Clemson University - Taps Yearbook (Clemson, SC)

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The final step in gaining admission to Clemson is turning in the registration form (opposite page). Scott Harke ACADEMICS 181

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Admissions Standards Increase Just how can you tell a Clemson stu- dent from other university students? Be- sides the fact that they wear more orange or have more enthusiasm, an important detail to notice is that students are cho- sen selectively to attend Clemson. Clemson University receives more ap- plications than almost any other Universi- ty in the south. This is a demonstration of how many wish to join the ranks of the tigers. In Clemson ' s earlier days, when the im- portance of higher ed ucation was just be- ginning to be realized, many people in South Carolina didn ' t even graduate from high school. Dr. G.H. Aull, a 1919 gra- duate, explained that in order to decide whether someone was qualified, to attend Clemson, school records were reviewed. Clemson also offered a scholarship in each county to the person who was most qualified. This scholarship completely paid for board and tuition. After the first World War, Clemson be- gan to be more descriminatory in their selection of students. A high school diplo- ma became a requirement for admission. Even this was not enough as the number of students seeking admission increased. In order to measure the student ' s capa- bilities further, a test began to be adminis- tered in South Carolina in 1955. William Mattox, the director of admissions, ex- plained that this exam was similar to the college board, although not quite as se- lective. South Carolina schools at that time were not as demanding as those in other states and usually the college board was reserved for those students who took it as a matter of course. As Clemson began to grow and it ' s reputation spread, the admissions poli- cies grew stricter. High school records and college board scores became very important, as well as recommendations from teachers and counselors. Clemson ' s average college board score has risen to just over 1000 and every year the top percent of South Carolina ' s high school students elect to attend Clemson. Yes, Clemson students are more than orange-clad maniacs. They represent an intelligent group of people who have had to pass requirements in order to attend one of the most popular universities in the nation. By Betsy Smith Richard Baldwin 180 — ACADEMICS

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College ' s Choice Liberal Arts Majors Attend Clemson For Various Reasons The College of Liberal Arts is one of the smallest at Clemson, with 793 students in 1981. Thirty-four of those are graduate students, 28 in English and six in history. Clemson is best known for it ' s technical and agricultural colleges. So why do liber- al arts students come to Clemson? There are several reasons. Some stu- dents come because they feel that they can take some practical courses that wouldn ' t be available at a liberal arts col- lege. However, most students don ' t think so far ahead. Some students come to Clemson because their boyfriend or girl- friend chose Clemson, and others simply follow in their father ' s footsteps after hav- ing been indoctrinated with Clemson spir- it at an early age. Students usually choose a liberal arts major simply because they love the sub- ject. About half don ' t know what they want to do with their majors. Liberal arts majors are flexible because of the com- munication skills they possess, and there- fore have a fairly large choice of careers. Al Mathiason of Clemson ' s placement office says that there are places in sales, marketing, communications, production and journalism for liberal arts majors. However, students need to establish ca- reer goals early, take related courses and try to get practical experience in the field they choose. Mathiason ' s major problem is placing liberal arts majors is that most liberal arts majors at Clemson don ' t think about jobs early enough. For example, an English major who wants a job in a spe- cialized field like advertising may need to take courses at a technical school after graduation in order to get practical coursework. Dr. Thomas Inge, head of Clemson ' s English department, feels that liberal arts majors are needed in today ' s society. Knowledge without the awareness of the impact of knowledge is dangerous. Every- one needs a knowledge of history, lan- guage and culture. People need a sense of the past, of tradition, in order to main- tain and preserve society ' s values for the future. Liberal arts are the heart and soul of society. Ruthie Traylor is a junior who changed majors from political science to English in her sophomore year. She changed be- cause she enjoys English more, but plans to keep political science as her minor. Ruthie came to Clemson because she had originally planned to major in chemis- try, but never did. She isn ' t sure what she wants to do after graduation. Anne Bradbury is a senior English ma- jor. She chose Clemson because she is from the town of Clemson and her father graduated from Clemson. English is her favorite subject. She is minoring in the Richard Baldwin