| Location: | Southeast |
| Setting: | Large Town Setting |
| Type: | Public |
| Size: | Very Large (+10,000 Undergrad) |
| Mascots: | Hilltoppers, Lady Toppers |
| Nickname: | WKU |
Western Kentucky University (WKU) is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier.
WKU has a student body of more than 19,000 students. Its main campus, College Heights, is in the midst of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of construction and renovation. Since 1997, dormitories have been renovated, new academic and athletic buildings have been finished, with more construction under way. The university also has placed a premium on creating a parklike atmosphere, with parking lots on the interior of the 200-acre campus replaced with greenspace, trees and other landscaping known as Centennial Mall.
WKU sits atop the highest point in south-central Kentucky, a hill called College Heights with a commanding view of the Barren River valley. The campus flows from the top of College Heights, also known as The Hill, down its north, south and west faces.
The university's mottos are "The Spirit Makes the Master" and "Life, More Life!" -- both phrases coined by WKU's founder, Dr. Henry Hardin Cherry.
WKU alumni have among the nation's highest rate of giving back to the university, both in money and time. WKU is in the midst of its second major capital campaign, the $200 million New Century of Spirit. It follows the university's first campaign, Investing in the Spirit, which had a goal of $75 million but raised more than $100 million.
Besides the main campus at College Heights, WKU operates a satellite campus in Bowling Green and regional campuses in Glasgow, Elizabethtown/Fort Knox and in Owensboro.
The roots of WKU go back to 1875 and the founding of the privately owned Glasgow Normal School. This institution moved to Bowling Green in 1884 and became the Southern Normal School and Business College.
The student body and building were transferred to the Western Kentucky State Normal School, when it was created by an act of the Kentucky General Assembly in 1906. The owner of the Southern Normal School, Henry Hardin Cherry, became the first president of the new school. Classes began on January 22, 1907.
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Top States for Incoming Freshman
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| Percent of Students International: | 3% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 32% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | Yes |
| Member of: | NAA, NCAA |
| Sports Include: |
Football (Gateway Football Conference) Basketball (Sun Belt Conference) Baseball (Sun Belt Conference) Track (Sun Belt Conference) |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | In-State | Out-of-State | |
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 5,316 | $ 12,732 | |
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 2,720 | 33% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 2,078 | 73% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 2,993 | 22% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 2,864 | 40% | |
Any Aid: |
90% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 92% (Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 4% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 450, Math: 440 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 550, Math: 560 |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 96% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 18, Verbal: 17, Math: 17 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 23, Verbal: 24, Math: 23 |
| Application Fee: | $ 35.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Not Required |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Recommended |
| High School GPA: | Required |
| High School Rank: | Not Required |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Not Required |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |
College Advice
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I'm looking to go to WKU next year. I was just curious what the sorority life was like??
12 months ago
Best Answer
Sorority life isn't really what you see on the tv show "greek" - that was designed with ratings in mind.
Sororities are a great way to meet new people, do have fun and to be philanthropic. The world's top leaders were all part of the greek system - it teaches leadership. Usually people in the greek system have higher gpa's than the rest of the campus because they have strict gpa requirements. you learn so much and have an opportunity to be a part of something great. I joined my sorority 10 years ago and am currently an advisor - it can become a lifelong experience if you want it to be!
I'd definitely recommend going through your campus recruitment. Have an open mind and more importantly, just have fun. You'll know if it's a right fit for you.
For those who will tell you joining a sorority means buying your friends or that you're shallow, they're really the narrow minded ones because they'll never give it a chance - they've made up their minds without doing any research or trying to find out the truth.
Follow your heart, you'll be just fine!
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