mcarroll,
I grew up in the Hays area, and many of my good friends attend or have graduated from FHSU. That being said, Hays may be the single hardest sell to make to a college aged student.....The college age nightlife consists of a few small bars.....Any student from a town bigger than Hays will probably be discouraged by its lack of size, and
the relative age of the town.
Regardless of how good of an education one can receive a FHSU, many people see it as a school in a podunk town, in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to do. Probably not the best place to be
at when competing against other schools for the same athletes.
Believe it or not, there are some kids who are drawned to FHSU BECAUSE of the city of Hays. I personally see the advantage of having my children attend school at FHSU due to the small, family-friendly atmosphere. (and how many shoe stores do you really need in a mall anyway?, if you only pick the college because of the shopping, you probably need to look at your priorities).
I would much rather have my college-age children live in a place where they don't have to worry about locking their doors versus a place where they feel the need to carry mace with them everywhere they go. And as for statement about the college nightlife consisting of a few small bars----if that was indeed true, why does FHSU carry the stigma of being a "party school"? Could it be the ratio of bars versus population? Pretty high last time I looked.
But, in my opinion, the main draws to FHSU is the campus, the low student-teacher ratio and the COST!!!!!. I have a son who is going to be a senior. We are currently looking at schools. With the raising cost of gas, food, and general living expenses - the ultimate decision will be based on: What university will give us the best education for the lowest price. Right now, FHSU is leading the pack.
I am sure I am not the only one who feels this way as the enrollment at FHSU has gone up significantly in the past 15 years.
