Florida A&M University (FAMU) President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., leads a recruitment tour to Florida State College – Jacksonville, Kent Campus 6 p.m. Thursday.
The event at 3939 Roosevelt Boulevard, Jacksonville, is expected to attract parents and high school students who haven’t finalized their decision for summer and fall 2022 and beyond.
Jacksonville is fertile recruiting territory for FAMU. As of fall 2021, 594 students from Duval County were enrolled at the University. Of those, 497 were undergraduates and 93 were graduate students. The University is experiencing a surge in the number of students seeking admission for next fall.
“We have a record number of applications,” said FAMU Director of Admissions Hugh Durham. Despite the continued uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, FAMU staff and administrators have conducted dozens of recruiting events, he said. “We have gone to more than 112 high schools and college fairs both virtually and in-person.”
FAMU has become attractive to more students as the University’s profile has risen. For the third consecutive year, FAMU is the highest-ranked public Historically Black College and University (HBCU), and it is ranked 104 in the U.S. News & World Report Ranking of National Public Universities. The University also ranked No. 13 on the U.S. News & World Report Social Mobility Index, which reflects the University’s ability to change the economic trajectory of its graduates.
The University has also seen a rise in the academic profile of admitted students, Durham said. The admitted incoming freshman class has a 3.90 GPA, 1150 SAT score and 25 ACT score. Earlier this month, the University’s R-2 research status was confirmed for the third consecutive year.
Accompanying Robinson will be student leaders, Division of Student Affairs staff, and advisers from the University’s more than a dozen schools and colleges. The FAMU Connection troupe will also perform during the event.