SMU is best known for business, the performing arts, and an abundance of school spirit. Go-getter mentality is pervasive, and students benefit from internships and other opportunities in nearby Dallas. Picture-book campus on the city outskirts adds to its appeal. Methodist, but mainly in name.

Southern Methodist University is looking beyond its long-standing characterization as a training ground for the business elite of Dallas. Admissions standards are on the rise, and recent years have brought an updated curriculum, a new residential model, and, in the words of one senior, “tons of new campus buildings.” The highly regarded Cox School of Business sets the no-nonsense tone for SMU’s success-driven academic climate. Although founded in 1911 by what is now the United Methodist Church, SMU is nondenominational; 8 percent of students are Methodist and all faiths are welcomed.

SMU’s well-landscaped campus is situated in the toney suburb of University Park, located “five minutes from downtown Dallas and within 30 minutes of everything else,” according to one student. Flower beds, fountains, and neatly trimmed lawns surround stately brick buildings, most of them collegiate Georgian. Dallas Hall, with its four-story rotunda, is the centerpiece. The Embrey Engineering Building is one of the first academic buildings in the nation to be designed and constructed to LEED Gold Standards of environmental design. The Meadows Museum houses one of the finest collections of Spanish art outside Spain, and SMU is the only private college in the country to host a presidential library on its main campus, the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

General education requirements are laid out in the University Curriculum, which combines coursework in a range of disciplines with hands-on experiences. Students say they find ample time to explore their interests. “There is a lot of room to double or even triple major,” explains a biology and math major. The Office of Engaged Learning supports students who wish to undertake capstone-level projects on campus or abroad, such as extended research, service projects, internships, and entrepreneurial start-ups; participants can apply for fellowships of up to $2,000.

Students hail the Cox School of Business (including its Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship) and the Meadows School of the Arts, which turns out professional artists, actors, singers, and dancers, as SMU’s strongest suits. The most popular field of study is finance, followed by economics, mathematics, and accounting. Engineers have access to top-of-the-line research labs and an extensive co-op program, thanks to the proximity of hundreds of high-tech companies, including AT&T and Texas Instruments. The Tower Center for Political Studies focuses on international relations and comparative politics, while the Tate Lecture Series gives students a chance to interact with national and international figures, such as principal ballerina Misty Copeland and political advisors David Axelrod and Karl Rove. The applied physiology and sport management program teaches the biological basis of health while offering the business skills needed in the health and fitness industries. Creative computing, an interdisciplinary major, combines theory and methodology from computer science, engineering, and the arts. As for the humanities, English and history are particularly strong, and SMU publishes Southwest Review, the third oldest continuously published literary quarterly in the nation. SMU was the first university in the South to offer a major in human rights.

SMU prides itself on small classes; 57 percent of undergraduate courses have fewer than 20 students. “Some of my professors have practically been my life coaches,” says an advertising major. “They’ve helped me excel in classes and prepare for interviews. They’ve provided recommendation letters and answered my emails at two in the morning. They never stop caring for their students.” Most classes are taught by full-time faculty, and teaching assistants provide extra help. The student-staffed Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center offers tutoring and workshops.

The top 10 percent of each incoming class is invited to join the University Honors Program, which features small seminars on topics not offered broadly. Study abroad programs take 28 percent of undergrads around the world; faculty-led options are available in 14 locations. Each year, 20 to 25 exceptional incoming students are named President’s Scholars and awarded full-tuition scholarships as well as opportunities to study abroad and participate in an annual retreat in Taos. Employers in the Dallas area offer a whopping 4,400 internships and learning opportunities to SMU students every year.

A marketing major describes SMU students as passionate and driven to succeed, adding, “There’s a big go-getter mentality all throughout campus.” Forty-four percent of undergraduates are from the Lone Star State, and 7 percent come from outside of the U.S. Hispanics account for 12 percent of the student body, Asian Americans 7 percent, African Americans 4 percent, and multiracial students 4 percent. A majority of undergrads graduated from private or parochial schools, and many come from affluent families. “We are called ‘Southern Millionaire’s University’ for a reason,” quips a student, adding that despite slowly increasing diversity, “we still need to improve.” Indeed, with only 9 percent of incoming freshmen qualifying for Pell Grants, SMU has a ways to go in shedding its traditional image as a bastion of privilege. A senior reports that there is a “pretty good mix” of political views. SMU offers merit scholarships averaging $28,700, as well as more than 300 athletic scholarships in 17 sports.

Fifty-four percent of undergrads live on campus; first- and second-year students are required to live in one of 11 Residential Commons, each of which has a resident faculty member, intended to integrate academic, residential, and social experiences. SMU Service House residents engage in community service in disadvantaged neighborhoods across Dallas. All residence halls are co-ed by floor, and options include single and double rooms, some with their own bathrooms. The traditional, all-you-can-eat meal plans include dining dollars that can be used at the two main dining halls and at on-campus fast-dining options like Chick-fil-A. “Now that I live off campus, I actually miss the food in the SMU dining halls,” says a student. Campus security is said to be strong, and students praise the Not On My Campus campaign aimed at raising awareness of the issue of sexual assault.

When the weekend comes, the more than 200 student groups sponsor speakers and other diversions. “Social life at SMU is vibrant both on and off campus,” says a sophomore. Thirty-six percent of the women join sororities, and 27 percent of the men pledge fraternities. “Greek organizations have off-campus parties, since SMU is technically a dry campus,” notes a senior. Dallas has plenty to offer in terms of social life: “Whether it’s exploring the Deep Ellum and Bishop Arts districts or going out in Uptown, we never get bored here,” says a management major. Hundreds of students volunteer with more than 70 nonprofits in the greater Dallas area, and service trips over spring break are popular too. Highlights of the campus calendar include Perunapalooza, a birthday carnival in honor of the Mustang mascot (a pony). Students mark the end of the fall semester with the Celebration of Lights featuring holiday lights and carols at Dallas Hall. Favorite road trips are to Austin, with its abundance of restaurants, bars, and live music, and South Padre, Texas, a popular spring break spot with a great beach.

Football games are a big deal here-after all, this is Texas-and SMU students get riled up for the annual battle against Texas Christian University for possession of the Iron Skillet. For home games, students inject some madness into their Methodism through Boulevarding, which features lavish tents, family activities, music, and food on the main quad. “Boulevarding on game days is the most fun tailgating experience in the South!” cheers an environmental studies major. When basketball season arrives, students camp out with their friends to get tickets, and “The Mob” spirit group packs into the student section of Moody Coliseum. The SMU Mustangs compete in the Division I American Athletic Conference with considerable success. Men’s golf and women’s cross-country, swimming and diving, and track and field are competitive. Twenty-two percent of students participate each year in the intramural program, which offers more than 18 individual and team sporting activities.

“SMU is a relatively small school that has a big school feel,” says a senior. “We still have a blast before home football games, we have big parties, and we have incredible school spirit.” Although known for its striking campus and success-oriented students, SMU offers solid preprofessional training along with an active social life and ample opportunities to give back to the city of Dallas. The result is an environment where future industry moguls, problem solvers, performers, and artists alike can find space to grow.

-Fiske Guide