Springfield College (SC) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, Springfield College is situated on a beautiful 151-acre campus on the scenic shores of Lake Massoit. The college was originally a YMCA Training School and has evolved into a leading educational institution whose alumni are fortune 500 executives, innovative thinkers and researchers and leaders in their fields.

There are several new facilities including a technologically-advanced Wellness and Recreation Complex and the new Richard B. Flynn Campus Union that serves as the central meeting place on campus for both social and academic get-togethers.

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Information Summary

Ranks 25th in Massachusetts and 429th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	87.8
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$53,244
Admission Success rate	N/A
ACT / SAT 75%ile scores	27 / 1240
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	15 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	81% / N/A
Enrollment Total (all students)	3,139

Academics

Springfield College offers more than forty undergraduate degrees, nearly twenty master’s degrees, two doctoral degrees and numerous continuing education options. All of these programs are within the arts, sciences or humanities fields and include such topics of study as criminal justice, psychology and math for undergraduates and business administration, education and human services for those seeking graduate degrees. The college is dedicated to its Humanics policy and thus strives to educate the student as a whole by providing not only classroom education but also a variety of opportunities for students to participate in internships and other field experiences. The educational philosophy extends into the social realm as well with students being encouraged to participate in volunteer activities, service-learning initiatives and other humanitarian opportunities.

Springfield recognizes that many adults would like to continue their educations but are unable to do so because of work or life requirements. To better serve the needs of these people, there is a weekend adult education program that offers students the opportunity to study in either the School of Human Services or the School of Social Work. Students that choose to participate in the School of Human Services have the option to study at numerous campuses around the county in order to earn either a bachelor’s, master’s, or executive master’s degree in a human services field, often in less time that a traditional degree would take. The School of Social Work offers master’s, advanced standing and post-master’s certificate programs and is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Admissions

Undergraduate Admissions

Springfield College prides itself on selecting students that are going to be professionals that will contribute to society by helping their fellow man. In this spirit, they select students based on character, intellectual ability and leadership potential which they consider to be qualities required by people in the humanitarian professions. Therefore, they recommend that students complete four years of English, two years of both social and physical science and three years of math during high school.

Students wishing to attend Springfield will start the process by completing the online application form and submitting the application fee. The applicant must complete the personal essay. The school uses this tool to get to know the applicant, so students should include relevant things about themselves that aren’t readily apparent on other documents. There is also an essay question that needs to be submitted with the personal essay. Next, applicants will need to submit SAT or ACT scores and have the results sent directly to Springfield. Official high school transcripts and one personal reference will be required as well.

The school also encourages applicants to schedule an interview. Springfield has two admissions periods. Students wishing to apply in the Early Decision phase must have complete application packets submitted by December 1 of their senior year. Regular Decision applicants need to have everything submitted by April 1. There are separate deadlines and requirements for several individual majors so students should check with the school to make sure that they get everything submitted accordingly.

Graduate Admissions

Students wishing to apply to Springfield College’s graduate programs should be aware that each program may have its own entrance requirements and should therefore contact the school of interest to be sure that the application packet is complete. However, there are a number of documents that are required regardless of the school to which the student is applying. These documents include the application and fee, official transcripts and proof of a bachelor’s degree. Some majors also require GRE results.

Because of its Humanics philosophy, Springfield looks at the student as a whole when evaluating potential for success in graduate school and therefore looks for qualities such as motivation, maturity, dedication and purpose as well as traits that may interfere with the educational process. Due to this process, there is a student index that has been developed that takes all of this into consideration and applicants must score a minimum value in order to be considered for acceptance. Students that score barely below the minimum may be accepted on a probationary basis. Finally, all accepted students must submit the results of a recent physical prior to registration.

Financial Aid

Springfield College offers financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants, federally subsidized loans and work-study programs to students who are unable to meet the financial requirements of a college education. Aid is available to both undergraduate and graduate students though there are academic requirements for maintaining financial aid status. To begin the process of receiving financial aid, students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid available online starting in January of each year. Students should be aware that financial information for both the student and the family will be required in order to complete the FAFSA and should have this information readily available prior to starting the application.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 805th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Massachusetts.

Athletics

The Springfield Pride is an NCAA Division III athletics association whose colors are maroon and white. Their mascot is a lion named Spirit and they offer several intercollegiate sports including men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, swimming and diving, volleyball, gymnastics and track and field. Men have the additional options of baseball, golf, football and wrestling while women may also choose to play field hockey and softball.

Additional School Information

In addition to the numerous academic awards and achievements by the college, it is also known as the birthplace of basketball. In 1891, the school athletics department was looking for a game that could be played inside so that the athletes could burn off their energy during off-season doing something that appealed to their competitive natures instead of the same boring calisthenics work-outs.

James Naismith was a graduate student that had been named to the teaching faculty. He began to study the problem. He tried to think of a game that was easy to organize yet challenging enough to be interesting. It also had to be safe enough to play inside. He combined the pass from American rugby, the jump ball from English rugby, the shape and size of the ball from soccer, the use of a goal from lacrosse and the high, horizontal opening for the ball from a game that he had played as a child. He originally wanted boxes for the “net”, but all he had were peach baskets. He came up with thirteen rules and the game of “basket ball” was born. Thus, Springfield College has the claim to inventing basketball!

Bibliography

Springfield College. Springfield College. 2011. Web. 2 June 2011.

“Springfield College.” The Princeton Review. The Princeton Review. 2011. Web. 2 June 2011.

Springfield College