MOUNT IDA COLLEGE
Newton Centre, Massachusetts
The College
Mount Ida College is an independent baccalaureate college of approximately 1,300 students in Newton, Massachusetts. It offers more than twenty majors, small class sizes, and an all-college curriculum that blends liberal arts with professional preparation.
About 75 percent of Mount Ida's students represent New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. International students represent approximately 11 percent of the full-time population. Approximately 750 men and women reside in five College residence halls, four of which are coed and one of which is all women.
Mount Ida's beautiful 72-acre campus was once an elegant country estate. Academic, administrative, and residential buildings are surrounded by playing fields, a pond, and wooded areas in a comfortable, self-contained environment. Over the last ten years, more than $16 million has been invested in new construction, providing residence halls, classrooms, and other buildings and an expansion of the Learning Resource Center. An academic technology building and an athletic center were completed in spring 1999.
At Mount Ida College, where each student is recognized as an individual, students find it easy to become involved. Students are encouraged to start new positive groups on campus that will enrich the College community. Campus organizations and clubs reflect the diversity of the student body and afford opportunities for creative expression and leadership development. Some of these are the Student Government; the Residence Hall Council; the Judicial Board; Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Chi, and Phi Theta Delta Honor Societies; the International Student Club; the Drama Club; the student newspaper; the yearbook; the Veterinary Technology Club; A.S.I.D.; the Fashion and Design Club; and the Communications Club. A variety of social, cultural, and recreational activities are also an important part of student life.
Various intercollegiate sports are offered during the school year, including basketball, football, lacrosse, soccer, and volleyball for men and basketball, cross-country, soccer, softball, and volleyball for women. There are also an equestrian team and club baseball for men. Mount Ida College is a member of the NCAA Division III. Many of Mount Ida's teams have enjoyed regional rank and tournament action.
Location
Newton, a city of 90,000, is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) from downtown Boston and has recently been ranked twice as Americas safest city. The College shuttle bus connects students with the Newton Centre business district, where there is MBTA subway service to Boston. The Boston metropolitan area is home to more than sixty other institutions of higher learning, numerous historic sites, a wide variety of shops, and diverse cultural and social opportunities. Local industrial parks, business districts, and shopping malls provide a wide variety of easily accessible employment opportunities.
Majors and Degrees
Mount Ida grants B.A., B.S., B.L.S., A.A., and A.S. degrees. Majors and areas of study include applied forensic science, bereavement studies, business administration, child development, child study, communications, computer animation, criminal justice, dental hygiene, English, equine management, fashion design, fashion merchandising, funeral service, graphic design, hotel/tourism management, human services, interior design, liberal arts, management, marketing, psychology, sports management, and veterinary technology. Mount Ida also offers a prelaw concentration and minors in child study, coaching, communications, criminalistics, criminal justice, forensic psychology, legal studies, and leadership studies.
Academic Programs
Mount Ida's academic and social support systems provide a balance of challenge and nurture. Prime examples are the Learning Opportunities Program (professional and comprehensive support for learning-disabled students) and the Academic Success Center (free tutoring and skills development). Each student has an academic adviser as well.
Off-Campus Programs
Most majors offered at Mount Ida include an internship (either required or optional) that provides valuable practical experience. The Colleges proximity to Boston permits internship opportunities at some of the worlds foremost institutions in many fields. For example, the Veterinary Technology Program includes several rotations at a variety of facilities, including the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital, Harvard Primate Center, New England Aquarium, and approximately seventy other sites.
Qualified students may also have the option of short-term, semester, and summer study abroad.
Academic Facilities
The Learning Resource Center and library houses more than 66,000 volumes, 560 periodicals, and a variety of media, including video disks and educational software programs. The Learning Resource Center is a member of the Minuteman Library Network, which also includes thirty-four public libraries, in a collaborative effort to provide excellence in information resources and services. Other on-campus facilities include a nursery school, a dental laboratory and clinic, computer laboratories, art studios, a communications laboratory, and facilities for veterinary technician studies and veterinary technology, including animal kennels, laboratories, and a surgical operating theater.
Costs
Tuition for the 200405 academic year was approximately $17,075. Room and board charges were $9400, and books and supplies ranged between $500 and $1000, depending on the program of study.
Financial Aid
Mount Ida supplements federal, state, and private funding with a substantial commitment of College funds. As a result, nearly 70 percent of Mount Ida's students received financial assistance during the academic year 200405. Grants, scholarships, campus employment, and loans are utilized to enable students to afford the College's opportunities. Mount Ida has a financial aid priority application deadline of May1.
Faculty
Mount Ida's faculty consists of approximately 60 full-time members, along with part-time and adjunct professionals. Each student is assigned a faculty adviser. There is a full-time career services counselor, a Health Center counseling staff, and a residence counseling staff. Most classes at Mount Ida have fewer than 25 students; such small classes are conducive to the individual attention to students for which Mount Ida is renowned. The student-faculty ratio is 13:1.
Student Government
Through the Student Government Association, the student body is able to share with the administration and faculty the establishing and administering of rules that are essential for successful group living. The system of student government is based on the assumption that each student will take responsibility for group behavior on the College campus and in the community. The College supports a Student Leadership Development Program, which includes both an academic and a cocurricular component.
Admission Requirements
A composite evaluation is made of each applicant. Official high school and college transcripts (the latter where applicable) are required, as are recommendations and a personal statement. SAT or ACT scores are required for bachelor's degree candidates and preferred for associate degree candidates. Transfer students must submit official transcripts of all completed college course work. Transfer credit for fashion design, graphic design, and interior design studio courses may depend on a portfolio review.
Application and Information
Mount Ida has a rolling admissions policy. Although there is no deadline for the submission of applications, applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Applications are considered as long as there is space in the desired program of study. Applicants are notified within three to four weeks after all credentials have been received.
For further information, students should contact:
