AFTER BEING held out of the top spot for the last two years, the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) has regained its title as the most popular college choice for Northside students. And another recent favorite - Mississippi State University (MSU) - has slipped to third.

At least, that’s what the figures from the area’s public and private schools indicate. In the fall, 234 of the Northside’s newest high school graduates will be heading to Oxford.

In second place for the first time is Holmes Community College. More than 212 students will be heading to campuses either in Goodman or Ridgeland.

And although it’s no longer top dog on the Northside, MSU still remains a popular choice for Northsiders, with 195 students expected to begin their post-high school careers in Starkville.

Those figures don’t include counts from Murrah High School.

Ole Miss far outpaced the competition at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, with 25 graduates telling counselors that was the school of their choice.

The next closest were Tulane University and Rhodes College, which will each receive four students from St. Andrew’s; another three will be attending Sewanee: the University of the South.

Two graduates each are planning to attend Arizona State University, Columbia University, Delta State University, Mississippi College, Millsaps College, Hendrix College, Texas Christian University, and Vanderbilt University.

The school is also sending one student each to the University of Alabama, American University, Baylor University, the University of British Columbia, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Chicago, Clemson University, Dartmouth College, Elon University, Emerson College, University of Florida, the University of Georgia, Harvard University, Hinds Community College, Howard University, Loyola University in New Orleans, the University of Miami, Mississippi State, New York University, Northwestern University and Feinberg School of Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Oxford College of Emory University, the Pratt Institute, Princeton University, Purdue Univeristy, St. Louis University, the University of South Carolina, Southern Methodist University, Texas A and M University, Tufts University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Washington University in St. Louis. One student was also planning to return home to Japan, while two others were still weighing their college options.

MADISON CENTRAL High School is sending 136 students to Holmes in Ridgeland or Goodman, 83 to Ole Miss and 76 to MSU. Another 37 students from the Northside’s largest high school will be attending the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). Fifteen seniors are choosing to attend Hinds Community College and 11 are planning to continue their education at Mississippi College.

Six will be going to Jackson State University; and five each will be attending Millsaps College and Belhaven University. Three each are going to Alabama, East Mississippi Community College and Jones Community College. And two students each are planning to get their degrees at Alcorn State University, Tougaloo College, Louisiana State University (LSU), Howard University, Auburn University, Duke University, Northwest Community College and the United States Naval Academy.

One each will be attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia, the Memphis College of Art, Brigham Young University (BYU) at Provo, Cornell University, West Chester University, Samford University, Lewis Univeristy, the University of Houston, Harding University, Columbia College, the Marion Military Institute, Southern University, the University of Tennessee, BYU of Idaho, University of Mobile, the University of Memphis, Rice University, Texas Christian, Vanderbilt and the Mississippi Institute of Nails. Two others are joining the military.

THE VERITAS School is sending six students to MSU, three to Mississippi College and two to Ole Miss, said Headmaster Tim Meeks. Two others will be attending community college and one student each will be heading to Auburn and Swarthmore College. Meek’s daughter Katelin will be participating in IMPACT 360, a Christian gap year program that will allow her to have time in the classroom and also participate in a missionary program in the United Kingdom or New Zealand. The nine-month program begins in September.

“It’s a good program to help students when they’re not sure what direction to take,” Meeks said, adding that the program gives students a grounding in the biblical worldview.

“I’m really excited for her,” he said, referring to his daughter. “I like the combination of classwork and service hours, and the one-month mission trip.”

THIRTY-FOUR students from Jackson Academy will be chanting “Hotty Toddy” at Ole Miss ball games, while 32 will be ringing cowbells at Mississippi State. Five other students have opted to stay local and attend Mississippi College, and three others will be crossing state lines to attend Alabama. Two students each are heading to Auburn and Delta State.

JA is sending one student each to George Mason Univeristy, Samford, USM, Loyola University, Parsons: the New School for Design, DePaul Univeristy, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and LSU.

Patrick Worley, who graduated from JA last week, said the prospects of going off to college is a little daunting, but he’s excited about the opportunity to meet new people. Worley, who plans to major in engineering, is going to Auburn. He said he chose the college last year after visiting the campus with his mom. “It clicked,” he said. “I knew something was right.” Making the decision, though, was a tough one. Worley said he talked to his parents and prayed before making a final decision.

MISSISSIPPI STATE Univeristy and Holmes Community College were among top choices for students at Ridgeland High.

Sixty from the school are going to Holmes, while 25 are planning to attend Mississippi State. Close behind are Ole Miss and USM, with 21 and 18 attending respectively.

Nine students are going to Hinds Community College; six are going to Meridian Community College; and four each are going to Jones Community College and Alcorn State.

Three students each will be going to Millsaps College, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Three others are joining the military and three others have obtained their occupational diploma/certificate. Two each are going to Jackson State Univeristy, Mississippi College, Grambling State University, Delta State, LSU, the Mississippi University for Women, Northwest Community College, and Pearl River Community College.

Ridgeland High will have one graduate each attending Tougaloo, Belhaven, the University of New Orleans, Stillman University, the University of Central Arkansas, Parsons: the New School for Design, the Univeristy of Mobile, Southeastern Louisiana University, Alabama, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Northeast Community College, Chabot Junior College, ITT Technical Institute and the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. One student is heading into the work force full time, while another is undecided.

NEW SUMMIT School will be sending two graduates to Ole Miss and two others to the military. One student each will be heading to USM, Northwest Community College, and Montana State University. Executive Director Nancy New said other students will be attending Hinds or Holmes.

FROM MADISON-Ridgeland Academy (MRA), 19 students are heading to Ole Miss; 13 are going to MSU; eight to Mississippi College; and six to Holmes Community College, said Director of Admissions Beth Yerger.

The school has one student each attending the United States Military Academy at West Point, the University of Southern Mississippi, Alabama, Belmont University, William Carey University, East Central Community College, Copiah-Lincoln Community College, and Jones Community College.

THE TOP CHOICE for students at Jackson Preparatory School (Prep) was also Ole Miss. Thirty-nine graduates from the school on Lakeland Drive are hoping to see Coach Houston Nutt’s team advance to the Southeastern Conference Championship. Another 32 are hoping Coach Dan Mullen can do the same with the bulldogs of MSU. Two students each are attending Southern Methodist Univeristy, Millsaps, LSU and Hinds Community College.

Prep will also have one graduate each attending Furman University, Chipola Junior College, the University of Texas, Pan American, Auburn, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, East Mississippi Community College, Alabama, Spring Hill College, Rhodes College, Taylor University, the University of Chicago, Union University, Rice, Johns Hopkins University, Stetson University, Harvard University and Samford, the University of Georgia and the University of North Texas.

TEN STUDENTS from St. Joseph Catholic School will be attending Mississippi State; 10 will be heading to Holmes; and nine will be going to Ole Miss. Another four will be attending Millsaps. Three each will be attending Hinds and Spring Hill College. And two students each will be working toward their degrees at USM, LSU, Vanderbilt, Delta State, Northeast Mississippi Community College and the Savannah College of Art and Design.

One student each will be doing the same at Auburn, the U.S. Naval Academy, the University of Memphis, Tougaloo College, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Missouri at Columbia, Spelman College, John Brown University, the University of Texas at Austin and St. Joseph Seminary College.

Figures were not available for Murrah High at press time.