I have been running the discoverer stts that you mentioned, granted i only have about 5k on them I will say that they are actually quiet on the road compared to what was said above me, granted YMMV with what you consider quiet. I had some bfg mud terrains on prior and they were really loud. I haven't wheeled considerably on them but for what I've done they have had no issues hooking up with the rocks here in the desert. I would recommend them as a good street able MT

 

Don't know where you are going to school, but around Tallahassee there wasn't a worry about sidewall toughness (mud, sand, mud) except the errant tree branch when I was there. Depending on your budget you may want to look more at the AT side, you will get 1 or maybe 2 MPG better and still be able to follow your buds through most places, though I wouldn't go alone unless you have a winch (good advice anywhere/time).

 

I bought Kelly Safari's , nice aggressive tread and quite on the road

 

285/70/17 falken wildpeaks. D load and 3ply sidewall. They are great onroad (especially in the wet) and they have been great offroad. I wouldn't go mudding with them, but I'm not fond of mud anyway.

 

These tires are good in mud, snow, sand and on rocks.

 

For a true at nothing beats the falken wildpeaks

 

Thanks everyone for all the tips! Decided to go with the new KO2s in the end. Seemed like a good deal to me.

 

I see you've made your choice, but just let me say, As I've stated many times Cooper is an overlooked, under-rated tire, that has a very good reputation.
Installed a set of Cooper AT3's on the wife's JKU , about 3 years ago. I've been very impressed with these tires. Although not real aggressive looking, they were easy to balance with very little weights, very quiet and smooth on the highway. Great in the rain and what snow we have here in SE Pa. Although we have limited off-road driving with it, I'm surprised how well the tread life has held up. With that said, the next tire will be the Cooper STMAXX. although I don't know when that will be, as it looks like we'll get another 3-4 years looking at the tread. This tire looks a bit more aggressive and from what I've read in reviews, it appears to be a great tire both on and off-road.
Hope you're happy with your choice.

 

I've had duratracs for the past 65k. They've been great, but I'm going to MTR Kevlars next week. Everything I've heard about them makes them seem like they're the perfect blend of duratrac road manners and MT off-road performance.

 

I have the Goodyear MT/Rs. I absolutely love them. They look super aggressive.. Are aggressive off-road.. And are actually pretty quiet. I was surprised with how civil they are.