University of Mississippi

About Me

Intro

They say I'm a party school.

They say that I take my football way too seriously, and that I'm nothing but a bunch of frat boys and sorority chicks.

Well, haters gon' hate, I s'pose.

Let's face it. They're just jealous because I live in the "Cultural Mecca of the South," or because I'm an enviably beautiful Southern belle. No, seriously, I dare you to find a campus that's as pretty as mine. Also, the people who live in my surrounding city of Oxford are actually famous for being particularly good-looking. No pictures, please.

Just kidding. Take as many pictures as you want.

It's true that I like to relax with a tall glass o' lemonade after a hard day's work. And yes, sometimes that lemonade has a dash or two (or maybe three) of a little somethin' extra.

But just because I like to relax doesn't mean I'm lazy. I work every bit as hard as I play, and that's why you'll always find me firmly situated towards the top of almost every list of the best Southern universities. I'm listed as one of the top value colleges, and as one of Fiske Guide's most interesting colleges. Also, my accounting program is one of the best in the nation.

Let's not forget about football either. Southern Living called me "The South's Best Tailgate." I'm literally ranked best at partying it up before a big game. Grab some burgers and snag your dad's mini grill because you'll be pre-gaming with the best of the best.

Name

Rebel Black Bear. They say that if you ever run into this bear on a football field, you should just go ahead and prepare to get eaten.

Hometown

You know the part of Mississippi that looks like a scene from Gone with the Wind? That's Oxford, Mississippi, and it's the quaintest-looking college town you'll ever see.

Birthdate

1848

Body Type

I'm plus-sized and proud. Don't even think about student body-shaming me.

I have 16,000 undergraduates and 2,000 grad students, not to mention the hundreds of law and med students that come in and out every day. If big is beautiful (and it certainly is), then consider me a giant Scarlett Johansson.

Luckily, I've collected a similarly large assortment of the best and brightest academic educators around, so classes never feel too crowded. However, if you come to The Grove before one of my football games, you might see all 20,000 or so of my students at once.

Current Living Situation

Most of my freshmen live on campus. Technically, I force them to...but they love it, really. Campus is where all the action happens, and it's among the most beautiful in the entire United States. You can quote me on that. Yessiree.

I was lucky enough to have brand new dorms built pretty recently, so you can expect all of the modern amenities that you're used to…as long as you manage to land a spot in one of them. Yep, good luck with that.

After your first year, you can live wherever you want—someplace close to downtown, your frat/sorority house of choice, or somewhere different altogether. If you can handle the noise, we recommend getting as close to downtown as possible. The nightlife here is crazier than a bear doing a keg-stand.

Relationship Status

I'm not a fan of the Razorbacks, nor am I on good terms with them gator-lovers at LSU. But it's the sight of the Bulldog that really makes my blood boil. Not the actual dog (they're super cute)—I'm talkin' about Mississippi State University.

We're not just rivals; we're archenemies. Think Superman and Lex Luthor, Mr. Fantastic and Dr. Doom, or Vin Diesel and acting. We even have our own yearly hatefest football game called the Egg Bowl.

Religion

My religion? Well, that's kind of personal, if you ask me….but you asked nicely, so I'll go ahead and answer.

For the record, I'm completely, 100% unaffiliated with any church or religion. However, I should probably mention that, you know, being in the South and all, my students and faculty are largely proud, evangelical Christians. (Although, you millennials seem to be changing that.)

That being said, Oxfordians are very accepting people and they'll go out of their way to make you feel welcome, no matter what creed you follow. Good ol' Southern hospitality.

Politics

Your Limbaugh Letter-subscribing uncle might go on about how "the liberal elites" control the university system, but that's because he's never met me. I mean, yeah, not all of my teachers are conservatives—they're a bit of a mixed bag, actually—but an unusually big number of my students definitely are.

The thing is, my students tend to be conservatives of the religious variety. So if you only lean to the left on the economic issues, you'll probably have plenty of friendly-but-spirited debates. If you're a social lefty or libertarian, you might want to think before you go on a birth control spiel in front of a group of strangers.

You should apply to me if...

football, good parties, and culture matter as much to you as getting that business degree your dad's been hassling you about.