Meredith College

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From the College

Meredith College, chartered in 1891, is today the largest private women’s college in the Southeast. Even as the College has grown to more than 2,100 undergraduate degree candidates, the student-faculty ratio of 10:1 offers students individualized attention in all aspects of their experience at Meredith College. With a focus on the liberal arts, students are encouraged in all areas from career preparation to personal development. Degree candidates choose from more than fifty fields, including preprofessional studies.

The faculty is dedicated to teaching, advising, and challenging the students to meet their academic and personal goals. Undergraduate students pursue programs leading to Bachelor of Arts, Science, Music, and Social Work degrees; the College also offers Master of Business Administration, Master of Education, and Master of Science in nutrition degrees. College programs are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, the Council on Social Work Education, the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly FIDER), and the National Association of Schools of Music. The College has an approved American Dietetic Association Plan V Program.

The College focuses heavily on leadership development for women. Students are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of campus activities, including performing groups, sports, publications, academic and personal interest clubs, and student government. More than 500 leadership positions are available for women to fill. Rich with diversity with students from thirty states and sixteen countries, Meredith celebrates its students’ uniqueness and potential to return to their communities as active participants in whatever capacity that they choose. A member of NCAA Division III, Meredith fields intercollegiate teams in six sports: basketball, cross-country, softball, soccer, tennis, and volleyball. The College joined the USA South Athletic Conference in 2007.

Meredith’s beautiful 225-acre campus is on the western edge of Raleigh, North Carolina’s capital city, and is adjacent to the booming Research Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. A total of eleven colleges and universities that serve approximately 108,000 students can be found here. Raleigh, a city of 286,000 people, is centrally located between the North Carolina coast and the mountain ranges of the western part of the state. Two interstates and the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (15 minutes from the campus) make Raleigh easily accessible.

Meredith confers four baccalaureate degrees. A candidate for the Bachelor of Arts degree can select her major from American civilization, art, biology, chemistry, communication, dance, economics, English, environmental studies, French, history, international studies, mathematics, music, political science, psychology, public history, religion, social work, sociology, Spanish, theater, and women’s studies. The Bachelor of Science degree is available in accounting, biology, business administration, chemistry, child development, computer information systems, computer science, exercise and sports science, family and consumer science, fashion merchandising and design, foods and nutrition, interior design, and mathematics. The Bachelor of Music degree candidate can major in music education or performance. The Bachelor of Social Work degree is available in social work. In addition, a student may work with the faculty to create a self-designed major.

Licensure programs taken in addition to a major are offered in birth to kindergarten (B–K), elementary (K–6), middle grades (6–9), secondary (9–12), and special subject areas (K–12).

Preprofessional preparation is available in dentistry, law, medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, and veterinary medicine. Minors are offered in most major fields and in some other areas, such as communication, criminal justice, ethics, philosophy, and physical education. Concentrations are also available within most departments. A five-year dual-degree program with North Carolina State University is available in engineering.

Meredith’s academic program blends a strong liberal arts foundation with opportunities for career and preprofessional preparation. To achieve breadth in her education, each student must fulfill general education requirements in humanities and arts, social and behavioral sciences, mathematics and natural sciences, and health and physical education. By the end of her sophomore year, she declares a major and begins to study her chosen field in depth. She may round out her program by completing options such as a second major, a minor or a concentration, a teacher education program, an experiential learning component (an internship, co-op, or fieldwork), or a study-abroad program.

There are opportunities for advanced placement with credit for those who show by examination (AP, I.B., CLEP, and/or departmental examinations) that they have mastered the material for any college-level course. Each year approximately 25 entering students are invited to participate in the Honors Program. Nearly 30 entering students participate in the Teaching Fellows Program, which provides special seminars, mentors, honors classes, and cultural opportunities for the winners of the prestigious North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship/Loan.

Through the Cooperating Raleigh Colleges consortium, students may take courses with typically no extra cost at North Carolina State and Shaw Universities and at Peace and St. Augustine’s Colleges.

Women who are interested in expanding their international horizons can participate in either summer or academic-year intercultural programs in almost any country. Every summer, students and faculty members travel to England, Italy, and Switzerland for five or eleven weeks of study. It is possible to earn an entire semester of credit through this summer study at approximately the same price as a regular semester on campus in Raleigh. Art students above the freshman level may study in Florence, Italy. Students of French may study at the Université Catholique de l‘Ouest in Angers, France, and students of Spanish may study at Universitas Nebrissensis in Madrid, Spain. Students of almost any major can study in Australia, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. Those seeking a less traditional venue can study at Meredith affiliates in the People’s Republic of China or can work with the Office of Study Abroad to find a program appropriate to their academic or travel interests.

Students may take advantage of opportunities within the United States by completing a United Nations Semester at Drew University, a federal government semester through the Washington Semester program at American University, a semester at Marymount College in New York City, and a capital city semester in state government through Meredith’s own program in Raleigh.

The Carlyle Campbell Library contains more than 150,000 volumes, 6,100 videos, and 7,200 musical scores. Online, full-text versions of articles from thousands of academic periodicals are also available. As part of its academic department facilities, the campus also houses a music library, art galleries, a research greenhouse, music practice rooms, a state-of-the-art language lab, an autism lab, computer labs, a child-care lab, an indoor swimming pool, lighted outdoor tennis courts, a putting green, and a soccer field. The campus is also cabled to provide network and e-mail access in classrooms, computer labs, and residence halls as well as wireless Internet access throughout much of the campus.

For 2008–09, tuition and fees are $23,550 and room and board are $6740.

Meredith’s financial aid program is designed to meet a high percentage of the analyzed need of the student. Approximately 50 percent of undergraduate students receive need-based assistance; when competitive scholarships and state entitlement grants are added, approximately 70 percent of Meredith students receive some form of financial assistance. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used to determine eligibility for need-based federal, state, and institutional funds that include grants and scholarships, loans, and work-study. A freshman candidate may also file special application forms for the competitive scholarships that recognize students for superior academic ability and talent in art, music, or interior design. A North Carolina Teaching Fellow who is selected for Meredith’s program may use her scholarship at the College and will have other gift assistance coordinated to match the stipend provided by the state.

The College has 250 full-time and part-time faculty members. Eighty-nine percent of the full-time faculty members have earned terminal degrees. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1, and the average class size is 16. Sixty-six percent of the full-time faculty members are women.

Meredith has one of the oldest student government associations in the South and has an honor code that is a key ingredient of the Meredith community. All students assume primary responsibility for making and enforcing regulations; therefore, every student is a member of the Student Government Association (SGA). As members, students are encouraged to actively participate in branches of the SGA, such as the Association for Meredith Commuters, Elections Board, Honor Council, Residence Hall Board, Senate, Student Life, and Women in New Goal Settings.

Along with academic achievement, Meredith values individuality, integrity, and diversity. Each application is evaluated to determine how the student’s academic preparation and ability match Meredith’s requirements and challenges and to assess motivation, special talents, and commitment to learning. A freshman candidate is expected to have at least 16 units of credit earned in grades 9–12, with at least 15 in the academic subjects. Her program should include English (4 units), history/social studies (3 units), mathematics (3 units in algebra I, algebra II, and geometry or a higher level course), science (3 units), foreign language (2 units), and electives (1 unit from the academic subjects). Careful attention is given to an unweighted grade average on the academic subjects and to class rank; test scores (SAT preferred, or ACT) are reviewed in relation to the high school record; recommendations from a school official and a teacher are also required. Applicants must also complete a personal statement of at least 250 words on a topic of their choice. An interview may be requested in some instances, and students are encouraged to visit for an admissions conference and campus tour.

For transfer admission from an accredited college or university, the student needs at least an overall C average in transferable courses, must be eligible to return to the last institution regularly attended, and must be recommended by college officials. If the student has fewer than 30 semester hours of transferable work, she must also meet Meredith’s freshman admission requirements. Nontraditional students and international students should contact the Office of Admissions.

An application for admission should be sent to the Office of Admissions along with a nonrefundable $40 processing fee (or acceptable fee-waiver request). Electronic filing is available. The student is responsible for requesting that her official high school transcript, SAT or ACT scores, and recommendations be sent to the admissions office. A transfer student must file an official transcript from each postsecondary institution attended.

Meredith has two freshman admission plans: early decision and rolling admission. An early decision candidate must apply by October 30; this “first choice” plan means that if accepted under early decision, the student fully expects to enroll and will withdraw any other pending applications. The student is notified by November 15. A candidate under the rolling plan is encouraged to file early in the senior year, with February 15 as the recommended deadline. Notifications under this plan begin in mid-November. The candidates’ reply dates are December 15 for early decision and May 1 for rolling admission candidates.

Transfer applicants are encouraged to apply by February 15. Notifications begin in late January, and May 1 is the candidates’ reply date. For admission to the spring semester, a freshman or transfer student should apply by December 1.

For additional information and for planning a campus visit, students should contact the College by e-mail at admissions@meredith.edu or by phone at 800-MEREDITH (toll-free).