ALBION COLLEGE

ALBION COLLEGE

611 EAST PORTER, ALBION, MI 49224 • ADMISSIONS: 517-629-43321 • Fn: 517-629-0569
FINANCIAL AID: 517-629-0440 • E-MAIL: ADMISSIONS@ALBION.EDU • WEBSITE: WWW.ALBION.EDU

STUDENTS SPEAK OUT

Academics

A strong sense of community is among Albion College’s strongest selling points, according to the students we surveyed. Many here mention “an immediate feeling of comfort when you come to this campus” that is reinforced over time by a school that “is truly dedicated to its students and their futures. The academics are excellent, the faculty top-notch, and the opportunities are amazing.” Undergrads love the strong pre-professional programs, which include “awesome pre-med and pre-dental institutes with very high acceptance rates at medical/dental schools” and a “strong business program.” There’s less unanimity over the school’s liberal arts core curriculum; its champions laud the “multidimensional academic experience in a variety of departments” the core provides, while naysayers tell us that “it doesn’t work, because most students just don’t care about learning anything other than their major.” Professors earn high marks; students describe them as “very brffliant and having much to offer in regards to academia. They teach all of their courses as well as engage in research.” They are also active in the campus community “attending sporting, service, visual arts, Greek and other events hosted by different clubs and organizations on campus. They are an active faculty and involved with the campus.” So, too, is the school’s president, who “is rare in [the] sense that he is visible to students on a regular basis, dances with the dance team at half-time, sits in dunk tanks for philanthropic events, hosts dinner and dessert parties at his home, is always smiling, and knows the majority, if not all, of the students’ names.”

Life

Albion, Michigan, is a “small town that has nothing to offer a college student. The movie theater is really the only reason anyone from the school would walk’ downtown. There’s not even a Wal-Mart heret” How big a problem this poses depends on the student. Some here tell us that “There are so many things to get involved in that the town we are in isn’t that big of a deal.” They cite athletic teams—the small student population means a relatively large proportion of students participate in intercollegiate sports—”meetings for various organizations, which are easy to start,” “working with the community,” and, of course, Greek life, which is “huge” here. Others feel that the campus doesn’t make up for the dearth of opportunities in town; they tell us that “there’s not a whole lot to do on campus that doesn’t involve fraternity life in some way, so parties are obviously popular. Unfortunately, the school really doesn’t have much else to offer.” One student adds, “Life is just like high school. There are your same basic drama, Greek, athletic, and ‘alternative’ groups. People usually have small parties or gettogethers, go to frat parties, or see movies at the movie theater. Otherwise, there’s not much.” As a result, “Leaving campus is popular on weekends. We are in close proximity to a lot of larger schools.” Students generally “escape 20 minutes to a bigger town,” such as Lansing, Ann Arbor, or Kalamazoo, “and a very high percentage goes home every weekend and/or every other weekend.”

Student Body

Typical Albion undergrads “strive to do well in classes, study hard, are involved in extracurricular activities, and stifi finds time to relax and enjoy themselves.” Students here usually “take on many extracurricular responsibilities: clubs, campus groups, community-service organizations, athletic teams, intramural sports, and Creek life, to name a few of the possibifities. Everyone is here for academics first, however.” One student observes, “We have high goals for ourselves and others. We are hardworking and motivated.” Students are also “outgoing and friendly, for the most part.” The majority here “are White, suburban, upper- middle-class, and mostly conservative. Most are incredibly sheltered too. It sometimes seems that a good number of students here have never stepped foot outside of suburbia.”

ADMISSIONS

Very important factors considered include: Academic CPA, character/personal qualities, interview, level of applicant’s interest, recommendation(s), rigor of secondary school record. Important factors considered include: Application essay, extracurricular activities, standardized test scores, talent/ability, volunteer work. Other factors considered include: Alunmi/ae relation, class rank, geographical residence, racial/ethnic status, work experience. ACT with Writing component recommended. TOEFL required of all international applicants. High school diploma is required, and GED is accepted. Academic units required: 4 English, 3 math, 3 science (1 science lab), 3 social studies, 1 history Academic units recommended: 4 English, 3 foreign language, 3 history 3 math, 3 science, 3 social studies.

The Inside Word

Albion prides itself on fostering community, and this idea extends to the Admissions Office—the school looks for students who want to engage in and enhance the Albion experience. To that end, Admissions Officers carefully assess personal character; extracurricular and volunteer work; essays; and a candidate’s willingness to challenge him or herself intellectually. Interviews and visits to the campus are highly encouraged.

FINANCIAL AID

Students should submit: FAFSA. The Princeton Review suggests that all financial aid forms be submitted as soon as possible after January 1. Need-based scholarships/grants offered: Pell Grant SEOG, state scholarships/grants, private scholarships, the school’s own gift aid. Loan aid offered: FFEL Subsidized Stafford, FEEL Unsubsidized Stafford, FFEL PLUS, Federal Perkins Loan, state loans. Applicants will be notified of awards on a rolling basis beginning or about March 15.

FROM THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE

“Albion offers a purposeful blend of a classical foundation in the liberal arts with a strong emphasis on professional development through highly selective institutes in environmental science, public policy and service, professional management, premedical and health care studies, honors and education, world-class internships, and study abroad opportunities. Yahoo! Internet Life ranks Albion the ‘Seventh Most Wired College in America’ for integrating technology into academic, professional, and cocurricular programs; and a recent study conducted by the Council on Undergraduate Research ranked Albion among the top four colleges in the nation for the percentage of students engaged in original, funded undergraduate research. Albion is among the top 85 private, liberal arts colleges for the number of alumni who are corporate executives, including top executives and CEOs of Newsweek, the Lahey Clinic (MA), the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), PricewaterhouseCoopers, Dow Corning, Avon, the NCAA, and the Federal Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Albion’s places over 95 percent of graduates into law, dental, and medical schools including Harvard, Michigan, Columbia, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, and Wisconsin. A full-service equestrian center opens August 2004 for all students, including the IHSA equestrian team. Campus organizations include Model United Nations, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Canoe Club, Black Student Alliance, Equestrian Club, Ecological Awareness Club and Greek life. Of particular note are Albion’s athletics (Britons), often dominating Division III football, women’s basketball and soccer, and men’s and women’s golf and swimming. Five varsity teams have recently earned the highest grade point average in the MIAA conference, NCAA Division III, or any division nationwide.

“Submission of SAT or ACT test scores are optional. Students with weighted CPA above a 3.85 need not submit scores. Homeschooled students, learning disabled, and students with a CPA less than 3.85 should contact the Admission Office.”