Feature Story
We Want You to Join the Wolfpack By R.J. Cooper, Professor of Turfgrass Management, North Carolina State University
I
remember well my first day of college as a Turfgrass Manage- ment major at Penn State Univer- sity. It was 1974, and my first class was Calculus I. I sat down at my desk on which sat a 3” x 3” foil ashtray for those who desired to smoke during class. Many did. When class began, I
took out my slide rule so that I could work the problem along with the professor as he wrote on the front chalkboard. I took lots of notes because other than the textbook and what the professor wrote down or said, there was no other way to obtain information about any subject. No Google, no PowerPoint. It was a much different experience than freshmen have today. It was much easier then to obtain acceptance into any college than it is now. Today, a large percentage of high school seniors apply for admission much better prepared as a result of advanced placement high school classes and SAT preparation classes. At NC State being admitted into a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) program means competing with well-prepared students applying in Engineering, Computer Science and other challenging majors. As a result, students and their parents may be disappointed to receive notice that they are not admitted into the Turfgrass Science major when they apply. It is understandably frustrating when parents who have supported and shown great loyalty to their alma mater find that their son or daughter was not admitted. The purpose of this article is to share some information about other pathways to acceptance beyond the traditional route of entering as a freshman in the fall following the spring semester of high school. In addition to this traditional path, there are others which can be pursued if that fall acceptance letter doesn’t
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arrive by email (no thick admission letters anymore).
The Agricultural Institute
While the focus of this article is on acceptance into the four-year B.S. Turfgrass program, we also have a well-regarded two-year Associate of Science degree program offered through the Agricultural
Institute (AGI). Graduates of the AGI have gone on to prominent positions at some of the best athletic facilities and golf courses in the country. This program is an “open admission” program similar to our NC community colleges. That means that once you have completed high school you are eligible for acceptance into the program. The AGI program offers a
NCSU Turfgrass Science students receive hands-on training in all areas of turfgrass management, including golf course and sports turf.
www.ncturfgrass.org
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January/February 2019
