America's Best Colleges for B Students. Tamra B. Orr
awards • special characteristics awards.
Highlights
Admissions
Applicants: 5,565
Accepted: 3,113
Acceptance rate: 55.9%
Average GPA: 3.3
ACT range: 20-25
SAT Math range: 480-570
SAT Reading range: 480-570
SAT Writing range: Not reported
Top 10% of class: 23%
Top 25% of class: 48%
Top 50% of class: 76%
Deadlines
Early Action: No
Early Decision: No
Regular Action: Rolling admissions
Common Application: Accepted
Financial Aid
In-state tuition: $31,940
Out-of-state tuition: $31,940
Room: $4,870
Board: $3,900
Books: $1,000
Freshmen receiving need-based aid: 88%
Undergrads rec. need-based aid: 82%
Avg. % of need met by financial aid: 78%
Avg. aid package (freshmen): $27,252
Avg. aid package (undergrads): $25,053
Freshmen receiving merit-based aid: 9%
Undergrads rec. merit-based aid: 12%
Avg. debt upon graduation: $31,720
Prominent Alumni
R. Scott French, fashion designer; Saidah Ekulona, actress, (Law & Order, Sex and the City, Off-Broadway productions); Bob Beal, President and CEO of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
School Spirit
Mascot: Lions
Colors: Red and white
Song: Hail Alma Mata
ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY
1000 ASU Drive #359, Alcorn State, MS 39096
Admissions: 800-222-6790 (in-state) • Financial Aid: 601-877-6190
Email: [email protected] • Website: http://www.alcorn.edu
From the College
“Alcorn State University is located on 1,756 acres of scenic land in southwest Mississippi. The campus has a blend of rich, historic buildings and modern, innovative facilities. The University has received recognition throughout the United States for its excellence in liberal arts, agricultural research, technology, nursing and fine arts. It also features one of the largest marching bands in the United States and has won numerous athletic championships in men’s and women’s sports. For more than 125 years, Alcorn State has educated leaders in the full range of professions agriculture, the arts, business, human services, education, law, politics, medicine and nursing. An important reason for our graduates’ success: At Alcorn, students form close, collaborative relationships with faculty mentors. A look at our campuses will show you that we’re growing. A $10 million math and science building with $3 million in state-of-the-art equipment is one of the newest additions to Alcorn’s 1,700-acre Lorman campus.”
Campus Setting
Alcorn State, founded in 1871, is the oldest historically black, land-grant university in the country. Its 1,756-acre campus is situated at Alcorn State in Claiborne County, Mississippi, 90 miles southwest of Jackson. A four-year public institution, Alcorn State University is a historically black university with 3,334 students. Although not originally co-educational college, Alcorn State University has been co-ed since 1903. The school also has a library with 335,252 books. Alcorn State University provides on-campus housing with nine units that can accommodate 1,811 students. Housing options: women’s dorms • men’s dorms. Recreation and sports facilities include a sports complex.
Student Life and Activities
With 51 percent of students living on campus, there are plenty of social activities. As reported by a school representative, “The social and cultural life on campus will continue to grow because we have created many new events for students.” Popular on-campus gathering spots include the cafeteria and game room, and, off-campus, students typically gather at the Trace Theater. Favorite campus events include Probate Shows, concerts and Homecoming Week. Alcorn State University has 78 official student organizations, including Greek sororities and fraternities. Alcorn State University is a member of the NCAA and Southwestern Athletic Conference (Division I, Football I-AA).
Academics and Learning Environment
For the B student, the learning environment of a college is just as important as the quality of its academic program. Alcorn State University has 183 full-time and 37 part-time faculty members, offering a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1. The most common course size is 20 to 29 students. Alcorn State University offers 68 majors with the most popular being general studies, elementary education and business administration and least popular being economics, health science and special education. The school has a general core requirement. Cooperative education is available. All first-year students must maintain a 2.0 GPA or higher to avoid academic probation. Other special academic programs that would appeal to a B student: independent study • double majors • accelerated study • honors program • internships • distance learning.
B Student Support and Success
This is primarily an African American college, although about eight percent of the students are Caucasian or of other ethnic backgrounds. Classes are small, and College for Excellence is offered for all freshmen, returning and transfer students. This program plans, supervises and coordinates all academic experiences of these students. It has an advising and tutoring staff and state-of-the-art computer labs. Professional advisors support students by helping them adjust to college life, teaching them about Alcorn and its policies, exploring career options and solving any problems that come along. Additionally, staff is available to teach good test-taking, studying and time management skills and to monitor progress. Students who need additional help in reading, writing or thinking skills are assisted so that they can quickly reach college-level proficiency.
Alcorn State University provides a variety of support programs including dedicated guidance for: academic • career • psychological. Additional counseling services include: alcohol/substance abuse. Annually, 70 percent of freshmen students return for their sophomore year. What do students do after college? While many enter the work force, approximately 41 percent pursue a graduate degree immediately after graduation. Among students who enter the work force, approximately 60 percent enter a field related to their major within six months of graduation. Companies that most frequently hire graduates from Alcorn State University include: Cargill • Dow Chemical • Eastman Chemical • Entergy Operations • Enterprise Rent-A-Car • Ergon Refining • Exxon • FDIC • John Deere • Monsanto • Mississippi State Tax Commission