College of the Day: The University of Texas - Austin

The University of Texas at Austin

Quick Facts:

Location: Austin, TX

Established:1883

Students Enrolled: 47,630

Applicants: 35,431

Male/Female Ratio: 48/52

 The University of Texas (UT) is located in Texas's state capital, Austin on a 400-acre campus.  UT is consistently on lists for the top 10 public universities in the U.S. and is considered a best buy university. The university is large with over 46,000 students, but students say they feel connected to the student body through the success of the sports' teams.

The strongest programs at UT consist of engineering, business, law, education, and pharmacy.  The English department is also very successful; it is a tremendous department with over 100 tenure-track professors.  The liberal arts honors program is a national model and one of the oldest honors programs in the country.

Students at UT say that the academic climate is competitive and demanding, but the university offers help through courses such as University 101, which helps prepare freshmen student for college life.  UT also offers students a plethora of study abroad opportunities in more than 80 different countries. 

 Student Life:

The majority of UT students hail from Texas; about eighty percent are from Texas.  The campus is diverse with Hispanics counting for 22 percent, Asian Americans for 19 percent, and African Americans for 5 percent. Students say that there is not a dominant political pattern on campus, even if Texas is known for it's conservatism.

On campus housing at UT is limited; only 19 percent of students live on campus.  The majority of students live in off campus apartments and condos, but they can be quite pricey. A free bus shuttle is offered for students that live off campus.

Austin is not a typical college town, but it offers students many opportunities for social life. The area has a great live music scene with plenty of bars, pubs, and restaurants for students to enjoy.  The Texas student union offers many events for students on campus.  There are also over 950 different student organizations for students to participate in.

Applying:

If you are interested in applying to the University of Texas - Austin you should have a Critical Reading SAT score of 550-670 and a Math SAT Score of 580-710. ACT scores for all sections should be from 25-31. UT typically has at least 35,000 applicants each year with only 47% of applicants being accepted.  

 

Interested in applying to the University of Texas, but need to boost your testing scores? Click here to access our various 1-on-1 tutoring and college admissions consulting packages.

 

 Source: Fiske, Edward B. "University of Texas - Austin." Fiske Guide to Colleges. Vol. 2015. N.p: 692-694. Print

College of the Day: Duke University

Duke University

Quick Facts:

Location: Durham, NC

Established:1838

Students Enrolled: 14,591

Applicants: 30,374

Male/Female Ratio: 50/50

Duke University is a top private university located in the lush forest of Durham, North Carolina. The university's campus is known for it's Gothic-styled residential and class buildings. The area offers students many outdoor opportunities on and around campus.

Duke is a prestigious university that is competitive with the Ivy League schools.  Students choose between two undergraduate schools when applying: the Pratt School of Engineering and the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences. The engineer programs are national standouts, especially the electrical and biomedical programs.  Other strong programs include biology, ecology, neuroscience, public policy, economics, and literary studies. 

Student Life:

The majority of Duke students come from out of state, particularly the northeast and California. Only ten percent of students are from North Carolina.  Students are required to live on campus for their first three years.  Students can choose to in either residence halls or on campus fraternities/sororities. Freshmen all live on the east campus with each dorm led by a faculty member.  Seniors are allowed to live off campus in near by apartments. 

The majority of social life at Duke takes place through the Greek system.  Twenty-nine percent of the men and forty-two percent of the students choose to join either a fraternity or sorority. Fraternity parties are open to everyone. Alcohol is easy to find on campus, even for those who are not 21.  The university has been attempting to tailer it's policies to deal with underage drinking.

Duke is known for it's men's basketball team. Each basketball season, students camp out for the prized tickets for each game.  Students at the games are called "Cameron Crazies" because of their intense passion for the game. Student spirit is at all time high during the rivalry games with nearby University of North Carolina. 

Applying:

If you are interested in applying to Duke University you should have a Critical Reading SAT score of 660-750 and a Math SAT Score of 690-780. ACT scores for all sections should be from 30-34. Duke typically has at least 30,000 applicants each year with only 13% of applicants being accepted.  

Interested in applying to Duke University, but need to boost your testing scores? Click here to access our various 1-on-1 tutoring and college admissions consulting packages.

 Source: Fiske, Edward B. "Duke University." Fiske Guide to Colleges. Vol. 2015. N.p: 221-225. Print

College of the Day: Davidson

Davidson College

Quick Facts:

Location: Davidson, NC

Established:1837

Students Enrolled: 1,790

Applicants: 4,770

Male/Female Ratio: 50/50

Davidson College is a private, liberal arts college located 20 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina in Davidson. The college has been called the "Dartmouth of the South" because of it's success as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the area.  

The honor code at Davidson is prevalent feature. Students take a majority of their tests and assignments from home, but must sign them with the word "pledged".  Because of the honor code, students feel safe on campus and are not afraid to leave their belongings around without them being stolen.  

Davidson's academics are quite rigorous, but not unmanageable. The strongest programs at Davidson are biology, psychology, english, political science, chemistry, international studies, theater, and history. Professors are known to be easily accessible and very friendly. Because there are no graduate students at Davidson, many students have the opportunity to work on research directly with their professors. Class size is always small and intimate with no class having over 35 students. 

Student Life:

Only 22 percent of Davidson students come from North Carolina; the majority of students are from out of state, and six percent of students are international. Ninety-two percent of students live on campus in either co-ed or single-sex dorms.  Dorms are centrally-located and generally very nice.  Seniors get housing with private bedrooms that are more like apartments than dorms. 

There is great food served on campus, but many upper classmen choose to eat a fraternity or at one of the eating clubs.  The eating clubs charge dues which cover food and parties, as well as campus events. The eating clubs and fraternities provide most of the social life on campus. Ten percent of Davidson men join a fraternity with only one percent of women joining the one sorority on campus. 

Davidson Wildcats have twenty-one sports teams that compete in Division I.  Because of it's small size, twenty percent of Davidson students are varsity athletes.  Davidson has been brought to the spotlight in recent years because of the success of it's star basketball player, Stephen Curry.

Applying:

If you are interested in applying to Davidson College you should have a Critical Reading SAT score of 625-720 and a Math SAT Score of 635-720. ACT scores for all sections should be from 29-32. Davidson typically has at least 4,500 applicants each year with only 25% of applicants being accepted.  

Interested in applying to Davidson College, but need to boost your testing scores? Click here to access our various 1-on-1 tutoring and college admissions consulting packages.

 Source: Fiske, Edward B. "Davidson College." Fiske Guide to Colleges. Vol. 2015. N.p: 193-196. Print

College of the Day: Florida State University

Florida State University

Quick Facts:

Location: Tallahassee, FL

Established:1851

Students Enrolled: 34,469

Applicants: 30,040

Male/Female Ratio: 44/56

Florida State University (FSU) is located on 450-acres in the panhandle of Florida. The university is compact in size, and students can make it across campus in ten minutes. The campus location is located in Florida's state capitol of Tallahassee; because of it's location students are able to participate in political internships and jobs.  

FSU has top programs in music, drama, art, and dance. The School of Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts has won an array of international and national awards. Sciences are also very strong programs, especially ecology, evolutionary biology, chemistry, and physics. The strongest program at FSU is accounting in the business program. 

Students say that courses are fairly rigorous, but the academic climate is still laid-back.  The majority of students hail from Florida; only ten percent of students come from out of state. The campus is fairly diverse with sixteen percent of students being Hispanic, nine percent African American, and three percent Asian American. 

Student Life:

Only twenty percent of undergraduate students choose to live on FSU's campus.  Rooms are assigned on a first come, first serve basis.  Students have mixed reviews on the dorms. The older dorms are larger than the newer dorms, but all contain air conditioning, a must in Florida. Most students choose to live off campus in the many apartment complexes surrounding the campus. 

Tallahassee is not particularly a college town, but students do have access to plenty of concerts, theaters, shops, and restaurants. Greek life is fairly popular at FSU with sixteen percent of men and nineteen percent of women choosing to join a fraternity or sorority. Besides Greek life, students enjoy having dorm parties, which aren't strictly monitored. 

Football is a major sporting event for students at FSU.  The rivalry with the University of Florida sets students into a spirited frenzy each football season.  Many students participate in FSU's recreational activities; the university has over forty intramural sports and fifty sports clubs. 

Applying:

If you are interested in applying to Florida State University you should have a Critical Reading SAT score of 560-640 and a Math SAT Score of 560-640. ACT scores for all sections should be from 25-29. FSU typically has at least 30,000 applicants each year with only 54% of applicants being accepted.  

Interested in applying to Florida State University, but need to boost your testing scores? Click here to access our various 1-on-1 tutoring and college admissions consulting packages.

 Source: Fiske, Edward B. "Florida State University." Fiske Guide to Colleges. Vol. 2015. N.p: 253-254. Print

College of the Day: Chapman Univeristy

Chapman University

Quick Facts:

Location: Orange, CA 

Established:1861

Students Enrolled: 6,798

Applicants: 10,489

Male/Female Ratio: 42/58

Chapman University, founded in 1861, is one of the oldest private colleges in California.  The campus is located on 75-acres in Orange, California, which is about forty minutes from Los Angeles. The university's location is ideal; it offers students access to the beach, Disneyland, Orange County, and Los Angeles. 

The university is most well-known for it's film, television, and performing arts programs.  Through these programs students have access to countless internships in the industry.  Also popular at Chapman are the business and economics programs. The Economic Science Institute at Chapman has students studying under Nobel laureate Dr. Vernan Smith. 

Chapman University is a fairly small institution, which allows for smaller class sizes and a more personal teaching experience.  Forty-two percent of classes at Chapman have fewer than nineteen students. There are no TAs at Chapman, so all teaching is done by professors.  

Student Life:

Almost two-thirds of Chapman's students are from California. The university's students pride themselves on being leaders; many participate in many internships and organizations through the campus. Only thirty-four percent of students choose to live on campus, but those who do say that rooms are large and comfortable.  

Greek life is popular at Chapman; twenty-six percent of men and thirty percent of women join fraternities and sororities.  Alcohol is readily available for students on campus, but RAs do monitor underage students.  Most social life at Chapman takes place off-campus, but the university does host several events on campus. 

Old Towne in Orange provides students with restaurants and shops.  Students also spend time up in Los Angeles due to Orange being a smaller, sleepier city.  Chapman also offers students many intramural sports to participate in with ultimate frisbee, volleyball, and soccer being very popular.

Applying:

If you are interested in applying to Chapman University you should have a Critical Reading SAT score of 550-650 and a Math SAT Score of 560-660. ACT scores for all sections should be from 25-29. Chapman typically has at least 10,000 applicants each year with only 44% of applicants being accepted.  

Interested in applying to Chapman University, but need to boost your testing scores? Click here to access our various 1-on-1 tutoring and college admissions consulting packages.

 Source: Fiske, Edward B. "Chapman University." Fiske Guide to Colleges. Vol. 2015. N.p: 128-130. Print

College of the Day: University of Miami

University of Miami

Quick Facts:

Location: Miami, FL 

Established:1925

Students Enrolled: 14,744

Applicants: 27,757

Male/Female Ratio: 49/51

The University of Miami (UM) has largely been known for it's football team, but it's academic programs also deserve fame.  UM's 239-acre campus is located twenty minutes from Miami's beaches and ten minutes to downtown Miami. Students expecting to be beach bums and not study should not apply to UM.

UM's best programs are marine biology, music, and business.  The marine science program is one of the top programs in the country.  UM offers students more than 180 majors within the 12 different schools. The university has a hands-on approach to learning, encouraging students to carry out research in collaboration with professors and other students. 

The university is also well-known for it's diversity.  Hispanics account for twenty-three percent of students; some students say it's as if Spanish is the university's native language.  International students also bring great diversity to the campus with twelve percent of students being from another country.  

Student Life:

Typically, students think that on-campus housing at UM is average, so only 39 percent of undergraduates live on campus.  For those who do live on campus, housing is divided into five different residential colleges.  Each of these residential colleges is directed by a senior faculty member called a master.  The master organizes concerts, lectures, seminars, and social events for students in their residential college. 

Social life is big on campus, and UM has been known to be a party school.  Alcohol measures are strict for underage drinkers, but many students find a way around this by going to fraternity parties.  Greek life is popular at UM with 32 percent of students participating in either a fraternity or sorority.  Those not interested in fraternity parties still have access to plenty of social life provided by busy Miami.  

Sports are very popular at UM, especially men's football and basketball.  Students have abundant enthusiasm for their sports' teams at UM. The university also offers intramural sports for students and fun games such as quidditch for Harry Potter lovers. 

Apply:

If you are interested in applying to the University of Miami you should have a Critical Reading SAT score of 600-700 and a Math SAT Score of 630-720. ACT scores for all sections should be from 28-32. UM typically has at least 27,000 applicants each year with only 40% of applicants being accepted.  

Interested in applying to the University of Miami, but need to boost your testing scores? Click here to access our various 1-on-1 tutoring and college admissions consulting packages.

 Source: Fiske, Edward B. "University of Miami." Fiske Guide to Colleges. Vol. 2015. N.p: 448-450. Print

College of the Day: California Institute of Technology

California Institute of Technology

Quick Facts:

Location: Pasadena, CA

Established:1891

Students Enrolled: 2,243

Applicants: 5,537

Male/Female Ratio: 62/38

The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is a private university located just outside of Los Angeles in Pasadena, California.  The university is situated on a 124-acre campus that has plenty of olive trees, flowers, and lily ponds.  The campus is isolated from all the excitement of LA, but students are able to take a quick metro ride into the downtown area if they choose.

Students wishing to attend Caltech need to be the top in their class and have nearly perfect SAT scores.  Caltech is the hardest university in the U.S. to be accepted into; only 12% of students that apply are accepted. 

Caltech made it's name in physics, but they also offer top programs in math, science, and engineering. Brilliant minds, such as Albert Einstein and Carl Anderson, have graced the halls of Caltech.  The university has had more than 30 Nobel Prize winners among it's student body and faculty.  The coursework is highly challenging and time consuming, but students receive a top notch education.  The freshmen grading system is pass/fail which helps ease new students into the university.  Professors also give take home exams to students and trust the honor system to root out any cheating. 

Student Life:

Students looking to have a large social life in college, should look elsewhere.  Caltech students focus more on education and research than partying.  There are occasional parties on campus, but students are required to hire a professional bartender, who will make sure no one under 21 is served.  Students from other colleges are not allowed to attend Caltech parties unless they accompany a Caltech student. 

Caltech students are guaranteed on-campus or school-affiliated housing for all four years.  Eighty-five percent of students choose to live on campus. There are seven co-ed dorms on campus, which have a vibe similar to a fraternity/sorority, but there is no actual Greek life at Caltech. Each dorm has it's own dining hall, and students are required to buy a meal plan if they live on campus.


Applying:

If you are interested in applying to the California Institute of Technology you should have a Critical Reading SAT score of 720-780 and a Math SAT Score of 770-800. Caltech typically has at least 5,500 applicants each year with only 12% of applicants being accepted.  

Interested in applying to the Caltech, but need to boost your testing scores? Click here to access our various 1-on-1 tutoring and college admissions consulting packages.

 Source: Fiske, Edward B. "California Institute of Technology." Fiske Guide to Colleges. Vol. 2015. N.p: 109-112. Print

College of the Day: University of Maryland

University of Maryland

Quick Facts:

Location: College Park, MD

Established:1856

Students Enrolled: 32,098

Applicants: 25,239

Male/Female Ratio: 53/47

The University of Maryland is a large college with a great deal of diversity and many different course offerings to suit a multitude of students. Maryland's 1,200 acre campus is located about eight miles outside of Washington, D.C. Students can easily access D.C. by the metro system if they need to get away from College Park's suburban campus. 

Maryland has many renowned programs; the best being engineering, physics, computer science, the Robert H. Smith School of Business, and the Phillip Merrill College of Journalism. The coursework is challenging, but the university provides bountiful resources for students to make it easier.  Class size is large in the lower level courses, but weekly discussions with teaching assistants allows students to get more personal attention.  Upper level courses typically have 20-40 students. 

Student Life:

The majority of the university's students are Maryland natives, but New York and New Jersey also have a sizable representation. Forty-seven percent of students choose to live on campus in student housing. Freshmen are guaranteed a room on campus. Most upperclassman choose to live off campus, but if students stay on campus all four years, they get major room upgrades.  

University of Maryland has had a party school reputation in the past, but has more recently become more of a haven for those who want to study.  Alcohol is banned for anyone under 21.  Recent crackdowns have curbed the amount of alcohol on campus.  Social life on campus is very lively with plenty of events such as concerts, movies, and speakers.  Greek life is fairly popular for Maryland students with fifteen percent of students going Greek.

Men's basketball is highly popular on campus and students take great pride in their team.  School spirit runs throughout the campus during basketball season.  Maryland's women's lacrosse, volleyball, and basketball teams are also very successful.  The school also offers an array of intramural and club-level sports for students to participate in. 

Applying:

If you are interested in applying to the University of Maryland you should have a Critical Reading SAT score of 580-690 and a Math SAT Score of 610-720. Maryland typically has at least 25,000 applicants each year with only 47% of applicants being accepted.  

Interested in applying to the University of Maryland, but need to boost your testing scores? Click here to access our various 1-on-1 tutoring and college admissions consulting packages.

 Source: Fiske, Edward B. "University of Maryland." Fiske Guide to Colleges. Vol. 2015. N.p: 438-439. Print

College of the Day: Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University

Quick Facts:

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Established:1900

Students Enrolled: 10,922

Applicants: 17,313

Male/Female Ratio: 58/42

Carnegie Mellon is the only university that is both a top technical school as well as a university that is strong in the arts. The university is known for it's drama and music programs as well as it's science programs.  Carnegie Mellon has many strong programs, but the strongest are the chemical, electrical, and computer engineer programs.

Students that go to Carnegie Mellon can expect a rigorous workload.  Many study and work hours are expected outside of the classroom.  The class sizes are small though, which allows more interaction and help from the professors.  Almost all classes at Carnegie Mellon have less than 30 students.

Carnegie Mellon has six different undergraduate colleges: the College of Fine Arts, the College of Humanities and Social Science, the School of Computer Science, the Carnegie Institute of Technology, the Mellon College of Science, and the Tepper School of Business. Students agree the most difficult college is the Carnegie Institute of Technology. Each college has it's own distinct character and therefore, they have different application processes for each.

Student Life:

Carnegie Mellon draws two-thirds of it's students from out of state and more than one-third of students are minorities. The student body at Carnegie Mellon is very diverse and culturally aware.  

Because of the rigorous course load, many students find that there isn't much of a social life at Carnegie Mellon.  The Greek system is one of the more popular forms of social life with 25 percent of students participating in either a fraternity or sorority.  Alcohol is banned on campus.  Underage students caught with alcohol can face harsh punishments. 

Students are guaranteed housing for all four years at Carnegie Mellon.  Upperclassmen get first pick of housing assignments; freshmen get their room assignments from a lottery of the remainders. Ninety-nine percent of students choose to remain in campus housing.  

Applying:

If you are interested in applying to Carnegie Mellon University you should have a Critical Reading SAT Score of 630-730 and a Math SAT Score of 680-780. ACT Scores for all sections should be at least 29-33. Carnegie Mellon typically has at least 17,000 applicants each year with only 30% of applicants being accepted.  

Interested in applying to Carnegie Mellon, but need to boost your testing scores? Click here to access our various 1-on-1 tutoring and college admissions consulting packages.

 Source: Fiske, Edward B. "Carnegie Mellon University." Fiske Guide to Colleges. Vol. 2015. N.p: 118-120. Print