Q: What's new at Drew?
A: Please visit the "What's New?" section of our Admissions website.
Q: Why did Drew make the SAT/ACT optional?
A: Drew joins a growing number of colleges and universities who have taken this step. We believe that factors other than standardized test scores are better predictors of success in college, including the strength of a student's high school program and his or her grade point average.
Q: Does this mean that Drew is going to accept less qualified students?
A: No. Drew remains highly selective and will continue to look for a
substantial high school record, including a strong grade point average.
Q: Will a student be at a disadvantage if he or she doesn't submit standardized test scores?
A: Not at all. There will be no negative impact on their application.
Q: Why would students submit test scores if they don't have to?
A: Students might feel that his or her test score provides a more
complete picture of academic achievement.
Q: Will Drew require anything to replace testing?
A: Yes. Applicants who do not submit standardized test scores to Drew must instead submit a graded high school paper. The paper should be a sample of the student's best work (writing sample) from a class of his/her choice. A research paper is strongly recommended.
Q: Going forward, how will Drew evaluate each applicant?
A: Drew will consider the strength of the high school, the rigor of the curriculum, the student's grade point average, and class rank (if available). Other factors of importance may include standardized scores (for those who submit scores) or a graded paper (for those who do not submit scores); recommendations from guidance, academic, and civic communities; extracurricular involvement and leadership; writing ability, and the admissions interview (not required but highly recommended).
Q: What does a typical Drew student look like academically and socially?/What kind of student does best at Drew?
A: Drew offers an extraordinary intellectual and personal experience. Recognized as one of the best liberal arts colleges in the United States, Drew attributes it renown to excellence and innovation in teaching and learning; an idyllic campus located 30 miles from New York City; and an abundance of opportunties for students to explore other cultures or develop their workplace skills. On the whole, Drew students tend to be more self-aware, more curious, more confident, more focused, more globally aware, and more accomplished than your average college undergraduate. They seem to expect more of themselves, of their college experience, and of life in general.
Q: What is there to do on the weekends? Do most students leave campus?
A: Our undergraduates come from across the nation and overseas and while many of them are from New Jersey , few return home for the weekends, almost none with any regularity. Most students remain on campus during weekends and enjoy a variety of athletic, cultural, and social events sponsored by the University Program Board, by campus clubs and organizations, and by a very active performing arts program. The train to Manhattan is within walking distance of campus. In under an hour students find themselves in the center of the Big Apple where they can sample unequalled choices of theatres, museums, galleries, musical events, cinema, restaurants, the UN, Wall Street, South Street Seaport, Madison Square Garden and the kind of energy that only New York City can offer. To be sure, students also spend part of their weekends keeping up with school work.
Q: What is the cost of attendance?
A: For Cost of Attendance information, click here to go to the Office of Financial Assistance website.
Q: Do you have a program for students with special learning needs?
A: We do not have a program for students with special learning needs. However, the Office of Educational and Student Affairs works to ensure reasonable accommodations are implemented for students with documented disabilities so they can function effectively in the academic environment. The Office of Educational and Student Affairs is available to meet with self-identified students within two weeks of initial contact with this office and at all other times on an as needed basis. Appropriate accommodations are determined, and course instructors are informed accordingly. There are no charges for support services.
Among the reasonable accommodations provided to help enrolled students with disabilities meet the degree requirements are:
- Individual counseling
- Group counseling
- Peer Tutoring
- Services of the Writing Center , staffed by peer tutors
- Note takers
- Examination accommodations
- Tape recorders
- Portable computers for in class use
- Academic and cognitive skills training
Q: What does Drew offer that its competitors can't?
A: A safe, secure, and beautifully wooded campus 30 miles from New York City; the quality, dedication, and innovative spirit of the faculty who have both an enviable record of scholarship and a commitment to teaching undergraduates; the fact that our campus is among the most technologically integrated in the country; the interdisciplinary and international emphases in our curriculum; hands-on learning opportunities offered to students--from internships to research to study abroad. Students particularly appreciate the quality of teaching, the small classes, and the close relationships they develop with faculty at Drew. Many also cite the absence of fraternities and sororities as a welcome feature. Drew also no longer requires standardized tests for admission.
Q: What about curriculum?
A: While many students come to campus to major in Psychology, Political Science, English, Economics, History and Biology, in fact Drew offers a bachelor's degree in 30 disciplines in addition to 47 minors, dual-degree B.A./M.D. program, dual-degree B.A./B.S. (or B.Eng) Engineering/Applied Science program, and pre-professional programs including Pre-Med, Pre-Law, and Business. Drew was recently ranked #5 in the nation by The Princeton Review in the category of Best College Theatre. And the RISE Program partners undergraduate students with retired industrial scientists where they conduct cutting edge scientific research.
Q: What athletic division is Drew?
A: Drew University has 18 NCAA Division III teams.
