America's Best Colleges for B Students. Tamra B. Orr
comprehensive university. Its 85-acre campus is located in a residential area of Peoria, Illinois. A four-year institution, Bradley University has an enrollment of 5,338 students. Programs are offered through the Foster Colleges of Business Administration, the Slane College Communications and Fine Arts, the College of Education and Health Sciences, the College of Engineering and Technology, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School. Campus facilities include: global communications center · art galleries · library. The school provides on-campus housing with 30 units that can accommodate 3,512 students. Housing options: coed dorms · sorority housing · fraternity housing · single-student apartments · married-student apartments. Recreation and sports facilities include: student recreation center · softball and soccer fields · outdoor tennis courts · outdoor basketball courts.
Student Life and Activities
More than half (51 percent) of students living on campus. The new Markin Student Recreation Center and Greek houses are favorite gathering spots. Popular campus events include Late Night BU, Homecoming, Sibling’s Weekend, Parents’ Weekends and Welcome Week activities. Bradley University has 240 official student organizations. Popular groups on campus include Student Activities Council, student government, men’s basketball team and Greek life. For those interested in sports, there are intramural teams such as: 5K run · badminton · basketball · billiards · bowling · diving · flag football · golf · indoor soccer · racquetball · soccer · softball · swimming · table tennis · volleyball · walleyball · wrestling. Bradley University is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (Division I).
Academics and Learning Environment
Bradley University has 343 full-time and 210 part-time faculty members, offering a student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1. The most common course size is 2 to 9 students. Bradley University offers 134 majors with the most popular being communications, mechanical engineering and nursing and least popular being religious studies, environmental science physics and engineering physics. 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, and a minimum overall GPA is required to graduate. Other special academic programs that would appeal to a B student include: self-designed majors · pass/fail grading option · independent study · double majors · dual degrees · honors program · internships · distance learning certificate programs.
BRADLEY UNIVERSITY
Highlights
Bradley University
Peoria, IL (Pop. 116,513)
Location: Medium city
Four-year private
Founded: 1897
Website: http://www.bradley.edu
Students
Total enrollment: 5,338
Undergrads: 4,439
Freshmen: 929
Part-time students: 5%
From out-of-state: 21%
From public schools: 83%
Male/Female: 49%/51%
Live on-campus: 51%
In fraternities: 34%
In sororities: 36%
Off-campus employment rating: Fair
Caucasian: 64%
African American: 5%
Hispanic: 6%
Asian: 3%
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0%
Native American: 0%
Mixed (2+ ethnicities): 1%
International: 1%
Academics
Calendar: Semester
Student/faculty ratio: 12:1
Class size 9 or fewer: 34%
Class size 10-29: 56%
Class size 30-49: 10%
Class size 50-99: -
Class size 100 or more: -
Returning freshmen: 86%
Six-year graduation rate: 74%
Most Popular Majors
Communication
Mechanical engineering
Nursing
B Student Support and Success
Bradley’s website states, “We encourage students to apply who feel that they can demonstrate both the academic ability to succeed and the potential to contribute to the total educational experience at Bradley. While our students perform above national averages in strong college preparation curriculums, we do not have a stated minimum rank, grade point average (GPA) or ACT or SAT score. We also recognize that rank and GPA can only be considered meaningful in the context of the quality of the high school attended and the classes that a student takes. It is also very important to our admissions review committee that our students balance academic ability with the other qualities that lead to success at Bradley. Social skills, communications skills, leadership, community service and unique experiences are important qualities in our admission and scholarship review. Finally, different academic areas have different admission requirements.”
Bradley University provides a variety of support programs including dedicated guidance for: academic · career · psychological · minority students. The average freshman year GPA is 2.9, and 86 percent of freshmen students return for their sophomore year. Approximately 17 percent of graduates return for a graduate degree. Among students who pursue employment, approximately 92 percent enter a field related to their major within six months of graduation. Companies that most frequently hire graduates from Bradley University include: OSF Saint Francis Medical Center · Caterpillar Inc. · Menards Inc. · Enterprise Rent-A-Car · Sargent & Lundy LLC · Nordstrom Inc. · Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. · Chicago Public School District 299 · Peoria Public School District 150 · Target Corp. · ConAgra Foods Inc. · Bradley University.
Support for Students with Learning Disabilities
Students with learning disabilities may take advantage of the school’s Center for Learning Assistance, which provides “select coordinated accommodations” as defined by standardized national service-delivery models. This includes the provision of a contact person, generic support services, peer tutors and student referral service for off-campus testing resources. These services are available only during the academic year. If necessary, the college will grant additional time to students with learning disabilities to complete their degree. Also, a lightened course load may be granted to LD students. High school foreign language waivers are accepted. LD students can also access: tutors · learning center · untimed tests · extended time for tests · tape recorders · videotaped classes · early syllabus. Individual or small group tutorials are also available in: time management · organizational skills · learning strategies · writing labs · math labs · study skills. An advisor/advocate from the LD program is available to students.
How to Get Admitted
For admissions decisions, non-academic factors considered: interview · extracurricular activities · special talents, interests and abilities · character/personal qualities · volunteer work · work experience · geographical location · minority affiliation · alumni relationship. A high school diploma is required, although a GED is also accepted for admissions consideration. SAT or ACT test scores are required of all applicants. SAT Subject Test scores are not required. Academic units recommended: 5 English, 4 Math, 3 Science, 3 Social Studies,