Basics – Lynn University is a small, private coed
university in sunny Boca Raton, Florida established fifty years ago. When you arrive you come into a circle of
flags from around the globe. 50% of the
students are from Florida, 30% are from other states, and more than 20% are
international. Typically there are
thirty to fifty NJ students each year.
Perhaps you have heard of Lynn University because they hosted one of the presidential debates.
My tour guide, Katya, was an international student. She was an undergraduate at Lynn and is
currently pursuing her MBA there. Her
sister also attends Lynn. Katya had
been on the dance team, was a Resident Assistant, and was a buddy to students
with Autism and Downs Syndrome in the ACCESS program. She liked Lynn because the professors were very accessible.
Majors – Popular majors include marketing,
hospitality and international business in the School of Business. Investment management is a new major. A new business building is being built.
The International School of Communication includes majors in
media design, multimedia journalism, film and drama. I saw the hands-on TV and radio production studios in the
communications building.
The conservatory of music has 50 students, all on full scholarship.
The liberal arts college includes a criminal justice major. Lynn University offers aviation management
in their flight academy.
Other Academics – All freshmen get a mini-iPad loaded
with course material for required classes.
The school offers three-year Bachelors degrees as well as 3
+ 1 Bachelors/Masters degree for many majors.
Lynn offers study abroad in 40 countries for the January
term, the summer, a semester or a year.
Lynn has sister schools in Dublin and Greece.
Support Services – 19% of the students take advantage
of the comprehensive learning disability services at the Institute for
Achievement and Learning, where an academic coach works with students on a
weekly schedule. This institute has 20
professional tutors with at least a Masters degree, a Writing Center with
professional staff, and assistive technology.
There is support for students with Aspergers.
Retention – 69% of students return for their
sophomore year and 40% graduate within 6 years. To improve their retention, Lynn has recently instituted a mentor
program for all students. One staff
member, who is not a professor, mentors five to ten freshmen.
Extracurricular Activities – The school has NCAA
Division II athletics. The biggest
sport to watch is basketball. The
women’s golf team recently won a championship.
Lynn just started a men’s Lacrosse team. A new stadium for soccer and lacrosse will be finished in the
Spring.
There are three sororities and two fraternities at
Lynn.
Students are very involved with community service, cultural
clubs, the psychology club, the communications club, intramurals and club
sports.
The second photo shows the monument built to remember students and faculty
who died while doing community service in the January term in Haiti when the earthquake
hit.
Campus housing – The freshman housing was pretty
typical of most universities: doubles with a shared bathroom down the
hall. The unique feature of the
freshman dorm was a sink in each room.
Admissions / Financial Aid – Admissions are rolling
and the college is test optional. 95%
of applicants are admitted. Students
with SAT scores for Critical Reading and Math between 890 and 1040, with a
minimum GPA of 2.9, qualify for merit aid between $6,000 and $12,000 a
year. There is one Presidential full
scholarship.
Who would be happy at Lynn? – A student who is open
to interacting with students of different nationalities and who is interested
in participating in the school’s extracurricular activities would be happy
here.
