Last week, the Catholic College Admission Association had a Virtual College Fair where several of the member schools participated in live presentations. The presenters gave great information about school size, what makes them unique and application process tips. The schools that participated in the fair were: -University of Dayton -Manhattan College -DePaul University -University of San Diego -College of New Rochelle -St. John Fisher College -The Catholic University of America -Notre Dame of Maryland University -Lourdes University
Here are some of the Virtual Fair Highlights:
Manhattan College -Manhattan College is a four year private Catholic school located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. It moved from Manhattan in the 1900s to the Bronx location for a campus with more grassy areas and trees. The population of the school is 3000 and class size averages around 20 students. -Every student has the opportunity to do at least one internship and are encouraged to do so as early as their freshman year. Since the college is 30 minutes from Manhattan, many students complete internships there for half of the day and spend the rest of the day back at the campus in classes. Two internships may be completed for academic credit. -Manhattan College is also known for their Career Development Center where students can get help and tips on developing resumes, job interview preparation and where to find jobs. -Students also have the opportunity to participate in the Mentor Program where a college faculty member reaches out to alumni in the student’s area of interest. Many students have the same mentor for all four years at Manhattan College. Mentors give advice and may allow the student to visit their jobs. Mentors can be a lot of help in the career search after graduation. -The Study Abroad program at Manhattan College is very extensive and will let students travel anywhere in the world that is safe. Some popular locations are China, Australia and the UK. Manhattan offers their own programs and classes in many countries such as Spain, France, England and Italy. These programs allow financial aid to transfer. Study abroad is typically a semester long, but Manhattan College also offers a shorter three week program which gives credit for one class.
University of Dayton -The University of Dayton is a Catholic Institution where they believe in “Education of the Spirit.” They say that their warm, welcoming community is what sets them apart from other universities. -There are 7300 undergraduate students and average class size is 27 students. There are 200 organizations, clubs and activities that students may participate in and 70 academic programs. -The University of Dayton has Academic Advisors who meet with students throughout their time at school. They help select classes, create portfolios and set up internships and job interviews. -Offers Career Services where students can get help with resumes, cover letters, preparing for interviews and learning about college fairs. -Honors Programs are offered to incoming freshman with an SAT score of 1300 and greater, or an ACT score of 29 and higher; GPA of 3.7 or in the top ten percent of their graduating class. Students may also apply for this program at the end of their freshman year if they have a GPA of 3.5 or greater. The University of Dayton will automatically enter incoming high school students in to this program if they meet the requirements. Some benefits of being a part of the Honors Program are enriched, smaller classes that often have speakers and are discussion based, honors housing opportunities, early registration for classes, designated study space in the library and can apply for grants to study abroad.
DePaul University -DePaul University is located in downtown Chicago and is the largest Catholic University in the United States. Fifty percent of the 25,000 students who attend the University are Catholic. -DePaul has over 200 majors and is a Division 1 school. For students who like to get involved, there are over 300 student organizations, clubs and activities to choose from. One neat class that is mandatory for all freshmen is called “Explore Chicago.” Students will learn a great deal about the large city they are studying in, while also receiving college credit. -DePaul is a two campus school. The downtown campus is for Business and the uptown campus for the Arts. Most student housing in on the uptown campus, but a train system connects campuses to make traveling back and forth manageable. -When applying, all early action students have the best chance at being considered for acceptance and scholarships. The deadline for early action is November 15th. The University of San Diego -The University of San Diego was founded in 1949 by the Archdiocese and Sisters of the Sacred Heart. They believe that “Faith and Reason are compatible in education.” – Fifty percent of the students are Catholic. Everyone is invited to participate in faith based activities at the University, but not required. Some of the programs for faith are Sunday worship – 2 masses at night so students can sleep later in the morning, Retreat programs and weekly service programs. -Ten Resident Ministers are at the school, one in each Resident Hall. They reach out to students, facilitate faith based groups and act as mentors.