Once again, it’s been a while since we did a 50 States, 50 Colleges. We are in the midst of early application season and out of the over 92 colleges we’ve sent transcripts to so far, none have been Alabama-bound! Maybe once you learn about our spotlight college, you’ll be ready to head south : )
College in the Spotlight: Auburn University
Location: Auburn, AL (located 1.5 hours away from Atlanta)
Enrollment: 25,912 students
Fast Facts
As I gathered information for this post, it felt like I was going to be writing about a resort. My notes page was full before I even got to academic programs (more on those later)! Let’s start with food. By my count, there are 38 dining options on campus, including Starbucks, a Chick-fil-A, and a Denny’s that never closes. Included in that count are 7 food trucks. The Recreation and Wellness Center can help you burn off some of the calories that come with having so many options! The rec center features an indoor track, a virtual golf simulator, a zipline, rock-climbing walls, and a 40-person hot tub!
Now that I’ve gotten food out of the way, let’s talk about academics! There are more than 140 majors to choose from at Auburn, ranging from Architecture to Wildlife Sciences. Among distinction are: The School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences (recognized as #1 in the world), Wireless Engineering (the nation’s first and only bachelor’s degree program in this area), and Pharmacy (students have logged over 2,500 community service hours by volunteering at area health fairs, screenings, and outreach events).
According to this US News and World Report article, the college with the highest tuition in Massachusetts is Amherst College at $52,476. Sure, Auburn is far away, and you will be an out-of-state student, but is it ever a bargain at $28,040 per year. Students who have a GPA of 3.5 or above and high test scores can qualify for scholarships, which will make that tuition bill even smaller!
School spirit is huge at Auburn, and there’s no better place to see it than at a football game. Game day for the DI Tigers involves many traditions. One of the three eagles that reside at Auburn takes a pre-game flight, soaring around the stadium before landing in the middle of the field. Aubie the Tiger is their much-loved mascot and has won multiple national titles for best college mascot. How does Auburn celebrate a win? Fans take toilet paper rolls and “roll” Toomer’s Corner, a street corner in downtown Auburn.
Even with such a huge student population, Auburn is described as a family. “Hey Day” is a tradition where name tags are handed out to all community members and everyone is encouraged to greet one another by name as they go about their day. This year’s Hey Day took place in October – follow this link to see a video!
For more info on Auburn, visit http://www.auburn.edu
Lowell Catholic High School Guidance Department 