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Colleges of Distinction: Connecticut
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Eastern Connecticut State University

Willimantic, Connecticut

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state’s designated public liberal arts university. A predominantly undergraduate institution, Eastern attracts and welcomes a diverse community of learners who are supported by a teaching faculty, staff, administrators, and a residential campus that promotes intellectual curiosity, integrity, and social responsibility.

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Independent of their majors and career aspirations, all Eastern students take a common Liberal Arts core curriculum. This curriculum is sequenced and interdisciplinary, offering students a broad range of theoretical approaches in a variety of active learning settings to cultivate their knowledge and skills. Eastern’s programs prepare students for careers or advanced study while also providing them with the lifelong skills and confidence needed to succeed in a world of constant economic, social, and technological change.

Get to know Eastern Connecticut State University

Enrolled female students
58%
 
Enrolled male students
42%
 
Gender Ratio
Full-time faculty
41%
 
Adjuncts
59%
 
Faculty Ratio
$9,706
Out-of-state tuition cost
Rolling
Application deadline
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
Acceptance rate
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
Out-of-state students
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
Full-time faculty w/ terminal degree

Benefits

Student Activities

Student Activities

  • Campus Ministries
  • Choral groups
  • Concert band
  • Dance
  • Drama/theatre
  • International Student Organization
  • Jazz band
  • Literary magazine
  • Music ensembles
  • Musical theatre
  • Opera
  • Radio station
  • Student government
  • Student newspaper
  • Television station
  • Yearbook
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High-Impact Practices

High-Impact Practices

  • First-Year Seminars and Experiences
  • Common Intellectual Experiences
  • Learning Communities
  • Writing-Intensive Courses
  • Collaborative Assignments and Projects
  • Undergraduate Research
  • Diversity/Global Learning
  • Service-Learning
  • Internships/Coops/Practicums
  • Capstone Courses and Projects/Senior Experience
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Campus Resources

Campus Resources

  • Career Services
  • Writing Center
  • Academic Advisors
  • Library Services
  • Disability Services
  • Multicultural Engagement Center
  • Health Services
  • Transgender-Inclusive Student Health Services
  • Academic Tutors
  • Financial Aid Advisors
  • Veteran Services
  • Peer Mentors
  • Counseling
  • Gender & Sexuality Center
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College Highlights

Engaged Students
Great Teaching
Vibrant Community
Succesful Outcomes
Admission & Aid
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Engaged Students

“The opportunities I’ve had at Eastern have affirmed my decision to pursue a career in the healthcare industry and prepared me for graduate school to become an occupational therapist.” – Eastern student

With an average class size of 23 and a student-to-teacher ratio of 15:1, students engage in lively discussions with their peers and benefit from close relationships with professors. They have access to Eastern’s wealth of technology and facilities as they participate in a curriculum that emphasizes hands-on learning experiences. Students garner further real-world experience as they engage with the local community through service-learning and volunteerism.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
At Eastern, students of all majors and class levels conduct research. As undergraduates, their high-quality work is published in academic journals and presented at local and national conferences—from Eastern’s own CREATE conference to the respected Posters on the Hill and National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Students’ research earns them awards, helps them obtain competitive internships, and admits them into prestigious graduate schools. With fellowships, project grants, faculty mentorships, connections to research conferences, and extensive laboratory space on campus, Eastern is a comprehensive school for undergraduate research.

GLOBAL FIELD COURSES AND STUDY ABROAD
Every year, students take department-sponsored “global field courses” (GFC), which are culturally and academically immersive study abroad experiences led by Eastern faculty. All corners of the globe have been visited ever since the first GFC program in biology went to the Caribbean in the late 1960s. Most recently, the biology students went to Costa Rica; communication students studied throughout Eastern Europe; health sciences students went to Ghana; environmental earth science students went to Iceland; psychology students went to Ireland, and English students went to Italy.

Students enjoy traditional, semester-long study abroad trips, too, with programs that bring them as nearby as Canada and Puerto Rico or as far away as Japan and Australia.

SERVICE-LEARNING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Professors across campus engage their students in community-based learning, recognizing the impactful educational experience of working with community members and organizations. In 2018-19, the town of Willimantic served as a laboratory for more than 2,500 students who participated in more than 150 service events. More than 30 service-learning courses ranged from performing arts to business information systems. Over the year, more than 50% of all Eastern students performed community service, logging 27,500 hours in a variety of community service efforts that amounted to $700,000 in donated time.

ON-CAMPUS LEARNING VENUES
Among other locales on campus, students experience learning in the 19-acre Arboretum nature preserve, the planetarium, the radio station, the television studio, the Center for Early Childhood Education, the venues of the new 118,000-square-foot Fine Arts Instructional Center, and the high-tech labs of the 174,000-square-foot Science Building.

CUSTOMIZED EDUCATION
Students can design their own major through Eastern’s Individualized Major option. Students have designed majors such as Digital Multimedia, Psychology and Business Administration, Law and Society, Philosophical Methodology, Multimedia Writing/Production for the Deaf, Behavioral Biology, and French Women’s Studies.

CLASS SIZE
The number of sections of each class size.
2-9: 65 | 10-19: 348 | 20-29: 256
30-39: 103 | 40-49: 29 | 50-99: 0 | 100+: 0

ENROLLMENT BY ETHNICITY
Non-U.S. Citizen: 1%
Hispanic/Latinx: 13%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic: 9%
White, non-Hispanic: 64%
Native/Indigenous American or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: 0%
Asian, non-Hispanic: 3%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: 0%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 4%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown: 7%

Great Teaching

Eastern’s faculty are dedicated to teaching with a primary focus on mentoring and facilitating their students’ learning. Students at Eastern have the opportunity to get to know and learn from their professors one-on-one. At the same time, 97 percent of the faculty possess terminal degrees and frequently win awards, grants, and fellowships for their own scholarship and research.

A LIBERAL EDUCATION. PRACTICALLY APPLIED
The liberal arts core curriculum uses innovative, interdisciplinary courses to expose students to a broad range of subjects while developing valuable skills in critical thinking and problem solving, writing and communication, and collaboration and independent research.

“I am truly honored to be a recipient of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship. This recognition is a testament to the strength of Eastern’s biology program and the value of the research experience I have acquired in Dr. Patricia Szczys’ laboratory.” – Jacob Dayton ‘19; Biology Major and Goldwater Scholar

PROFESSIONAL PROFESSORS
Eastern’s professors are experts in their fields—they work as acclaimed artists, publish poetry, conduct important scientific studies, write textbooks and novels, and travel to teach throughout the world. History Professor David Frye’s book, Walls, has gained international acclaim. English Professor Daniel Donaghy’s latest poetry collection, Somerset, received the 2019 Patterson Prize as the outstanding book of poetry in 2019. Accounting Professor Moh’d RuJoub was the sole recipient in the U.S. to receive the 2018 Distinguished Service Award for Educators from the Institute of Management Accountants. Anthropology Professor Sarah Baires was featured in the PBS series Native America and hosted an on-campus screening of the series’ episode three, “Cities in the Sky.”

HONORS PROGRAM
Some of Eastern’s highest-achieving students go through the Honors Program. Founded in 1973 and recognized both regionally and nationally, it is among the most active honors programs in New England. It offers full in-state tuition scholarships to incoming freshmen. In addition to taking honors-level courses and maintaining a high GPA, students admitted to the competitive Honors Program must complete an honors thesis—an in-depth, original work of scholarship.

NEW MAJORS AND MINORS
More than 800 students combined are enrolled in the popular new majors of Criminology, Health Sciences, Finance, New Media Studies, Liberal Studies, and Philosophy. Recent minors include Bioinformatics, Environmental Health Science, Insurance, and Fashion and Costume Design. New concentrations in Data Science, Actuarial Science, and Math for Teachers has updated the Mathematics curriculum, and courses in Mobile Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Big Data have been added to the Computer Science Major. The Communication Major also has six new concentrations. Students can now choose from 41 majors, 65 minors, 60 concentrations, and master’s programs in Accounting, Education, and Organizational Management.

ACADEMIC SERVICES CENTER
Eastern’s Academic Services Center (ASC) is dedicated to providing educational support to any and all students. Located in the library, the ASC is comprised of the Advising Center, Mathematics Achievement Center, Writing Center, Tutoring and Learning Strategies, and the Summer Transition at Eastern Program/Contract Admissions Program (STEP/CAP).

SPECIAL STUDY OPTIONS
Programs available at this institution.
Accelerated program
Cooperative education program
Cross-registration
Distance learning
Double major
Dual enrollment
Exchange student program (domestic)
External degree program
Honors Program
Independent study
Internships
Liberal arts/career combination
Student-designed major
Study abroad
Teacher certification program

Vibrant Community

Eastern’s close-knit campus community is enriched by more than 90 student clubs and organizations; 18 varsity intercollegiate athletic teams and numerous intramural activities; and hundreds of guest lectures, artist performances, and other cultural and intellectual events each year.

“I was walking in the Student Center one day and the assistant dean came up to me and congratulated me. He knew my name and my accomplishments. That doesn’t happen at larger schools.” – Stefanie Dominguez ‘18, Early Childhood Education major and national presenter on her research on dual language learning among preschoolers

CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS
Eastern offers an assortment of clubs and student organizations, including adventure clubs like the Eastern Outdoors Club and Ski-n-Board Club; media clubs like the school newspaper and TV station; service clubs like People Helping People and Habitat for Humanity; academic clubs like the Biochemistry and History Clubs; athletic clubs like the ice hockey team and martial arts club; cultural clubs like the Organization for Latin American Students and the Jewish organization Hillel; professional associations like the Pre-Health and Pre-Law Societies; student government; and clubs for leadership, arts, and much more.

LEARNING COMMUNITIES
Students with similar values and hobbies have the opportunity to live together through Eastern’s “Theme Housing” options. Currently, there are 18 housing communities on campus, including themes for transfer students (T3) and first-generation college students (First G); students who value gender inclusivity and social justice; and more. Students in theme housing enjoy the benefits of like-minded neighbors as well as a community budget that allows them to participate in related activities, such as when the Fun and Games theme went to Comic-Con or when the Green Theme went to a conference on sustainability.

THE WARRIOR CUP
The Warrior Cup is an annual competition among all 13 residence halls, giving each hall the opportunity to display its commitment to personal and academic success along with hall and school spirit. Students and their residence halls earn points by participating in university events and organizing activities in effort of winning the coveted Warrior Cup. Constitution Hall won the cup in 2019, adding to the list of residence halls that have won the cup since its inception in 2008. In that time, resident students have raised more than $40,000 for local charities as part of the cup’s activities.

ATHLETICS AND INTRAMURALS
Eastern’s NCAA athletes are smart, earning Eastern the Little East Conference President’s Cup three times in the eight-year history of the award, which is given to the top-performing academic institution in the Little East Conference. In 2016, the average GPA for Eastern student athletes was 3.18. The Warriors also won the cup in 2015 and 2010. The University has also won the LEC’s Commissioners Cup for the third year in a row for having the best overall performance among the conference’s 19 varsity sports.

Students can also participate in a number of competitive or casual intramural sports, such as basketball, volleyball, and soccer.

CENTER FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Eastern and the town of Willimantic maintain a mutually beneficial relationship that continues to strengthen due to the Center for Community Engagement (CCE). The CCE organizes numerous special events, such as the annual Day of Giving holiday meal, as well as semester-long service programs that affect long-term change, such as tutor programs with Willimantic Public Schools. In the 2018-19 academic year, more than 2,500 students volunteered 27,500 hours. The CCE also coordinates community-based service-learning opportunities with professors.

SCHOOL LOCATION
Eastern is located in Willimantic, CT, in the northeastern corner of the state, often called the “Quiet Corner.” The university is approximately 2.5 hours from New York City and less than two hours from Boston, MA.

ATHLETICS
Eastern competes in the NCAA Division III, fielding 18 varsity teams ranging from women’s swimming to men’s lacrosse. The University has won nine national championships—five in softball and four in baseball. In 2019, the University’s softball team was third in the nation in the NCAA Division III national tournament.

RESIDENCE LIFE
Percent of students living on campus.
First-time, first-year (freshman) students: 85%
Undergraduates: 51%

Campus housing options.
Coed dorms
Apartments for single students
Gender-inclusive housing
Theme housing

SCHOOL LOCATION
Eastern is located in Willimantic, CT, in the northeastern corner of the state, often called the “Quiet Corner.” The university is approximately 2 ½ hours from New York City and less than two hours from Boston, MA.

Succesful Outcomes

Eastern graduates are prepared for a variety of careers, equipped with the life skills needed to adapt to today’s constantly changing world. They are award-winning authors, scientists, and educators. They are leaders of business and government. They are top accountants, media specialists, and more. Something they all have in common is their liberal arts background and strong critical thinking and communication skills.

GRADUATE SCHOOL PLACEMENT
Eastern graduates attend some of the finest graduate programs in the nation. Graduate programs accepting Eastern graduates include Harvard University, Yale University, Boston University, Wesleyan University, Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine, Georgetown School of Law, and Columbia University, to name a few.

CAREER SERVICES
The Center for Internships and Career Development offers comprehensive career counseling and job assistance to Eastern students and alumni. The office reviews résumés, conducts mock interviews, and connects students with internships, co-ops, and full-time employment opportunities.

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI
Distinguished alumni at Eastern include:

  • Chimamanda Adichie ’01 (communication) is an internationally acclaimed novelist and author of Americanah, a New York Times top-ten book of the year in 2013. Adichie received the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant in 2008 and was listed in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2015. She recently received the 2018 PEN Pinter Prize.
  • Marc Freeman ’93 (biology) is the director of the Vollum Institute at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, OR. The institute, home to more than 200 scientists, researchers, and students, investigates new treatments for neurological and psychiatric diseases.
  • Tracey Boyden ’89 (biology) is a principal scientist at Pfizer who holds several patents. Over the course of 25 years with the pharmaceutical giant, she has contributed to the development of numerous drug therapies that treat a variety of diseases from cancer to neurological disorders.
  • Jeffery Benedict ’91 (history) is a best-selling author and award-winning feature writer for Sports Illustrated. He has authored 12 books, including his most recent, the New York Times bestseller The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football.
  • Andrew Gutt ’09 (business administration) is the owner of Cafémantic, an award-winning restaurant in downtown Willimantic, CT.
  • Clayton Pollock ’07 (biology) is a biologist for the National Park Service in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Among his projects, Clayton uses acoustic telemetry to track the habitats and movements of sharks, sea turtles, and important reef fish to determine the effectiveness of national park boundaries.
  • LaToya Smith ’06 (communication) is an award-winning multimedia journalist and CEO of Brass City Media, a New York City-based content marketing agency. LaToya is also a tech correspondent on eTech.tv, an online edutainment show about technology trends.

“Eastern provides an environment that is intellectually engaging, culturally diverse and socially enriching. It is my professional opinion that the faculty in the KPE department are among the best educators in the country.” – Sport and Leisure Management Major Justin Brown ’09 heads the Cancer Metabolism Research Program at Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation in Louisiana; he was previously a research fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School.

Admission & Aid

Admission

APPLICATION DEADLINES
Rolling admission
Priority date: May 1

ADMISSIONS FACTORS
Very Important
Class rank | Academic GPA

Important
Application Essay

Considered
Rigor of secondary school record | Standardized test scores | Recommendation(s)
Interview | Extracurricular activities | Talent/ability
Character/personal qualities | First generation | Alumni/ae relation
Volunteer work | Work experience | Level of applicant’s interest

TEST SCORES
Optional

FRESHMAN PROFILE
SAT Composite
25th Percentile: 1025 | 75th Percentile: 1210
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
25th Percentile: 530 | 75th Percentile: 620
SAT Math
25th Percentile: 490 | 75th Percentile: 590
ACT Composite
25th Percentile: 19 | 75th Percentile: 24
ACT Math
25th Percentile: 16 | 75th Percentile: 22
ACT English
25th Percentile: 16 | 75th Percentile: 24

APPLYING FOR ADMISSION
Students admitted for the 2018-19 academic year earned an average GPA of 3.3 (4.0 scale). The middle 50 percent of admitted students exhibited:

  • Scores between 1020-1190 on the combined Reading/Writing and Math sections of the New SAT
  • Scores between 19-24 composite on the ACT
  • A rank in the top half of their high school class
  • Academic success in a solid schedule of college preparatory courses in high school 

Test Optional Admissions Policy

  • Students do not have to submit SAT or ACT scores when they apply for admission. Admission is based primarily on a student’s achievement in a strong high school curriculum, which is the best predictor of success at Eastern. See here for details on the Test Optional Policy.

Freshman Application Requirements

  • A completed application for admission, including the non-refundable $50 application fee
  • An official secondary school transcript (including first-quarter senior grades) and/or General Education Diploma
  • SAT I or ACT scores (Optional)
  • Two letters of recommendation. One letter must be from a counselor or teacher
  • College transcript(s), if applicable
  • Essay: at least 250 words explaining why Eastern is the right fit (this is a requirement for Eastern’s online application. If applying through the Common App, a student may complete and send one of the Common App essays). Essays can be submitted via email to admissions@easternct.edu.
  • [International Applicants]: TOEFL, with a minimum score of 550 or 213 on the computer-based test.

Tuition & Cost

Tuition (in-state): $6,470
Tuition (out-of-state): $9,706
Tuition (international): $19,358
Fees: $6,440
Room: $8,682
Board: $6,472

What Others are Saying

“Eastern offers a rare working environment where the emotional support generated by a collaborative community is matched by a commitment to intellectual curiosity and educational excellence. How we work together is as important as the outcomes of our work.”
— Anonymous Staff Survey Respondent

Contact Eastern Connecticut State University

Contact Admissions

www.easternct.edu/admissions/apply-freshmen
(860) 465-5286
admissions@easternct.edu

Campus Location

83 Windham Street
Willimantic, CT 06226

(860) 465-5286

Visit Eastern Online

www.easternct.edu

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