ENROLLMENT
Full-time:
555 men/629 women
Part-time:
5 men/7 women

FRESHMAN ADMISSION
PROFILE
Number who applied:
1,544
Number accepted:
1,245
Number enrolled:
328
Average SAT scores:
V 540-630/M 540-640
Average GPA:
B+
Freshmen retention rate:
92%

2006-2007 COSTS
Tuition:
$28,200
Room and board:
$7,600
Fees, books, misc.:
$1,700 approx.

FINANCIAL AID
Freshmen receiving aid:
80%
Average financial aid package:
$16,500

FACULTY
Full-time:
95
Part-time:
40
Ph.D.:
88
Student/faculty ratio:
12:1

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College Description
The cornerstones of the Ursinus College liberal arts program are self-reliance and responsibility, developed through an emphasis on achievement. The program is coherent, cumulative, and comprehensive. It doesn't stop at the classroom door but touches every area of students' lives. Ursinus students are characterized by their willingness to become active learners. The 12 to 1 student-faculty ratio and the superior teaching credentials of our faculty provide the basis for the coach/mentor teaching model at the heart of an Ursinus education. As one of 240 colleges granted a chapter of the national academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa, Ursinus College joins some of the very best students and professors in the nation in a safe, beautiful setting in suburban Philadelphia. Ursinus students develop the habits of mind to become doctors, attorneys, college professors, high school teachers, scientific researchers, writers, and corporate leaders. The college claims an excellent record of admission of its graduates to medical schools, law schools, schools of business administration, and some of the top graduate schools in the nation.

Academic Life
Since its founding in 1869, Ursinus College has combined a residential experience with an uncompromising drive toward academic quality. Today, independent student research and exploration across the curriculum is the hallmark of Ursinus College. The college is committed to undergraduate research and each year encourages students to present their work at the annual Undergraduate Research Conference of the prestigious colleges of the Centennial Athletic Conference. Ursinus encourages independent exploration through the Office of Coordinator of Undergraduate Research. This office informs Ursinus students of opportunities and scholarships available to them for independent research, internships, and service learning during the academic year and the summer. Ursinus requires all students to complete a research project by the end of their senior year. This "capstone experience" encourages students to hone their analytical and verbal skills, while fostering an understanding of the meaning of self-reliance and responsibility. The college achieves its educational goals for its students through a full core of liberal studies and 21 majors and 43 minors. Beginning in the freshman year, Ursinus students receive career counseling from trained faculty advisors and the Career Services professionals.

Campus Life
Ursinus provides a variety of cocurricular outlets for its students, including the nationally recognized Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, the newly renovated Wismer Campus Center, the International Learning Center, state-of-the-art science facilities, Musser International House, and the Residential Village. Ninety-three percent of Ursinus students live on campus, and all participate in at least one of the 75 special interest clubs and organizations, honorary academic societies, theatre and musical programs, service opportunities, and pre-professional advisory groups. Publications include the weekly "Grizzly" newspaper and the student-written and -produced "Lantern" literary magazine. The Literary Society meets weekly. The college offers fraternities and sororities in which one-third of the students are involved. From comedians and hypnotists to Homecoming, Family Day, and dinner dances, Ursinus students have many on-campus activities from which to choose.

Facilities and Resources
Zack's Snack Bar is located in Wismer Center, the central meeting place on campus. Featuring the dining hall as well as Zack's, Wismer Center also houses a game room, television lounge, dance and movie facilities, and the Student Activities, Student Government Association (SGA), and Campus Activities Board (CAB) offices. Across the brick pathway from Wismer Center is Olin Hall, which houses Ursinus College's International Learning Center (ILC). Complete with the latest in computer, video, and satellite technology, the ILC provides a conducive atmosphere within which all students are able to practice languages, including Japanese, Spanish, French, and German, while learning more about various countries' cultures through international television news and entertainment programs. Ursinus features a fully networked campus. Computer labs house over 200 networked computers, and dorm rooms are equipped with phone lines and cable television. Thomas Hall and Pfahler Hall are two of the buildings that house state-of-the art science facilities. Major pieces of scientific instrumentation include infrared spectrometers, capillary gas chromatograph, UV/VIS recording spectrophotometers, flow cytometer, liquid chromatographs, and scanning electron microscope. Lining Main Street, the Residential Village is comprised of 25 renovated Victorian homes. Ursinus students may live in these houses or in one of the residence halls. Six of the homes are Special Interest Houses: Unity House, Musser International House, Service Learning House, Wellness House, the Java Trench (Coffee House), and Biology House.

Athletics/Sports
Ursinus offers an extensive athletic program. Our 21 Division III intercollegiate varsity teams compete against the prestigious small colleges of the Centennial Conference, including Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr, and Johns Hopkins University. Ursinus competes in the Patriot League Division I in women's field hockey. Ursinus also offers a wide range of club and intramural sports in which over half of the student body annually participates. The college boasts superbly maintained turf fields for all outdoor sports, fully lighted turf practice fields, and newly upgraded basketball and track surfaces.

Financial Aid
Eighty percent of Ursinus students receive financial aid. Ursinus distributes financial aid based on merit and based on need. To be eligible for merit scholarship, students must apply and interview at the college by February 15. Ursinus scholars are named from the top students admitted, and awards range from $3,500 to $8,500. To apply for need-based financial aid, students must complete both the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the PROFILE form (the financial aid form of the College Scholarship Service). For the class entering in 1997, Ursinus College awarded over $3,000,000 in scholarships and grants for an average of over $11,000 to each student on aid.

Admission Requirements
Ursinus students are intelligent, motivated, and academically curious, as demonstrated by their having excelled in advanced college preparatory programs and cocurricular activities. Ursinus enrolls 320 new students each fall and receives close to 2,000 applications. Half of those enrolled in 2001 achieved top tenth ranking in their high schools. Ten students were either valedictorian or salutatorian. Twenty-nine students were editors of their newspapers, literary magazines, or yearbooks, and over 100 have significant music or drama experience. Seven students were National Merit Finalists. Also, 15% of the entering class are students of color and 5% are international. Ursinus students come from 26 states and 20 foreign countries. Ursinus requires for admission an official high school transcript of work completed in high school, results of the SAT or ACT, a counselor recommendation, two teacher recommendations, and a personal essay. Personal interviews are highly recommended, and required for merit scholarship consideration. Ursinus uses the Common Application and welcomes electronic applications (Internet homepage address: www.ursinus.edu). Application deadlines are January 15 for Early Decision and February 15 for Regular Decision.

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