Mailing Address: 403 Main St., Grambling, LA 71245
Rank on 2008 List: 40
Rank on 2006 List: N/A
Matriculation Rate of African Americans: 40%
Average GPA: 2.7
Total Full-Time Undergraduate Enrollment: 4,219
African American Enrollment: 3,850
*Average SAT scores: Reading: 360-450; Math: 360-450; Writing: N/A
Summer Programs: Bridge-to-College; High Ability
Application Deadline(s): June 1
Start Sending Out Acceptance Letters: Rolling admissions; Letters sent within seven to 10 business days of receipt of application
Financial Aid/Deadline: April 1 for FAFSA
Costs: Tuition $3,622 (in state); $8,972 (out of state)
Greek Organizations: Alpha Phi Alpha, Iota Phi Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta
*25th Percentile-75th Percentile
ADMISSIONS Q&A
Annie Moss, Director of Admissions & Recruitment, Grambling State University
What do you believe is the best preparation for a high school student to attend your institution?
They need to avail themselves of the admissions requirements because we are going through phased-in selectivity. Starting fall 2007 to fall 2010, our admissions criteria go up until we get to selective admissions. They need to make themselves aware of the admissions criteria and prepare to make sure they get with guidance counselors to make sure that they’re on the college track. We find quite often students are not on the college track and don’t find out until they’re ready to graduate. [They should take] standardized tests early and often so they can score high on the tests because any scholarship offers are based on a combination of GPA and test scores.
What kinds of activities stand out on students’ applications?
A lot of students are involved in SGA, band, and dance, in addition to the main one [which] is athletics. We look at their extracurricular activities when we are considering them for scholarships.
What are the other most important things on students’ applications?
We need to make clear that all students must have the application, application fee of $20, immunization records, their official high school and college transcript, if they’re transfer students, and their test scores. In order to be admitted for fall 2009, they are going to be required to have 16.5 core curriculum courses that include: four English, three math, three science, two social science, two foreign language, and computer elective, art, economics, and government. [They must also have] at least a 2.0 GPA. The ACT requirement will be 20 or the equivalent of 940 on the SAT.
How does your institution attract minority students, and what is it doing to improve diversity efforts?
We have a recruiter [who is] responsible for recruiting all students, but her primary focus is on other races. She identifies college fairs in schools that will have a saturation of Hispanic and students of other races, and then we’ll send her there.
Once students are enrolled, what benefits will they receive by being at your school and not its competitors?
[One benefit is] the quality education for our low cost compared with other HBCUs. Our student-teacher ratio is such that students can get that specialized, individualized education; the classrooms are not so large. It’s a small but very diverse university. Our new residence halls feature apartment-style dormitories. We have some new renovations on campus [including] our dining hall, new assembly center, and the fine arts building.
They can be a part of a growing and exciting Grambling State University.
How do you dispel myths that HBCUs aren’t equal, in quality educational offerings, to other national universities?
I can start rattling out some names of some graduates of Grambling State University who have gone on to make marks in the country. We have doctors and lawyers–you name it. We have graduates all over the world who are making great strides and contributions to the community. We have an array, not just in the athletic arena, but in academics as well.