By Shaniya Mesilien, 11th grade, Brien McMahon High School. The second in a series of reports by the students on the 2017 Carver College Tour.
As an 11th grader you might assume that I have seen a few colleges in preparation to naming the college of my choice. Yet, this is my first opportunity to make an informed decision, thanks to my participation in Carver’s 47th annual college tour. We are in this wonderful city of Memphis, TN and after lunch at Central Barbecue we arrived at the University of Memphis. Immediately, I noticed the contrasts between the last school we visited, Memphis College of Arts, and the University of Memphis. The size of the school is obviously considerably different. The University of Memphis’ many tall buildings remind me of my trips to Stamford, CT.
Our two guides shared their passion for the university and they lit up with pride when they talked about the new nursing facility. My peers who are considering a career in nursing were very impressed. As a future psychologist, I was more interested in the building that hosts the psychology program.
There are approximately 18,000 students enrolled. Students have access to study abroad in more than 40 countries. The University of Memphis is nationally recognized for its academic and research programs. Students come here from all 50 states and all over the world to receive bachelor's, master's, professional and doctoral degrees and they have more than 254 areas of study to explore. The admission criteria include a GPA of 3.0. The average ACT score is 19. The University of Memphis has an acceptance rate of 92%.
I am a track and field athlete and I was so excited to learn that the University of Memphis is a Division 1 school. It would be a dream come true to compete at a Division 1 school and equally exciting to continue my knowledge acquisition in such a diverse community as this one. School safety is very important in my selection process and the University of Memphis is very safe. Emergency stations are scattered around campus and you can alert campus police by merely pushing a button. These officers will escort you to any place on campus at anytime during the night. The University of Memphis’s mascot is Tom the Tiger. Many students proudly wear the blue and gray to show school pride.
This university offers a strong support system that provides a lot of opportunities to have success and also offers access to 250 student clubs. Their internship program is ranked 7th in the nation. With much debate about healthcare, it was wonderful to learn that healthcare was free to students and they had access to x-rays, medical evaluation and treatment. The only cost is for their medication. Since the school operates on a first come first serve basis, a freshman has the same access to quality health care as seniors. This is a huge motivation for admission. Freshman students can gain access to premier housing, which is not the case at other institutions. I recommend this school and have placed it at the top of my college choice list.
