Buying a bike for college?

I'll be heading of to college in August and as a gift I'm getting a bike to get around campus. I'm going to Mississippi State, so kind of a rural campus if you didn't know. I've been looking at Mountain Bikes from Diamondback and they seem pretty solid. I'd rather not push any more than $450 so my choice is probably between the Diamondback Sorrento, Overdrive or outlook. They've all got some good and bad reviews so some help would be appreciated. I looked at trek but I would have to look online because my local bike shop doesn't have them and neither does Sports Authority or 's. Thanks y'all