Bloomingdale High School Counseling Department

Founded in 1856, Auburn University is a public land grant university that excels in professional and technical fields such as architecture, engineering, and agriculture. But the school also welcomes students with frenzied athletics, warm and cozy hospitality, and Southern charm. “It truly is a family atmosphere. We are here to learn and help each other,” says one happy Tiger. “That is what makes us such a great university.”

The town of Auburn, which grew up amid miles of forest and farmland largely to serve the university, is depicted in an Oliver Goldsmith poem as the “loveliest village of the plain.” The campus stretches for nearly 2,000 acres, graced by mossy trees, lush lawns, and majestic colonnades. Most buildings are redbrick and Georgian in style with some more modern facilities grouped in a compact central location. The Auburn Arena includes over 29,000 square feet of student-athlete space, a two-court practice facility, offices, the Auburn University Athletic Ticket Office, an AU Team Store, the Lovelace Museum, two food courts, and other amenities.

Auburn’s core curriculum (revamped in 2011) now includes many new courses in the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. Some previous requirements have been made more flexible, interdisciplinary honors sequences have been added, and all core curriculum courses have been aligned with one or more of the 11 general education student learning outcomes that all Auburn graduates are expected to attain by the time they graduate. To ease the transition into college life, freshmen undergo the three-day “Camp War Eagle” session, and transfer students spend a day in orientation. The academic climate varies by department, and students say classroom competition is rare. “I have found that rather than students competing with each other for higher grades they are more willing to help their classmates through tutoring or group study sessions,” says a senior. “In that respect, Auburn’s academic climate isn’t cut-throat.” Regardless of the rigor, students say professors are always willing to go the extra mile for students. “Although I have not liked every teacher I’ve had, every teacher has taught me something new and useful,” a junior says.

The engineering, architecture, agriculture, and pharmacy programs are stellar. Many Auburn students are eager to get started on their careers, so the co-op program, which provides pay and credit in several professional fields, is increasingly popular. Auburn has also established a first-of-its-kind program in wireless engineering for students who want to design network hardware or software for cell phones and other mobile devices. The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering has an aerospace engineering department and has graduated six NASA astronauts. Seven areas formerly designated as Peaks of Excellence compete for millions of dollars in special funding; these include cell and molecular biosciences, food safety, fisheries and allied aquacultures, and forest sustainability. Through the Auburn Abroad Experience, hundreds of students study abroad in programs lasting weeks, months, or multiple semesters. The Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Plan allows eligible students to count up to nine approved graduate hours (in a 30-hour master’s program) or 12 approved graduate hours (in a 36-hour master’s program) toward both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. In this manner, students may be able to complete both degrees in the time it normally takes to complete just the bachelor’s.

Auburn students are “mostly Southern people who are from Alabama and who have family that went to Auburn,” says a junior. Indeed, 62 percent of Auburn students are Alabama natives, and many are legacies—the second or third generation in their families to attend the school. African Americans account for 7 percent of the student body, Hispanics add 3 percent, and 2 percent are Asian American. The conservative tone of this Bible Belt campus makes it hospitable for many Christian groups, and Auburn is home to one of the largest chapters in the United States of the Campus Crusade for Christ. “Half of Auburn students love politics and enjoy the political process, while the other half wouldn’t know where their polling place was if you gave them a map,” quips one senior. Each year, the university awards merit scholarships; the average award is $2,885. Gifted athletes vie for 407 athletic scholarships in 19 sports.

The majority of Auburn’s residence halls are coed by floor, but there are several single-sex halls. On campus housing features 31 residence halls and 22 percent of undergrads live on campus. “Get on a waiting list ASAP,” advises a junior. Another adds, “The dorms are always filled up. There is always trouble getting a room if you procrastinate and wait like I did.” First-year students compete on a first-come, first-served basis with returning students. Twenty-one percent of Auburn men join fraternities, and 31 percent of the women join sororities, perhaps because chapters get space in the best dorms. Students grumble about the mandatory—and pricey—meal plan but say the dining has improved considerably in recent years. “It seems like they open a new dining facility each academic year and the food continues to diversify and get healthier,” a student says.

Aside from sporting events and fraternity parties, Auburn sponsors concerts, free movies, and plenty of intramural sports. “Social life is great whether you are Greek or not,” says a freshman. “The university holds several events throughout the year that are fun,” adds a senior, “but most of the social scene is off campus at apartments or fraternity houses.”  Long-standing traditions include the Burn the (Georgia) Bulldogs Parade and Hey Day, when everyone wears a nametag and walks around saying, “Hey!”

The overall sports program has suffered from the need to pay $11 million to a fired football coach and his staff. Auburn is a football powerhouse, and on fall Saturdays, 86,000 screaming fans turn the place into Alabama’s fourth-largest city. The rallying cry “Warrrrr Eagle!” rocks the place each time an Auburn back runs to daylight; the football team brought home the NCAA national title in 2010–11. Other solid teams include men’s swimming and diving (conference champs in 2011–12), equestrian (2013 national title champs), and women’s golf and track and field. The McWhorter Center for Women’s Athletics is one of the finest gymnastics training facilities in the country, and intramural programs are numerous and popular.

Auburn is working hard to increase the caliber of its students and academic programs, and especially to achieve a top 20 national ranking for its college of engineering. “Auburn has become more focused on the future,” one senior says. But students say certain key characteristics have stayed the same—and that’s a good thing. Says one student, “We just keep getting cooler.”

Deadlines & Requirements

Auburn: Early action: Oct. 1. Regular admissions: Nov. 1. Financial aid: Mar. 1. Application fee: $50. Campus and alumni interviews: optional, informational. SATs or ACTs: required. Subject Tests: optional. Out-of-state enrollment is capped on a year-to-year basis; there are no set limits. Essay question.

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