Admissions
The SOU - Hawaii Connection
Your Admissions Representative:
Ian Parent
Assistant Director of Admissions
phone: 541-552-6411
fax: 541-552-6614
ParentI@sou.edu
SOU has always been popular with prospective students from Hawaii. Situated at the elevation of 2000 feet in the cradle of the Siskiyou and Cascade Mountain ranges, we offer a fresh, outdoor mountain climate together with the stimulation of a first rate liberal arts university and culturally dynamic town. SOU has enough students from Hawaii that there's a club for students from Hawaii, so you won't feel far from home! There's even an annual luau! See below to learn more about the Ho'opa'a Hawaii Club.
Students from Hawaii may be eligible for the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Scholarship Program - which saves you thousands of dollars a year in tuition!
Our students are successful. Thousands of SOU alumni throughout the world are thriving as civic and business leaders, educators, doctors, scientists, attorneys, and creative visionaries. When our students and alumni talk about SOU, many say what they value in the education they received here is their relationships with professors who became their advisors and mentors. You won't be a number at SOU. Click here to see our School and College Fair Visit Calendar for Hawaii and find out when we might be visiting you!
- To find out what's happening at SOU, see the News, Events and Dates page!
- Click here to find out what other opportunities the Southern Oregon Region can offer you and what the town of Ashland is like.
- Frequently Asked Questions
SOU Resources for Students From Hawaii:
Ho'opa'a Hawaii Club
Stevenson Union, Room SU 321, telephone: 541-552-8530
The purpose of the Ho'opa'a Hawaii Club is to educate the students and faculty of Southern Oregon University about the unique culture of Hawaii and to help new freshman and transferring Hawaiian students by offering them opportunities to interact with other SOU Hawaiian natives and Hawaiian cultural activity. A listing of upcoming events is available by clicking here.
A Profile of an SOU Student From Hawaii:
Jessica Geffen
Age: 22
Year in School: Senior
Major: Theatre Arts with an Emphasis in Performance
High School Attended: Mililani High School
Jessica is a 22 year old senior majoring in Theatre Arts with an Emphasis in Performance. She was impressed with the warmth and friendliness of people in the Ashland community and the genuine nature of faculty and staff at SOU. Jessica said she chose SOU because "I knew I would be able to receive individual attention from my professors" and because the Oregon Shakespeare Festival provided a nearby resource to find additional theatre education outside of the college environment. "I was fortunate enough to have one of my acting classes taught by an actress from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Having someone who is out there in my field, doing what I will one day be doing, I was able to learn… about my craft, while also being taught what will be expected of me after college. The way the faculty and staff go out of their way to utilize outside resources when available was very impressive and helpful to me."
Jessica also loves the amount of student feedback solicited and welcomed on campus. "I have been impressed with the amount of student run programs and groups on campus, and the support the faculty gives to students who are willing and excited to try new things. There is something for everyone on this campus and that is hard to say for some large universities."
One of her favorite places on campus is the recently renovated Lenn and Dixie Hannon Library. She also loves the art shows and live music available on campus and in the surrounding community, as well as the abundance of hiking, camping, skiing and swimming opportunities in the surrounding region. "The campus is small enough that I see a friendly face every time I walk from class to class, but large enough that I feel independent and able to explore new activities and meet new people."
Jessica finds that she is gaining the confidence and knowledge to apply to her field of choice here at SOU. "The connections I am making here at SOU have been incredible" and have "helped me gain relationships that I know will carry on for many years to come."
