Morgan State University

1700 East Cold Spring Lane
Baltimore, Maryland 21251
(800) 332-6674
(419) 319-3000
Web Site: www.morgan.edu

"Applications for admission have risen dramatically, placing Morgan among the top ten public campuses nationally in terms of receiving applications from African-American students."

                    -Earl S. Richardson, President
                     Morgan State University

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Engineering at Morgan State:

The engineering program at Morgan State is "rated
one of the best in the United States." Thanks are
due to Eugene DeLoatch who arrived from Howard in 1984 to co-found a program that includes electrical, civil, and industrial engineering. A renowned edu-
cator and now Dean of Engineering at MSU, DeLoatch is responsible for producing a cadre of well over 500 engineers. The last we heard, DeLoatch was a panelist at National Institute in Science Education affair and was also present at the annual Black Engineer of the Year Awards. Today, over 40 corp-
orations provide intern and cooperative work ex-
periences for MSU engineering students.
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College Rank:

Morgan State is one of about fifteen historically Black colleges that has good name-recognition around the country. Founded in 1867, the school can cite its credentials, as one student puts it, "in any academic showdown." Not only does it rank fourth among all colleges and universities in the country in producing Black graduates who have gone on to get their PhD's, but it can boast a backlog of over 70 Fulbright Scholars since 1960.

Spread over 140-acres in northeast Baltimore, Mary-
land, the school is the home of one of the nation's top-ten future employment markets, according to one major study. To capitalize on that fact, Morgan offers pre-professional programs in business, law, medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. Indeed, the school has over 62 majors to choose from, including music, fine arts, theater and telecommunications. There are schools for the Arts and Sciences, Education and Urban Studies, Education, Engineering, as well as Business. To be sure, Morgan State is a major re-
source for the African- American community.
 

The Campus:

You can reach the campus, located in the City of Baltimore, off Cold Spring Lane and Hillen Road. The scenery is of stately-looking buildings surrounded by manicured lawns and lovely trees. The area has a suburban feel, and a residential neighborhood surrounds the campus. Welcome Bridge divides the campus into two sections.

On-campus, you'll pass the statue of Frederick Douglas which stands in front of Holmes Hall, the university's most widely recognized landmark. The building, which contains offices, has a tower with a clock. There's the Benjamin Banneker Communications Center (a telecommunications outlet), and Truth Hall, which serves as the main administrative building. The McKeldin Center (student union) has 10 conference rooms for lectures and banquets. Inside, you'll find the Parham Ballroom. The Morris A. Soper Library has over 600,000 volumes. Another gathering place is the Carl Murphy Fine Arts Center. Academic spots include the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Engin-
eering Building and the Science Complex, which is the oldest building on campus. The Booker T. Wash-
ington Service Center and the Talmadge Hill Field House are also important locations.
 

The Dorms:

There are a number of residential halls and a co-
educational apartment complex. Female residences include the Harper–Tubman Residence and Blout Towers. Baldwin is a four-story male residence with recently remodeled rooms. The one mixed building, eight stories high, accommodates more than 600 students, including freshmen. Other housing units include the Argonne Complex (with suites) and Cummings. Rawings Hall has a dinning hall that serves the entire campus. Some students choose to rent off-campus at locations in nearby Dutch Vil-
lage, Berkeley Square and Kingston Gates.

Getting In:

Once a relatively easy task, gaining acceptance to Morgan State has become increasingly difficult be-
cause of an unprecedented number of applications. Morgan now accepts about 55% of its applicants. This pattern will continue, with entrance difficulty in-
creasing as the school continues to pick and choose selectively. Of 4,721 recent applicants, Morgan accepted 2,601. There are approximately 4,480 full-
time undergraduates.

Since Morgan is a state school, Maryland residents (67%) are accepted more readily than out-of-staters. The key feeder states in a recent year were New York (626 students), New Jersey (368), and Pennsylvania (238). Other important states were Virginia (110), District of Columbia (105), California (62), and Connecticut (59).

Students with high grades and good SAT's are elig-
ible for scholarship money. For example, if you have a combined SAT of above 1,000 (with a B average) you could be eligible for a full Morgan State Scholar-
ship. There are also partial scholarships available for students with SAT's in the 900's. Morgan does not require any particular distribution of high school courses, and either SAT or ACT scores are acceptable. Morgan also does not require an inter-
view, but you can request one (on-campus only) if you wish.
 

      Academic Reality:

Morgan State students rarely mention any type of academic "pressure." The rough ride appears to be for students who are pursuing a major in engin-
eering, biology, chemistry, and advanced mathema-
tical courses. The majority of students (whether in liberal arts, business, education or social service) appear to be faced simply with the question of buckling down and doing the work. Students with academic deficiencies or poor study habits will probably have some rocky times. Without a doubt--and this seems to be a near consensus--students who are not "focused" and get involved in the social/party-
ing merry-go-round will generally have problems. The most popular majors are: business (22%), engineering (11%), psychology and social work (9% each), and education (8%). Morgan State has a plethora of majors a student can pursue. MSU is a "comprehen-
sive" institution, with a pre-professional mission.
For every ten freshman at Morgan, approximately four will not return for sophomore year. Less than half of those will graduate.

Although financial considerations are sometimes a factor for those dropping out, others just don't make the emotional and intellectual transition required. Tutoring is available for all courses, as well as counseling/career assistance at the Learning Resource Center. For those who can handle it, there are cooperative education plans with colleges like Coppin, Townson, U. of Maryland, and cross-
registration with Loyola. Opportunities abound.

A major plus, of course, is Morgan's Baltimore location. Students can serve internships in almost all areas, and there are countless opportunities for cooperative work-study and mentorships. Students regularly get aboard at AT&T Laboratories; Smith, Kline & French Pharmaceuticals; the National Cancer Institute; Baltimore Union Memorial Hospital; the Goddard Space Flight Facility; as well as schools, museums and social work agencies. Washington, D.C. is also a resource for students. Graduates go on to work at Honeywell, Allied Bendix, IBM and other leading corporations. Some graduates gain admission to selective professional schools of medicine and law. While on campus some students serve as research assistants. Those interested in Army ROTC can serve as cadets while at MSU.
 

Campus Life:

Students say that the social life and related activities at Morgan State are good, but that there is "little feeling of tradition" on a day-to-day basis. The aura of being a Morgan man or woman doesn't seem to be part of the equation. One upper-
classman suggested that, "maybe it's because so many students commute." In any case, major Morgan events include Homecoming (with a Golden Bears football game), and an "I Love Morgan Day." Many students like to chat or hang out near "The Bridge"--being seen, socializing. Also, you can go to parties that are "jumping."

The Greeks (seven fraternities, six sororities) play a major role on campus. Students often head to the McKelden Center, headquarters to over 80 student organizations. Groups that might be of particular interest to students include: the Morgan State Choir, which is considered one of the nation's most prestigious university choral ensembles, with over 125 voices. The Choir has toured the Bahamas and Europe. There's also the Magnificent Marching Machine Band, with 100-plus players. There's Kuumba (a tutoring and mentoring program), Umoja Student Affairs Council, SASY (a big sister/little sister group), JAHOD (mentoring for high school females), MSU Symphonic Band, and the Jazz Combo & Ensemble. The campus radio station is WEAA-FM (88.9). There is also a television production studio, a yearbook (The Promethean), and a school newspaper (The Spokes-
man).

On-campus entertainers have included Stevie Wonder, Danny Glover, Gregory Hines, Whoopi Goldberg, Jesse Jackson, and there has also been an "Evening with Bill Cosby."

Morgan's track teams (both male and female) are strong notable, and still complete at the Penn Relays and international competition. The football team is said to be "very bad," although the Marching Band is a joy to watch. Basketball (including the Lady Bears team) is popular. There is a volleyball team, and a wrestling squad that has won champion-
ships. Howard is the school's main rival in sports.
Also on campus is Hughes Stadium, a gymnasium, and handball, racquetball, and tennis courts. When students are not on campus or at nearby parties, they visit Inner Harbor in Baltimore, where there are shops and restaurants. At Pier Six is a 2,000-
seat concert pavilion, and the Great Blacks Wax Museum is a student favorite. There is also the Baltimore Museum of Art and great jazz clubs such as Ethel's Place. Washington, D.C. is just 40 miles away.

Prominent Alumni include Earl G. Graves, Publisher of Black Enterprise; Kweisi Mfume, President of the NAACP; Zora Neale Hurston, novelist; Wilson Goode, a Mayor of Philadelphia; Darren J. Mitchell, a U.S. Congressman.

Financial Aid Deadline: April 15th priority date. Apply much sooner.

Application Deadline: The application deadline is April 15th. Notification is on a rolling basis. December 15th is the deadline for the spring semester.

 

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