A member of the Mississippi Press Association and the Alliance of Area Business Publications www.mspress.org www.bizpubs.org 200 North Congress, Suite 400 Jackson, MS 39201-1902 Main: (601) 364-1000; Toll Free: 1-800-283-4625 Faxes: Advertising (601) 364-1007; Circulation (601) 364-1035 E-mails: mbj@msbusiness.com, ads@msbusiness.com, photos@msbusiness.com, research@msbusiness.com, events@msbusiness.com Website: www.msbusiness.com NEXT! Life After High School 2013-2014 edition
CONTENTS
2013-2014 EDITION
ALAN TURNER Publisher alan.turner@msbusiness.com • 364-1021 ROSS REILY Editor ross.reily@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 WALLY NORTHWAY Senior Writer wally.northway@msbusiness.com • 364-1016 FRANK BROWN Staff Writer/Special Projects frank.brown@msbusiness.com • 364-1022 TED CARTER Staff Writer ted.carter@msbusiness.com • 364-1017 BOBBY HARRISON Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1015 LISA MONTI Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1041 TAMI JONES Advertising Director tami.jones@msbusiness.com • 364-1011
Preparing for college
7 really cool people
Mississippi colleges
6 High school checklist
22 Billy Hamilton
38 Public 4-Year Schools
8 ACT or SAT?
24 Jamie Ainsworth
47 Private 4-Year Schools
9 Campus visits
26 Alton Shaw
55 Public 2-Year Schools
College life
28 Patrick House
» CONTRIBUTORS
10 Where to live
30 Stephanie Taylor
» LISA MONTI: Monti is a freelance
11 Dorm room essentials
32 Rogers Stevens
12 College online
34 Natasha Trethewey
writer/photographer/blogger in Bay St. Louis. A University of Southern Mississippi graduate, she has hosted a radio show and co-written a travel book about Mississippi.
MELISSA KILLINGSWORTH Sr. Account Executive melissa.harrison@msbusiness.com • 364-1030 ASHLEY VARNES Account Executive ashley.varnes@msbusiness.com • 364-1013 VIRGINIA HODGES Account Executive virginia.hodges@msbusiness.com • 364-1012 TACY RAYBURN Production Manager tacy.rayburn@msbusiness.com • 364-1019 CHARINA RHODES Circulation Manager charina.rhodes@msbusiness.com • 364-1045 MARCIA THOMPSON-KELLY Business Assistant marcia.kelly@msbusiness.com • 364-1044 SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES (601) 364-1000 subscriptions@msbusiness.com
14 Greek life
20113--2014 edition
15 Social Media 16 Must-have apps
all Re y , ple eo lP
o Co
17 Cost of college
21
Price of education
ge Pa
Mississippi Business Journal
13 Study skills
7 ur tO ee M
Mississippi Business Journal (USPS 000-222) is published weekly with one annual issue by MSBJ 200 N. Congress St., Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201. Periodicals postage paid at Jackson, MS. Subscription rates: 1 year $109; 2 years $168; and 3 years $214. To place orders, temporarily stop service, change your address or inquire about billing: Phone: (601) 364-1000, Fax: (601) 3641035, Email: charina.rhodes@msbusiness.com, Mail: MS Business Journal Subscription Services, 200 N.Congress Street, Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mississippi Business Journal, Circulation Manager, 200 North Congress Street, Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201 To submit subscription payments: Mail: MS Business Journal Subscriptions Services, 200 North Congress Street, Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201. No material in this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written consent. Editorial and advertising material contained in this publication is derived from sources considered to be reliable, but the publication cannot guarantee their accuracy. Nothing contained herein should be construed as a solicitation for the sale or purchase of any securities. It is the policy of this newspaper to employ people on the basis of their qualifications and with assurance of equal opportunity and treatment regardless of race, color, creed, sex, age, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or handicap. The Mississippi Business Journal, is an affiliate of Journal Publishing Company (JPC), Inc.: Clay Foster, president and chief executive officer. Entire contents copyrighted © 2013 by Journal Inc. All rights reserved.
» LYNN LOFTON: A freelance writer living in Gulfport, Lofton is an honor graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi where she wrote for the Student Printz and was editor of the Communication Journal.
www.msnext.com
INSIDE
» Insight and information for high school students on life before and during college » School and student profiles of Mississippi’s public, private and community colleges
ON THE COVER » For Mississippi State’s Paromita
18 Scholarships 19 Student loans 20 Military incentives
Mitra, it is rocket science. The Oak Grove High School graduate is a senior aerospace engineering major of Hattiesburg. Oh, and she’s also the reigning Miss Mississippi USA. Read her profile on page Page 41. Photo courtesy of MSU
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» BECKY GILLETTE: A free-lance writer\photographer whose work has been published in about 50 magazines and newspapers nationwide. She received the 2008 Special Achievement Award from Sierra Club for work done to expose formaldehyde poisoning in FEMA trailers and other buildings. She was named Mississippi 2008 Small Business Journalist of the Year by the Small Business Administration. » MIKE CHRISTENSEN: Christensen is a 32-year newspaper veteran who has covered professional baseball and other sports in Jackson since 1984. He is a copy editor/writer for AgFax Media, a free-lance writer and maintains a blog (allmississippibaseball.blogspot.com). Mike is a Georgia native and a graduate of Augusta College, the University of Georgia and the University of Southern Mississippi.
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