Drake University

Statistics

School Says - General Information
Drake University provides a thriving intellectual environment offering more than 70 majors, covering subjects from the liberal arts to professional and pre-professional programs. The University employs professors who demonstrate a dedication to students along with academic prowess. Students benefit from the low 14:1 student-faculty ratio, and they never take classes from graduate students or teaching assistants. Drake enrolls a heterogeneous group of 5,617 students, from 47 states and more than 50 foreign countries. Drake prides itself on alumni success, noting that more than 99.1 percent of Drake graduates embark on careers or start graduate programs during their first six months out of school.

Drake grants master's degrees in: accounting, business administration, communication leadership, education, financial management, and public administration. Students may also pursue their Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Jurisprudence, and Doctor of Education degrees. Joint degrees are also available in MBA/JD, MPA/JD, MBA/PharmD, MPA/PharmD, and PharmD/JD.

School Says - Student Body
With more than 160 organizations operating on campus, students can always find activities that suit their interests. Elected student representatives run the Student Senate. Students also hold seats on some committees in the Faculty Senate. The Student Activities Board is charged with putting on special events, including cultural celebrations, social functions, guest speakers, and concerts. Drake also maintains the Residence Hall Association, composed of students who manage the logistics and activities surrounding residential life.

School Says - Academics
From their first classes on the Drake campus, students have the chance to learn in an individualized, challenging, and supportive environment. Research opportunities abound; students work closely with their professors and often publish their findings. With more than 160 student-run organizations on campus, there is an outlet for students to investigate career paths and network with professionals in their field.

Students benefit from a combination of liberal arts training and professional preparation. Through the Drake Curriculum, all students take interactive classes that develop their critical thinking and expressive skills. Students also receive personalized academic advising. At the end of their four years, students undertake the Senior Capstone, which is a research project, thesis, or other major work that shows the concepts and skills the student has acquired at Drake. Drake's Honors Program is open to top students who wish to undertake a rigorous, interdisciplinary course of study.

School Says - Admissions
While admission is selective, Drake University considers the full record of each candidate for admission. Since the University prefers students with varied talents and interests, there is no single and inflexible set of admission standards applied to all candidates for admission. The admission process involves a comprehensive review of a student s academic background (courses and grades), standardized test scores (ACT or SAT), personal essay, recommendations, and activities both in high school and the community. Drake University does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, or disability.

A completed application for first-year admission contains the following items: a completed application form, the $25 nonrefundable application fee (the fee is waived for those who apply online), the High School Report and Counselor Recommendation Form, an official high school transcript, and ACT or SAT scores and a personal essay. Students applying to transfer to Drake are required to submit official transcripts for all previous college-level coursework.

Application for admission to undergraduate degree programs, except pre-pharmacy, may be made for any fall, spring, or summer term. Beginning October 15, students are notified of the admission decision within four to six weeks of the date that all materials are received. March 1 is the priority deadline for consideration for admission and merit- and need-based financial aid. Freshman applicants to the pre-pharmacy program in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences must the December 1 deadline. Transfer students are only admitted to the professional PharmD program.

Candidates should contact:
Drake University
Office of Admission
2507 University Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50311
800-44-DRAKE, x3181
515-271-3181 (locally and outside the U.S)
Fax: 515-271-2831 www.choose.drake.edu
admission@drake.edu

School Says - Campus Life
Students take advantage of DrakeÂ's location in Des Moines, Iowa, the state capital and a thriving business center. Internships are available in fields such as government, banking, insurance, publishing, nonprofit organizations, and health care, and nearly 80 percent of students participate in at least one internship during their four years at the University.

School Says - Cost Aid
Tuition and fees total $35,090 in 2010-2011. Room and board cost $8,130 annually.More than 98 percent of full-time students at Drake have their education financed to some degree with the help of financial aid. In the 2008Ââ€"2009 school year, a typical financial aid package totaled $21,130. More than 5,000 awards, worth $60 million, are given annually, in the form of need- or merit-based grants and scholarships.

Students Say - Academics
"Drake University, a small liberal arts school located in Iowa's biggest city, "combines specialized academic programs with a small school feel in a way that promotes successful learning and professional preparation." Nearly one in three students pursues an undergraduate business degree here. Business students benefit from "excellent job placement and internship programs. [The College of Business and Public Administration] graduates almost all of its students within four years, and a majority of them have double majors." Drake's "great" and "incredibly well known" pharmacy program is another major draw. Like business students, pre-law students, and students of public administration, pharmacy majors have "opportunities available to work on completing [two degrees] simultaneously" over six years. Theater, actuarial science, and journalism are among the other popular and well-regarded majors at Drake. In all areas, students tell us, "Drake really knows how to tailor the college experience for each person going through. The school puts an emphasis on professional development and preparation that is heads above the rest." Undergrads also enjoy "a great network of graduates that stay and work around the Des Moines area. They then come back and speak in classes, and often times have connections that can help students land internships.""

Students Say - Campus Life
"Drake students are split on hometown Des Moines. Some (Chicago and Minneapolis natives, perhaps) find the town "boring." Others differ, telling us that it is "a great city because it offers many opportunities for Drake students to get involved in activities that complement your learning experiences" and that it "offers a diverse and exciting range of social scenes that are easily accessible and easy to get involved in." On campus, "Drake's Student Activities Board, as well as several other on-campus organizations, offers many programs and things to do throughout the week and during the weekend as well. Different speakers, bands, comedians, and other forms of entertainment visit campus. As with any college, there are parties to attend on the weekends, but it's not limited to thatâ€"basketball games are a really big campus event and the Drake Relays are always fun too!" While "Campus bars sum up the social life of most freshman and many sophomores…. If people opt out of the drinking scene, there are plenty of people who also do so. One just has to become friends with nondrinkers and plan sober fun.""

Students Say - Student Body
""Since Drake is in Iowa, which isn't a terribly diverse state, the ‘typical student' is probably white and from a middle-class family," students here tell us, adding that "Drake does do some recruiting overseas and in bigger cities such as Chicago." "Such recruitment has brought in some diversity, but it is still a very ‘white school.' Despite that…all people are welcomed equally, regardless of race, disabilities, religion, or background." That said, some warn that "You are either a Bible thumper or a frat rat" here, and that "There isn't much socially available if you are neither." All in all, students are "serious about their study but they also know how to have fun," balancing both "very well." They are also driven by a desire to succeed in school in order to position themselves for good careers."

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