Linfield College

Statistics

Scholarships & Financial Aid

School Says - General Information
The power of a small college.
Located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Linfield College offers rigorous academics, access to outstanding faculty, nationally ranked athletics and abundant opportunities for international study, research and internships. Around here, you'll get to know your professors and they'll get to know you (12:1 student to faculty ratio) and you'll be challenged to find your true passion. That's the power of a small college. That's the power of Linfield.

School Says - Student Body
Social clubs, professional organizations, sororities and fraternities (four each), service clubs, and almost forty other organizations play an important role in the daily life of a Linfield student. Student government at Linfield is also quite active. The Student Senate, chosen through campus elections, is the focus of student opinion and debate.

Linfield's winning athletics tradition fosters participation at all levels of competition. Women compete in intercollegiate basketball, cross-country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. Men compete in intercollegiate baseball, basketball, cross-country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Water polo, Ultimate Frisbee and men's lacrosse are club sports. Linfield also has an extensive and active year-round intramural program.

School Says - Academics
The academic year is divided into two 15-week semesters (fall and spring) and an optional four-week winter term in January. The January term offers regular departmental courses and cultural-epochs study. Academic courses are assigned 1-5 semester credit hours each; 125 credits are required for a B.A. or a B.S. degree. Students divide their time equally among required general education courses, a major area of study, and elective subjects. The Linfield Curriculum courses, selected to provide a solid foundation in the liberal arts, require students to take 3 semester hours in each of the six modes of inquiry, as well as one upper-division course in one of these areas. These modes of inquiry are as follows (with course examples): the Vital Past (history); Ultimate Questions (philosophy or religious studies); Individuals, Systems and Societies (psychology, sociology or anthropology); the Natural World (natural sciences); Creative Studies (art, music or theatre); and Quantitative Reasoning (statistics or economics). In addition, students are required to take a writing-intensive course, and a course addressing global pluralisms, and a course dealing with United States pluralisms. Major requirements differ from department to department. Individually designed majors are available with faculty approval. Students majoring in a foreign language spend an academic year in a country in which the language being studies is the native tongue.

Off-campus educational experiences include the Semester Abroad Program, including four months of study in Australia, Austria, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, England, France, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Senegal and South Korea. Transportation for the first round trip is included in the cost of tuition, and most of these study programs cost the same as a semester on campus. January Term study-abroad programs for four weeks are also offered. Recent offerings included European Union: Structure and Economic Perspectives (Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg); Dante and His World (Italy); Health Promotion in Cameroon; Experiences in Multicultural Education in Hawaii.

School Says - Admissions
Admission to Linfield College is selective and is granted to students who are likely to grow and succeed in a personal and challenging liberal arts environment. Each applicant is judged on individual merit. A faculty admission committee evaluates candidates in a number of areas that commonly indicated academic potential. These include high school performance, a writing sample, recommendations from teachers and counselors and precollege standardized test results (ACT or SAT). The committee also considers the depth and quality of an applicant's involvement in the community and school activities. Linfield is a member of the Common Application Association. To apply online, go to www.linfield.edu/apply. The application is free to submit online or in print.

International students whose education has been in a language other than English must submit certified English translations of their academic work. Proficiency in English is required, as demonstrated by an official TOEFL score report.

Early action applicants must apply by November 15, and notification is made by January 15. The priority application deadline for regular admission is February 15, with notification made on or before April 1.

Interviews are not required, but students are encouraged to visit. Appointments should be made in advance and can be requested online at www.linfield.edu/stopby. The Office of Admission is open Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and for campus tours on Saturdays during the school year from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

School Says - Campus Life
Linfield College is an undergraduate, residential, comprehensive liberal arts and sciences college dedicated to providing an educational environment conducive to learning and participation. There are 1,700 full-time students on the McMinnville campus. These students come primarily from the thirteen Western states (25 states overall) but also from 28 other countries. Students of color make up 17 percent of the student body, and seven percent of students are international. Most students are between 18 and 22. Linfield is a residential college, with 76 percent of our students living on campus. We have one residence hall for men, three for women, and 12 that are coeducational, each accommodating between 10 and 100 residents.

Located in McMinnville, 40 miles southwest of Portland, Linfield College is a leader in the cultural, educational, and recreational events of the fast-growing community of 35,000. Linfield is situated on 193 acres with most classrooms no more than a ten-minute walk from any of the 24 on-campus apartment buildings and residence halls. With most students living on campus, Linfield offers a welcoming and lively community.

School Says - Cost Aid
For 2010-11, tuition and fees were $30,300 per two-semester year, board was $3,860, and a double room was $4,700. There was a $180-per-credit fee for January Term classes.Eligibility for most of Linfield's assistance programs is based on need as determined by a federally approved needs analysis processor. The only form required for need-based programs is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Linfield participates in the Federal Perkins and Federal Stafford Student Loan programs, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Work-Study, and other forms of financial assistance on the basis of demonstrated need.

The College awards a number of scholarships to full-time students based on scholastic achievement, independent of financial need. These academic scholarships vary from 20 to 75 percent of tuition. To be considered, students must have a minimum GPA of 3.4. A number of other criteria are used when determining scholarships. Students and parents are welcome to use our Scholarship Calculator online at www.linfield.edu/scholarshipestimate to determine their estimated scholarship based off of their unweighted, cumulative GPA and board scores. Linfield sponsors special scholarships for National Merit finalists. The minimum award is 50 percent of tuition. Awards can range to full tuition, depending on financial need, provided the student has indicated that Linfield is his or her first-choice college. The College also sponsors the annual Academic Competitive Scholarship Day in early spring each year. Participation is limited to high school seniors who meet particular academic requirements and apply by December 1. Each academic department offers prizes ranging from $10,000 to $16,000, divided over the student's four years at Linfield. Additional information and scholarship exam descriptions are online at www.linfield.edu/csd . Scholarships of varying amounts are awarded to entering students who are particularly talented in music performance. Amounts range from $1500 to $2500 annually. Interested students are required to audition either in person or by cassette tape by February 15. Financial assistance for non-U.S. citizens is limited to partial tuition scholarships and the opportunity to work part-time on campus. Other scholarships are available for students who demonstrate outstanding leadership and community service.

Students Say - Academics
"Small, "truly wonderful" Linfield College is "is one of Oregon's unrecognized gems." It's "an odd little community with horrible food services but amazing professors." Highlights include a broad set of liberal arts requirements, an intensive four-week January Term, and a host of study abroad programs. The school even "pays for your plane ticket." "Almost everyone I know has studied abroad, whether for January term or a semester," relates a junior. Academically, "Linfield is a toughie, but a goodie." "The courses here are challenging but very rewarding. Professors teach you not only about the course subject but also how to think critically and understand multiple sides of an issue." Course selection is limited but "every student receives a lot of individual attention." "I have learned more at Linfield College than I ever would in a million lecture halls," declares a political science major. "Never have I had to deal with a professor who was not available to talk to and basically every professor knows all of our names after a week or so of class," boasts a psychology major."

Students Say - Campus Life
"Social life happens mostly on the "gorgeous" and "very friendly" campus. "Sports are huge here. If you are not participating in a sport, then you are watching a game or at least doing intramural sports." While there are several "great athletic teams," the perennially awesome football team is the biggest draw. "Everyone attends the games and wears our purple and red colors," says a first-year student. Socially, "the frats have a big influence." Greek life "doesn't overtake campus, yet it is still a pretty big part." "Drinking is a large social activity." However, "the party scene here is very mellow." "People are serious about their education" and "students who drink still manage to be very dedicated to their school work and other activities." The surrounding region is also a haven for outdoor activity but "there's not a lot to do" in "boring" McMinnville. "Trips to Portland and the beach are common." The massive complaint is the "terrible and unhealthy" food. Quite frankly, "the campus dining facility is an unholy abomination." Also, "the Internet is always having problems" and campus security is "over the top.""

Students Say - Student Body
"Linfield students are "welcoming, polite, environmentally conscious, and fun loving." There are many "creative, intellectual, outdoorsy nerds" here. There is also a solid contingent of religious students. The jocks are "a tad more arty" than your usual jocks. "The typical student is wearing casual clothes, listening to easy music on their iPod, and will smile as they pass you." In all likelihood that student is white, "from a well-educated and wealthy family" somewhere in the Portland area, and "on a sports team." There is a "huge foreign exchange student base" but, otherwise, ethnic diversity is a little limited. "We may not be as diverse as a large public university, but our sense of community and inclusive, appreciative, and accepting mindset set us apart from other institutions," notes a first-year student."

Other Schools To Consider Top Programs