Fiske Guide to colleges list of where students can get the most bang for their buck”. With only 20 public universities on the list, making the choice to become a Tiger has never been simpler.
Did you know that Brad Pitt, Jon Hamm, and Sheryl Crow went to the University of Missouri? Mizzou doesn’t just have entertainers as alumni, you may also recognize U.S. senator Clair McCaskill, NASA Astronaut Linda Godwin, or 2016 candidate for Vice-President Tim Kaine.
The University of Missouri works to find the most experienced professors in each field to teach its students. Attend any college at the University of Missouri and find yourself being taught by skilled professionals.
Mizzou states that it recognizes over 600 different student organization opportunities. Whether it be more well known like MUTV, or the less heard of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Society, the options go on almost forever.
The MU Sinclair School of Nursing is ranked on USNews.com as one of the best nursing schools. Mizzou’s School of Nursing is known for it’s advanced research and teaching methods and was also ranked number one in 2014 on the list of best nursing school programs published by the College Atlas Encyclopedia of Higher Education.
The last reason you should go to Mizzou, is to feel the satisfaction of being a tiger and forever bleed black and gold. The students who walk the campus of MU everyday share the same pride as those who came before them. And although they don’t all have the same stripes in the same order or shape, they all have stripes and they’re all Tigers.
There are hundreds of colleges, but only one Mizzou. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I hadn’t made the choice to call the University of Missouri my home. And I hope you can’t either. See you in CoMo next fall!
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