High Point University: Academics and Campus Life

High Point University (HPU) distinguishes itself as The Premier Life Skills University®, dedicated to transforming students' lives through a holistic educational approach. This commitment extends beyond traditional academics, focusing on developing crucial life skills and fostering a vibrant campus environment.

A Transformative Educational Journey

HPU emphasizes a transformational education journey, attracting students from all 50 states and nearly 50 countries. Since 2005, under the leadership of President Nido R. Qubein, HPU has invested nearly $3 billion in academic programs, student life facilities, and residential communities. This includes the addition of eleven new academic schools and a $500 million Innovation Corridor.

HPU is a values-based institution that believes each member of its faculty and staff has the power to enhance the lives of the students entrusted to their care. Their call to action is simple and profound: Choose to be extraordinary!

Academic Excellence and Experiential Learning

HPU offers a broad spectrum of academic coursework with 73 majors, 70 minors, and 20+ graduate degree programs, all complemented by experiential learning programs. These programs include internships, undergraduate research, global education, and service learning. Students may choose an area of study they've always been passionate about, a subject that they've recently become interested in or a major that they've never considered before. The opportunities are endless at HPU.

Innovative educational initiatives, such as the President's First-Year Seminar on Life Skills (a required course for all freshmen), ensure students grow in specific academic areas and develop competencies in communication, networking, coachability, fiscal literacy, and service.

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State-of-the-Art Facilities

HPU is committed to providing state-of-the-art facilities across disciplines, designed to meet the needs of its students. These facilities include:

Cottrell Hall: Home to the Flanagan Center for Student Success, a 40,000 square-foot facility that is the central hub of activity for students preparing for job interviews, seeking career development opportunities, and looking for ways to diversify their career skills.
Congdon Hall: A 220,000 square-foot facility featuring a pharmacology research lab, a gross anatomy lab, a human biomechanics and physiology lab, and more than a dozen simulation labs and spaces where real-world scenarios can come to life, including an operating room, an emergency room, a labor and delivery room, eight exam rooms, a pharmacy retail setting, and a pharmacy hospital setting.
Nido R. Qubein School of Communication: Featuring a high-definition TV studio, an audio recording studio, a screening theater, editing labs, a student-operated radio station, a nationally-cited survey and research center, a recently updated game design and Esports arena, and various computer labs.
School of Art and Design: Emphasizing hands-on skills combined with technological proficiency in profession-specific software, students have access to cutting-edge equipment, including a technology lab and several design-specific computer labs.
Stout School of Education: A 31,000 square-foot, LEED-Certified building housing the psychology department and the NCATE-accredited education school, equipped with simulated classrooms and clinical labs where psychology majors conduct hands-on testing and experiments.
Plato S. Wilson School of Commerce: Housing the Tilley Trading Room, which includes a live stock ticker and allows students to receive real-world, practical learning opportunities. The space also includes teaching and research technology, such as financial databases and investment software.
New Basketball Arena and Conference Center: A new 4,500-seat basketball arena and conference center recently opened in 2021. Fans fill the purple stands with roaring energy and endless enthusiasm during Division I basketball games, while major speakers, concerts and academic symposia are also held here throughout the year.

A Welcoming and Inclusive Community

With 4,600 undergraduate students, High Point University is a small university with big-school facilities. Its 16 varsity teams play at the NCAA Division I level. Students come to HPU from 50 states and 40 countries, providing the school with great diversity in student history and experience. HPU offers its students a safe community that feels like home, where the average class size is 22, and professors don't just know students' names-they know who they are and who they want to become.

Opportunities for student engagement are abundant. With 80% of students coming from out-of-state and 95% living on-campus, the student body has a distinct sense of family. Undergrads have seemingly built a "strong community" that's based upon "pride in being a High Point student." As this student demonstrates, "You always see people smiling, holding doors, or speaking when you walk by." Another common attribute of High Point undergrads? They're "hardworking and driven individuals" who are "very passionate about learning." Moreover, students stress "most everyone is very inclusive" regardless of your background. "We are becoming more diverse every year."

Campus Life: An Inspiring and Engaging Environment

HPU's entire campus inspires students to perform at their highest levels academically and socially. The university is committed to surrounding students with an environment that motivates and inspires learning. The university regularly hosts internationally acclaimed thought leaders who interact with the student body, helping students to discover their own path to personal growth and leadership. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice; Astronaut Buzz Aldrin; Apple Co-founder and HPU's Innovator in Residence, Steve Wozniak; and Former First Lady Laura Bush.

There's no denying the beauty of HPU. But it isn't about beauty; it's about intentional living. When students have been immersed in professional settings for years, they grow confident and unintimidated. HPU instills in students a growth mindset. They live, learn and grow to understand that intelligence, like a muscle, can be exercised and strengthened. This way of thinking enables students to learn more efficiently and transforms them into lifelong learners - a skill that will stay with them long after they graduate. There are also quotations that provide ideas for reflection. Sculptures of significant historical figures inspire students to pursue their goals. The Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum and Botanical Gardens bring holistic learning to life throughout HPU's 500-acre classroom.

Residential Communities

The residential communities are as diverse as the student population and provide opportunities for honors housing and living and learning communities. All housing is new or recently renovated, with many dorms providing apartment-style living. The campus is completely wireless, and students are able to check out complimentary iPads or Kindles from the Campus Concierge. Students may also schedule academic tutoring, reserve a bicycle, and receive complimentary tickets to all athletic events, concerts, speakers, and films.

Living in different residential halls offers unique experiences:

Blessing Hall: Offers the privacy of individual rooms while fostering social interaction through shared living spaces. It's conducive to studying and taking charge of academics.
Finch Hall: Provides a traditional roommate experience with shared bathrooms, making it easy to connect with other students.
McEwen Hall: Located near the library and academic buildings, making it ideal for convenient access to classes and resources.
University Center (UC): Offers a central location on campus, providing easy access to various amenities and creating a sense of community.
Honors Floor: Provides a supportive environment for students seeking a strong educational bond and a refuge from the challenges of college life.
Panther Commons: Most recently opened to students in 2024 is the new Panther Commons residence hall with apartment-style suites, a hibachi restaurant and retail shops such as a nail and hair salon.

Student Activities and Engagement

HPU's Student Experience team plans an action-packed calendar full of fun events and programs. From weekly movies and food trucks to annual LDOC celebrations and concerts, there's always something happening on campus. All activities are complimentary for HPU students.

Student Experience also houses the Campus Activities Team (CAT), the Student Government Association (SGA), the Graduate Student Government Association (GSGA), First-Year Experience, Sophomore Experience, and CARE.

There's plenty of fun to be had when High Point students step away from their studies. The "Campus Activities Team puts on several events throughout the week and weekends" including "Food Truck Wednesdays, [which] is amazing." Undergrads can also participate in numerous organizations ranging from investment club and the studio art club to Genesis Gospel Choir and "Wishmakers Club, [a group] devoted to earning money to grant wishes for children with cancer." And prospective students with a hankering for outdoor adventure will be delighted to learn that High Point sponsors an "annual whitewater rafting and zipline trip in the fall [and an] annual ski trip in the spring." You can also rent bikes (free of charge!) from the rec center or indulge in the school's ice-skating rink, another very popular activity. Additionally, the university maintains "very nice gym facilities" and has "lots of club and intramural sports" including volleyball and rowing.

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High Point University has nearly 100 clubs and organizations providing students diverse opportunities to get involved on campus! From volunteering in the local community, gaining a leadership position in the Student Government Association, joining a Greek life organization or playing intramural or club sports, every student can find a way to make High Point University their home!

Location and Community Involvement

Nestled within the city of High Point, North Carolina, HPU sits in the center of the Piedmont Triad, North Carolina's third largest metropolitan area with more than 1.6 million people. Both Greensboro and Winston-Salem are 18 minutes from campus. East of campus are Raleigh (1.5 hours away) and the Atlantic Ocean (4 hours away); south of campus are Charlotte (1.5 hours away) and Atlanta, Georgia (5 hours away); and west of campus are the Appalachian Mountains (2 hours away).

High Point University is fortunate to be located in the furniture capital of the world, the city of High Point. HPU students biannually assist High Point Market exhibitors to prepare for the largest home furnishings industry trade show in the world. With more than 75,000 attendees and 2,000 exhibitors, the biannual event attracts industry leaders from across the globe and provides students with experiential learning opportunities. While supporting an international trade show in the heart of downtown High Point, HPU students gain hands-on experience that helps them hone their professional skills through experiential learning.

Downtown High Point revitalization efforts, led by HPU's own President Nido Qubein, are centered on the city's newly finished baseball stadium, BB&T Point, home to the High Point Rockers. The stadium is attracting new energy to downtown High Point, and so are plans for an events center, children's museum and urban park. Already, the city enjoys a vibrant Main Street area with shops, restaurants and gathering places, such as the Downtown Train Depot or The Pit Murals. These features, combined with the twice-yearly bustling furniture market and the new baseball stadium, are attracting new people who want to live in High Point's hub of excitement.

Admissions and Financial Planning

High Point University is an exclusive member of the Common application, which helps facilitate the application process for you. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions is available to help you throughout the entire application and decision process. If you have any questions about the university or application, we encourage you to reach out.

To apply to HPU:

Complete and submit your application for admission and all required supporting documents online at www.commonapp.org/school/high-point-university.
Ask your guidance or college counselor to send your official high school transcript to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions or upload it to the Common App.
Ask your guidance or college counselor to complete and submit the Common App's School Report Form.
Provide one letter of recommendation.

High Point University is test-optional. If you would like to be considered for the Presidential Scholarship Program or Honors Scholar Program, an SAT or ACT score is required. When completing the test, request that the official results of the SAT or ACT be sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. High Point University's SAT code is 5293; the ACT code is 3108. Over 85% of enrolled students each year apply using one of the two Early Decision or Early Action November application plans.

The Office of Student Financial Planning works diligently to assist students in their pursuit of postsecondary education at High Point University. Although the financial aid process can be complex, HPU's Financial Planning staff are well trained and highly qualified to make students' experiences positive and rewarding. Interested students should submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) electronically via www.fafsa.ed.gov. The earliest that students may begin filing the FAFSA is October 1 of the senior year prior to entrance to HPU. The HPU school code is 002933. The results from filing the FAFSA will be electronically transmitted to HPU for review. This form will produce an expected family contribution based on the family's financial data and will determine students' eligibility for …

Preparing for the Future

Numerous global companies have a large presence here including Ashley Furniture, Bank of America, BB&T, Daimler Buses of North America, DT, Ernst & Young, FedEx, HanesBrands, Honda Aircraft Company, KPMG, Lincoln Financial Group, Old Dominion Freight Lines, Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, PwC, Qorvo, and Volvo. In addition to internships, the student experience is enhanced through business relationships with activities such as mentoring sessions, speaker events, sales role-plays, experiential learning assignments, business community projects, and a variety of career-related events.

HPU is poised for long-term growth.

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