College Spotlight: Arizona State University

College Spotlight is a very short introduction to a college/university, with some fun and interesting highlights I've gathered during tours, meetings with admission staff, webinars, and research.

Hopefully these College Spotlight posts will help you determine whether a school could be a good fit and warrants additional research.

Arizona State University's charter states, "ASU is a comprehensive public university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed." ASU is proof that a school can have a generous admission rate AND provide a world class education with strong career outcomes.

A few highlights:

• ASU is consistently positioned at or near the top of many rankings. See ASU Rankings

  
  

• The largest university in the country, ASU has four campuses in Arizona and a campus in Los Angeles, CA. For online learners, ASU offers robust online education options.

  
  

• A quick highlight of each campus:

  • Tempe- Considered by many to be the 'main' campus, and it is by far the largest. It has a traditional college campus vibe in an urban setting with lots of entertainment, restaurants, and shops in walking distance. The sports venues and Greek organizations are housed here, though students from the other Arizona campuses can participate.

  • Downtown Phoenix- ASU's second largest campus, about 10 miles from the Tempe campus. The Downtown campus is home to the Thunderbird School of Global Management, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, and the John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering.

  • West Valley- Traditional campus feel in northwest Phoenix, about 25 miles from the Tempe campus. Great fit for students who want all of the advantages of an ASU education, but prefer a smaller, more tight-knit school community. The robust Forensic Science and Digital Forensics majors are highlights of the West Valley campus.

  • Polytechnic- Located in Mesa, about 25 miles from the Tempe campus. Majors are STEM-focused, and the highlight is Aeronautical Management Technology. Students in this major can choose from several concentrations including Professional Flight or Unmanned Aerial Systems.

  • Los Angeles- Newer campus, called the California Center, located in the heart of LA's creative district. Undergraduate majors focus on Fashion and Film, and ASU has created strong industry partnerships throughout the LA area.

• Students interested in an undergraduate degree abroad can apply to the ASU London program. Students earn a a bachelor's and master's degree in four years in computer science, engineering, or business. the undergraduate degree is completed in the U.K., and the graduate degree is completed at one of the ASU campuses in the U.S.

  
  

• ASU is currently test optional, and admission requirements are very straightforward. See First Year Admission Requirements. Students who do not meet these requirements can be provided an individual review. Note that direct admission to a small number of majors will require a higher gpa and/or test scores.

• Housing is plentiful for first-year students at all campuses, and housing is organized by major.

• Barrett, the Honors College at ASU, is one of the most highly regarded honors programs in the country. Students from all campuses can participate, and Barrett students have dedicated housing. Application to Barrett is separate from the university application.

  
  

• Merit aid is available to in-state and out-of-state students, and ASU allows stacking with external scholarships.

  
  

• ASU's goal is to meet the educational needs of all students, providing an interdisciplinary approach, a variety of learning environments, and a multitude of real-world experiences. This approach allows ASU to successfully support students with a wide range of backgrounds and ambitions.

Want to learn more about Arizona State University or other educational institutions? At Growing2College, all families who select our College Search and Selection package receive full access to CustomCollegePlan, an interactive portal with extensive college information and research resources, task management, and application tracking features.

If you'd like to learn more, request a free 20-min consultation.

Kate Pedigo, M.Ed., CEP, NCC is an Independent Educational Consultant and founder of Growing2College.

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