Transylvania University

Statistics

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Rankings & Lists

School Says - General Information
Transylvania, a small, private liberal arts college of about 1,100 men and women, is consistently ranked among the best small colleges in the nation. The name, from the Latin that means "across the woods", refers to the heavily forested Transylvania settlement in which the University was founded in 1780. Transylvania was the first college west of the Allegheny Mountains and the sixteenth in the nation. The University established the first schools of medicine and law in what was then the West and educated the doctors, lawyers, ministers, political leaders, and others who helped shape the young nation. Transylvania also founded the first college literary magazine in the West, The Transylvanian, still published by students today. Transylvania continues as a pioneer in higher education, preparing future leaders in business, government, education, the sciences, and the arts. While professors engage in research and other scholarly activities, they never lose sight of their primary role, being great teachers. With their dedication to students it is not surprising that Transylvania faculty members have dominated Kentucky Professor of the Year awards, winning six times in the last nine years. Students work closely with professors in small classes, many with fewer than 10 students. Due in large part to these close collaborations with faculty, a high percentage of graduates attend selective medical, law, and other graduate and professional programs. Transylvania students are an active and involved group, and they benefit from tremendous opportunities for learning outside the classroom and off-campus. Transylvania has over sixty active student organizations, covering a range of student interests. Over two-thirds of students study abroad, and many participate in internships, research projects, and volunteer activities.

School Says - Student Body
Transylvania offers more than sixty cocurricular organizations, covering a range of student interests, and most students participate in several of these. The athletics program, in NCAA Division III, includes eight varsity sports for men, ten for women, and more than a dozen intramural sports. Transylvania also has four national sororities and four national fraternities.

School Says - Academics
The academic year is based on a 4-4-1 academic calendar, with two 14-week terms (fall and winter) and a one-month May term. During the May term, students may participate in a variety of programs on or off campus. Students normally take four courses in each of the fall and winter terms and one course in the May term. Thirty-six courses are required to graduate. Freshmen participate in a two-term program called Foundations of the Liberal Arts, which features small-group discussions with a faculty leader; lectures, films, concerts, and other presentations; and a tutorial program in basic communication, critical thinking, and study skills. Students must complete requirements designed to ensure broad familiarity with the major areas of learning and human endeavor in the humanities and fine arts, social sciences, natural sciences and mathematics, logic, and languages.

School Says - Admissions
Each applicant is considered individually on the basis of academic records, SAT scores and/or ACT scores, activities, interests, essays, and recommendations. Admission is also offered to transfer students, international students and nontraditional students.

Transylvania enrolled 297 new students for the 2009-10 academic year. The middle 50 percent composite ACT score for the freshman class was 23 to 29. Nearly fifty percent were in the top 10 percent of their high school class.

Submission of a Transylvania Application for Admission and Scholarships or submission of the Common Application is all that is necessary to be considered for admission and most merit scholarships at Transylvania. The early action deadline is December 1 for applicants who wish to learn of their admission by January 15 and who want to be considered for all Transylvania scholarships. February 1 is the regular admission and scholarships deadline for applicants who wish to be considered for all Transylvania scholarships except the William T. Young Scholarship. Applicants who apply after February 1 are considered on a space-available basis. The deadline for applications for the winter term, which begins in January, is December 1.

Students considering Transylvania are urged to visit the campus, and high school seniors are encouraged to stay overnight in a dorm with a student admissions assistant. Weekday visits may include a customized campus tour, the opportunity to attend classes; talk with professors, coaches, students, and admissions and financial aid counselors; and enjoy meals on campus. Visits should be arranged with the Office of Admissions, preferably one to two weeks in advance. Open houses are held in the fall and winter, and a college planning workshop for high school juniors and sophomores is held in the spring.

To request application materials and additional information, contact:
Office of Admissions
Transylvania University
300 North Broadway
Lexington, KY 40508-1797
Telephone: (859) 233-8242 or (800) 872-6798
E-mail: admissions@transy.edu
Web site: www.transy.edu

School Says - Campus Life
Transylvania is located in Lexington, Kentucky, a city of 270,000 and a growing center of commerce, culture, research, and education. Known as the horse capital of the world, Lexington is surrounded by the rolling green pastures of the famous Bluegrass region of central Kentucky. The area is also home to over 30,000 college students. Transylvania's park-like campus is just a 5-minute walk from downtown, with easy access to restaurants, shops, and entertainment. The proximity to downtown is also an advantage for students who want convenient part-time jobs and internship opportunities in law offices, financial firms, hospitals, non-profits, and other organizations.

School Says - Cost Aid
Transylvania charges an annual tuition that covers fall, winter, and May terms for a normal full-time schedule of courses. Special instruction fees are charged in addition for certain designated courses, such as applied music and May Term travel courses. For 2009-10, tuition and fees were $25,280 and room and board (double occupancy) were $7,700.Transylvania is committed to providing financial aid to students and their families. Four types of financial assistance are available: scholarships, which are based on academic performance and leadership. Grants, loans, and work-study are based on financial need. About 90 percent of Transylvania students receive some form of financial assistance,and many receive more than one type of aid. Outstanding entering freshmen may qualify for one of twenty full-tuition William T. Young Scholarships, each worth more than $100,000 over four years. Submission of Transylvania's Application for Admission and Scholarships is all that is necessary to be considered for academic scholarships at Transylvania. Students who are interested in need-based aid must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Students Say - Academics
Transylvania University "in the middle of" Lexington, is a small and "very challenging" bastion of the liberal arts and sciences with a "strong pre-med program," "a remarkable pre-law program," and a broad core curriculum. "You take a variety of courses even though you might not be interested in them," and "writing is an integral part of the academic experience." "Even business, science, and math students must take writing-intensive classes." "The academic standards here are high." Dedication is "required if you want to excel," and studying is definitely a must. "Basically, I spend a lot of time in the library," reports a biochemistry major. "This school is very time-consuming." Classes are very small, though, "which makes it very easy to work with the professors and develop a relationship with them." The "quirky" faculty is "by far the best aspect of the school." They "are really concerned about helping you learn" and are "great to just sit down and talk with during their office hours." The conservative administration "tends to micromanage," but it's accessible as well. "If you have a complaint, going straight to the top will probably get you somewhere." Still, "they can make you jump through way too many hoops," and get- ting the classes you want can be a major hassle. "We are still in the middle ages when it comes to registration," gripes a French major.

Students Say - Campus Life
The campus here is "wonderfully historic" and "beautiful," but "some of the buildings are getting a little run down." "Food services are usually hit or miss." "The dorms are popular," and most everyone lives on campus. "Once you're inside the Transy bubble, it's very hard to get out." "Students are often completely absorbed by this community." "The small college atmosphere allows students to participate in many arenas," relates a sophomore. "At many schools, a math major would never be able to sing in the choir, work on the school newspaper, and be a resident assistant." However, the most prominent aspect of Transylvania's social life is the "overwhelming" Greek system. "Everything that happens on campus has some sort of affiliation with sororities or fraternities." "New students almost feel pressured into joining," and if you don't pledge, "it's generally up to you to make your own fun." "Not every student can handle going to school in this environment," cautions a junior, but "others absolutely flourish in it." "Loud" parties are popular, and a strong contingent of students gets "rowdy" on the weekends. "Alcohol laws are lenient." "We are a wet campus," explains a senior, "so, if you are 21, it is legal to have a small amount of alcohol in your room." "People respect you if you say you don't drink but, at the same time, you feel left out if you don't." The "medium- sized city" of Lexington also offers a decent number of options. The downtown area is within "walking distance." The proximity of the University of Kentucky is another plus. "We have access to their library and social scene," notes a sophomore.

Students Say - Student Body
Upper-middle-class white suburbanites constitute the vast majority of the student body. "There are a few odd students who just don't fit in" but "most students have similar backgrounds and get along with each other rather well." "You have your occasional jock and the occasional guy who looks like he just walked out of the country club." However, the typical student here is reportedly "a nerd deep down and was probably called that in high school." Virtually everyone takes academics pretty seriously. Politically, "there is quite a divide between those who are conservative and those who are liberal." Transylvania students also divide themselves by their frats and sororities. Students "have a very strong tendency to associate mostly with members of their Greek chapters." There's still quite a bit of intermingling, though. "It's just too small to be exclusive."

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