About

See what students say:

Academics

The “top-notch, passionate, [and] available” profesors at Southern “truly care about [student] success” and “take time to talk with the students---not just the good ones, but also the struggling and average ones.” “Once when I was too sick to go to class,” relates one undergrad, “one of my teachers brought the class handouts right to my dorm so I could complete the homework for the next day.” Southern’s academic strengths include “nursing, business, religion, and teaching,” but undergrads say the Seventh-Day Adventist school “creates mission-minded graduates no matter what field of study” they choose. Southern’s popular nursing program is particularly “excellent,” “enlightening,” and challenging. The “professors are fantastic,” says one nursing major. “They are all meant to be here and . . . I love them all.” “The administration is a bit old-fashioned” and “could definitely work on allowing more student input [o]n certain decisions,” but administrators are also genuinely “concerned about [students’] well-being” and “very sociable”; they, “including the president, are sometimes even seen at the dining hall serving students.” Students gripe that it’s “hard to get financial help” at Southern, and that the cost of tuition “adds a whole lot of stress.” “Where does all my money go?” wonders one undergrad. One student sums it up: Southern “is about helping you decide what you want to do with your life career-wise, inspiring you to have a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, and sucking your wallet completely dry!”

Student Body

“Everyone is different, but we all love Jesus,” says one student, whose classmates agree: Southern is “a culturally and geographically diverse school” in which “The big majority of kids may come from different backgrounds, but our unique religious background gives us a similar history and, thus, makes us uniform.” Students note approvingly that their classmates are “nice, happy, [and] friendly.” “The typical student . . . smiles and says ‘hi’ when one walks by. Most people hold the door open for others.” Many students say that “the students [who] are atypical don’t seem to have trouble fitting in because people seem generally accepting of other people.”

Campus Life

The Southern campus lies near the Tennessee River and the Georgia state line in a “gorgeous” region with manifold opportunities for “kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, cycling, hiking, boating, caving,” “sky diving, canoeing, and camping.” Nearby, “neat, artsy” Chattanooga also “makes for a fun and easy getaway.” The student body eschews drinking and partying; one undergrad says, “I know of one student who has ever admitted using alcohol and two students who have used marijuana, but it does not seem like a general practice.” Students rave about Southern’s “very spiritual focus” and “religiously loving . . . environment” but are divided about the school’s “rigid” policies, which include a dress code, required worship services, and prohibitions against jewelry, dancing, and serving meat in the cafeteria. Many students believe these rules create “the healthy good influence of a Christian lifestyle,” but others complain that “forc[ing] people to worship [at] designated times . . . makes people want to do it less.”

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Contact & Visit

Campus Visits Contact

Contact
Vanessa Kepper
Guest Relations Coordinator

Address
Office of Admissions
P.O. Box 370
Collegedale, TN 37315

Phone
423-236-2807

Email
admissions@southern.edu

Experience College Life

Most Popular Places On Campus
Student Center
Wellness Center
The Village Market
KRs Place
Library

Most Popular Places Off Campus
Tennessee Aquarium
Lookout Mountain
Chickamauga Battlefield
Hamilton Place Mall
Ocoee River

Campus Tours

Campus Tours
Appointment Required: Yes
Dates: Year-round
Times: 8-5 Mon-Thurs, 8-12 Friday
Average Length: 1 hour

On Campus Interview

Campus Interviews
Yes

Information Sessions
Available


Faculty and Coach Visits

Dates/Times Available
N/A

Arrangements
Contact Admissions Office

Class Visits

Dates/Times Available
Academic Year

Arrangements
Contact Admissions Office

Overnight Dorm Stays

Overnight Dorm Stays
Not Available

Arrangements
Contact Admissions Office

Limitations
May be available in some cases, check with admissions office.

Transportation

Types of Transportation Available to Campus
Hartsfield International Airport located in Atlanta, Georgia, is approximately 2 hours from campus. The Nashville International Airport located in Nashville, Tennessee is approximately 2 hours away from campus. The Chattanooga Airport is about a 15 minute drive from campus. Rental cars and taxis are available for the trip from the airport to campus.

Driving Instructions to Campus
From Nashville: Take I-24 East to I-75 North to exit 11. Turn right at the end of the exit ramp on to Lee Hwy. At first light, turn right on to the Little Debbie Parkway. Stay on this, until you come to a red light. Turn left on to Apison Pike. This will lead you onto the campus. From Atlanta: Take I-75 North to exit 11. Turn right at the end of the exit ramp on to Lee Hwy. At first light, turn right on to Little Debbie Parkway. Stay on this until you come to a red light. Turn left on to Apison Pike. This will lead you on to the campus.

Local Accommodations
There are several hotels to choose from that are only a few miles from campus. Call 1-800-SOUTHERN and we can help you with those details.
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Admissions

Applicants: 1,619
Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average HS GPA: 3.59





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