Alfred University Admission
Alfred University Undergraduate Program
Alfred University Application

The Facts

Alfred University is a small liberal arts school located in the small town of Alfred, New York at the base of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is home to approximately 1,930 undergraduate students and about 312 graduate students. The university is divided up into several smaller undergraduate colleges, including the College of Ceramics, which encompasses the Schools of Art and Design, and Ceramics Engineering and Materials Science. Alfred also includes colleges of liberal arts and sciences, as well as business. A college of ceramics, you say? Yup. The school attracts many budding potters and artists who love the fact that their particular interest is actually directly catered to. The school's engineering program is also very prestigious. The school offers a wide variety of undergraduate majors; some of the most popular are in art and design, business administration, ceramic engineering, psychology, and elementary education.

Admission to Alfred is not incredibly competitive as the school is not particularly well known, however, admissions standards have been growing increasingly strict. Last year, approximately 2,170 students applied for admission and about 1,500 students were accepted; of those, 474 students enrolled for the coming Fall semester. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1000 to 1200 and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 23 to 28. Additionally, over 51% of those admitted were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of 3.37.

Alfred University has a great student to faculty ratio of 12:1; students say that their classes are rarely over 20 students, and that their teachers make a point of making themselves as accessible as possible. The school also offers a fantastic mentoring program in which undergraduates are set up with a professor and a graduate student for their entire time at the university. Another perk is that this private school allows students who are New York residents to pay in-state tuition, and for out-of-state students, the school has a fantastic financial aid program.

The Social Scene

The town of Alfred is miniscule, but the gorgeous natural setting makes up for the lack of excitement. Students do love the quaint little town, and say the residents are extremely friendly. There is plenty of camping, hiking, fishing, boating, and other fun outdoor activities nearby, which are popular weekend activities with students.

Students at Alfred also know how to throw a good party. There is a strong Greek presence on campus, and students love to head out to the many frat and sorority parties held throughout the entire week. There are also many student-run clubs and organizations at Alfred, over 100 in fact. Students love to get politically involved, and there are many political organizations, through which students hold many protests and political rallies throughout the year.

The dating scene at Alfred has a little something for everyone; expect both conservative prepsters and pot-heads with drealocks and liberal tendencies.

What’s Good

“People here are ridiculously friendly; the small town feel is really great and the people embrace it.”

“The professors are both incredibly intelligent as well as friendly. They really make an effort to get to know their students.”

“There are so many interesting programs here that are literally impossible to find anywhere else.”

What’s Bad

“The town is just way too small. It's hard to get anywhere else if you don't actually have a car.”

“If you aren't a ceramics student there is no attention on you.”

“People are just far too provincial here. They tend to be really close-minded, and it gets really boring and old after awhile.”

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