Dickinson College: Narrative Description

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DICKINSON COLLEGE M-17

PO Box 1773
Carlisle, PA 17013-2896
Tel: (717)243-5121; 800-644-1773; Admissions: (717)245-1231; Fax: (717)245-1442; E-mail: [email protected]; Web Site: http://www.dickinson.edu/

Description: Independent, 4-year, coed. Awards bachelor's degrees. Founded 1773. Setting: 115-acre suburban campus with easy access to Harrisburg. Endowment: $154.8 million. Research spending 2002-03: $3.2 million. Educational spending 2002-03: $11,483 per student. Total enrollment: 2,276. Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 13:1. 4,633 applied, 52% were admitted. 50% from top 10% of their high school class, 83% from top quarter, 97% from top half. Full-time: 2,241 students, 56% women, 44% men. Part-time: 35 students, 60% women, 40% men. Students come from 43 states and territories, 20 other countries, 65% from out-of-state, 0.4% Native American, 2% Hispanic, 3% black, 3% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 2% international, 92% live on campus, 1% transferred in. Retention: 90% of 2003 full-time freshmen returned. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: social sciences and history; foreign language/literature; biological/life sciences. Core. Calendar: semesters. ESL program, services for LD students, advanced placement, accelerated degree program, self-designed majors, independent study, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, adult/continuing education programs, internships. Off campus study at American University, University of Pennsylvania, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Dickinson College, Franklin and Marshall College, Gettysburg College. Study abroad program. ROTC: Army.

Entrance Requirements: Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early decision, early action, deferred admission, international baccalaureate accepted. Required: essay, high school transcript, 2 recommendations. Recommended: minimum 3.0 high school GPA, interview, SAT I and SAT II or ACT. Entrance: very difficult. Application deadlines: 2/1, 11/15 for early decision plan 1, 1/15 for early decision plan 2, 12/15 for early action. Notification: 3/31, 12/15 for early decision plan 1, 2/15 for early decision plan 2, 1/15 for early action.

Costs Per Year: Application fee: $50. Comprehensive fee: $37,900 includes full-time tuition ($30,000), mandatory fees ($300), and college room and board ($7600). College room only: $3920. Room and board charges vary according to housing facility. Part-time tuition: $3750 per course. Part-time mandatory fees: $40 per credit.

Collegiate Environment: Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, student-run newspaper, radio station. Social organizations: 120 open to all; national fraternities, national sororities, local fraternities, local sororities; 23% of eligible men and 24% of eligible women are members. Most popular organizations: Student Senate, College Choir, Alpha Lambda Delta, Multi-Organization Board, Alpha Phi Omega. Major annual events: homecoming, Public Affairs Symposium, Spring-fest. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling, women's center. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, student patrols, late night transport-escort service, controlled dormitory access. 1,931 college housing spaces available; 1,892 were occupied in 2002-03. Freshmen guaranteed college housing. On-campus residence required in freshman year. Option: coed housing available. Waidner-Spahr Library plus 6 others with 305,272 books, 176,399 microform titles, 6,163 serials, 12,247 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending 2002-03: $2.7 million. 520 computers available on campus for general student use. Computer purchase/lease plans available. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

Community Environment: Carlisle, population 20,000, is in the Cumberland Valley located at the western edge of Harrisburg, the state capital. It is 3 miles from I-76 and I-81, and within 2-3 hours of Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia. Founded in 1751, it was the focus of the Scotch-Irish colonists who settled in Pennsylvania in the pre-revolutionary period. Several historic figures made their homes in Carlisle during the revolutionary period. Numerous buildings of Colonial and Federal architecture, many of native limestone, have been restored in the historic district of Carlisle. The eastern most ranges of the Appalachian Mountains are within a few miles of the downtown area, and the Appalachian Trail passes within five miles. Four state parks provide opportunities for hiking, fishing, hunting, and water and winter sports. The Carlisle Hospital, a variety of theatres, restaurants, and churches, three amusement parks, and public golf courses are within easy reach.

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Dickinson College: Narrative Description

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