“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” Elmira College recognizes that students learn not only in the classrooms, studios, and laboratories, but also through interactions with people who have different life and cultural experiences; through athletics, performance, and other student life activities; and through community service, internships and other experiential learning opportunities. It is because of that belief that Benjamin Franklin’s famous words resonate in Elmira’s commitment to provide you with a life-altering experience throughout your four years at the College.
A national top-tier liberal arts college, and one of only 286 Phi Beta Kappa Chapters in the U.S., Elmira College is proud of its 160-year reputation for academic distinction. Since its founding in 1855, Elmira has placed its focus on academic rigor and was the first college for women with a course of study equal in rigor to that of the best men’s colleges of the time. Today, as a co-educational institution and a national College of Distinction, Elmira continues that focus on academic rigor and student opportunities.
Research
At Elmira College you are immersed in a community of study, research, community service, and campus life. With an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio, Elmira undergraduate students work closely with professors for relevant, hands-on research, solving real-world problems. In business courses, students construct business plans for real clients, including products and marketing strategies. In science courses, students conduct undergraduate research with their professors and, many times, present at state, regional, and national conferences and are published in various academic journals.
Internships
At Elmira, each student completes a career-related internship and a minimum of 60 hours of community service. These programs provide you with hands-on experience and networking that many times results in post-graduation opportunities.
Whether it be by completing an internship in a specific field of interest and familiarizing yourself with the industry, making connections and enhancing skills during your community service, or taking on a leadership role in one of Elmira’s student clubs and organizations, the Office of Career Services is there to support you in attaining experiences aligned with your career goals. The Office offers annual and special events throughout the year, such as a community services fair, a graduate fair, special programs, and guest speakers.
Study Abroad
More than 40 percent of Elmira students study abroad, either through a special Term III opportunity in the spring or a traditional 12-week term in the fall or winter at partner institutions around the world.
Term III, a unique short term in April and May, combines classroom work with travel, research, and exploration. Each year, Term III offers opportunities for students to do immersive and intensive work in a number of different fields, in a variety of domestic and international settings. Past Term III trips have included: marine biology and island ecology research in The Bahamas; immersion Spanish language classes in Spain; field biology and advanced ecology research in Hawaii; and international business studies that explore how culture affects international relations in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Soar to Success
Through these innovative programs, it is no surprise that more than 95 percent of Elmira’s students are employed or enrolled in graduate programs within one year of graduating. And strong connections between students and alumni create a worldwide network of opportunity, allowing you to soar to success, wherever life takes you.
Visit Today
The Office of Admissions invites you to learn more about the EC experience through a campus visit. Located in the Southern Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York, Elmira College sits on an idyllic 55-acre campus in the City of Elmira, with an additional 20 acres in nearby Pine Valley, NY, serving as home to the Murray Athletic Center. Described as “picture postcard perfect” by The Philadelphia Inquirer, the campus is 90 minutes south of Rochester, and less than a four-hour drive from much of the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, including New York City and Philadelphia.
Visit campus and receive Elmira’s Visit Award of $8,000 over your four years at the College. Take a campus tour with a student tour guide, attend a class, enjoy a sporting event or theater performance, or spend the night in one of the residence halls. Elmira will create a visit to match your interests.
Why wait — go to elmira.edu/visit and plan your visit today!