Just as you’re invited to college information sessions, we’re invited to meet with Admissions Counselors from many colleges when they travel to our area in the fall as well! Over the past few weeks, we’ve met with Deans and admission staff from a number of colleges across the country. Here are a few highlights:
University of Delaware
What do Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican NJ Gov. Chris Christie have in common? They are both Blue Hens – alumni of the University of Delaware.
Finance, engineering and nursing are the most competitive programs here – but NO programs are impacted at this highly spirited, 18,000 student campus. The PT and OT programs are highly ranked, with internships available within the Division I sports programs. Students can concentrate on sports marketing within the kinesiology major, taking business courses as well. Marine Science/Oceanography, Environmental Engineering and pre-vet programs are strong here; UDel has its own wetlands and its own ship! UDel also has a hotel and restaurant management program, and University Studies is the starting point for students who are undecided on their major. It’s possible to graduate in four years with a double major and the four-year graduation rate is higher than UCSD.
Seventy percent of students are from out-of-state and UDel has a sizable Jewish population – about 12%. There are a Hillel and kosher food options on campus. About 20% of students join Greek fraternities and sororities. The Honors program gives students preferred class registration, smaller class size and separate advisors and dorms. Honors students have an average of a 3.8 unweighted average, about 2100 SAT scores (30-31 ACT scores).
UDel is easily accessible; it’s midway between New York and DC, midway between Baltimore and Philadelphia. There’s a train station in the middle of campus. It’s probably easiest to fly into Philly and take the train, but car and shuttle services are also available. Newark, Delaware is a great college town, walkable from the campus. Take a look at this live-cam from the main quad and this brief video tour!
All applications are read holistically at UDel, which places a greater emphasis on the transcript than on test scores. Students who apply by January 15th are considered for the University of Delaware’s best merit scholarships!
Bentley University
Bentley University is known as a business-focused university, so it’s not surprising that ALL STUDENTS must take calculus here. While there are arts and sciences majors available, about 85% of Bentley’s 4,000 undergraduates have a major related to business. Bentley’s general education core curriculum incorporates and infuses the liberal arts approach into its business programs.
Located in Waltham, Mass, about 20 minutes outside of Boston, Bentley encourages outside-the-classroom learning. Over 40% of students go abroad and over 90% do at least one internship during their undergraduate study. All students take a career development introductory class; the school motto is “Paratus,” Latin for “prepared.” While a small portion of students get advanced degrees, most go directly into the workforce.
Housing is available all four years; about 80-85% of students live on campus all four years. There is a small Greek system with fraternities and sororities housed on campus. The Jewish population is about 12-15% of the student body; there are a Hillel and Kosher food options, as well as transportation to synagogues in Waltham for religious services.
Bentley has mostly Division II sports, but the men’s hockey team competes at the Division I level. There are drama and arts groups and a very strong alumni network.
Bentley’s admissions are need-blind and they meet a very high 95% of demonstrated need. Bentley would like to see pre-calc on applicants’ transcripts, and they will look at the context of what classes were available to students in their high school. The middle 50% SAT superscore is 1790-1970 or ACT 27-28. Most admitted students fall into the A-/B+ range.
Gettysburg College
What makes Gettysburg College different from other small, liberal arts colleges?
There are about 2,700 undergraduates at Gettysburg (so it’s a little larger than many liberal arts colleges, which range from ~1,400 to ~2,000). Gettysburg is about an hour and a half from Washington, DC and of course, is named for the famous Civil War battlefield. The political vibe is very strong here; the Eisenhower Institute is Gettysburg’s public policy think-tank, which gives students the opportunity to study with distinguished political scientists both on campus and at their DC facility. There’s also the Gettysburg Laboratory for Experimental Economics, where students learn and practice game theory to study economic decision-making.
Academically, Gettysburg offers 36 majors and a variety of interesting concentrations and minors (how can you go to Gettysburg College and NOT minor in Civil War Era Studies?). The strongest programs include biology, history and political science. The Environmental Studies department is large for a college of this size.
Gettysburg students are self-motivated leaders and go-getters. About a third join fraternities and sororities, though student may only rush their second year on campus (or later). The arts are strong here – about 100 students major within the Conservatory of Music, which requires an audition and a separate application. There is also a strong Theatre Arts department.
Gettysburg is test-optional; if you don’t feel that your test scores represent your academic abilities accurately, you can apply without sending your scores. Students must submit scores to be considered for merit scholarships (which are generous). For those who do submit scores for admissions consideration, Gettysburg does super score. The middle 50% SAT score is between 1200-1400.