High Point Looks to the Future
By CIT Consultant Lessa Scherrer
“The “great disruption” in skills is underway. According to BCG and Emsi Burning Glass, over one-third of the top 20 skills in job postings for the average job has changed since 2016. … while technical skills remain highly valued, the top five most sought-after skills that employers are seeking today are all human.” Forbes, 1/10/23
High Point University in High Point, NC, bills itself as “The Premier Life Skills University.” Its focus is on creating students who are ready at graduation to move into responsible positions in the world of work by developing the “human skills”: good temperament, motivation, coachability, emotional intelligence, and technical and academic skills.
Pharmacy Lab
The school of business is a big focus here, where they offer cross-functional teams and focus on the transfer of skills to “tomorrow-proof” their students. But High Point also offers a full complement of communications, humanities, design, natural science, and engineering programs. In engineering, classes are capped at 24 students, labs abound, and a focus on liberal arts and human skills develops engineers who can communicate with clients and colleagues from the first day. Undeclared and education students flourish in the humanities, while natural sciences students participate in a wealth of lab spaces, including a cadaver lab for High Point’s large pre-med/pre-health program. CIT student Lexi Rothstein, HPU Class of 2027, says, “I really enjoy the education I’m getting here. The professors really do want the best for you and will help you in any way possible if you ask for it.”
This gated community can best be described as “aspirational.” All visitors to campus must pass through security gates to access the grounds. Housing for most students is apartment-style, with full-sized refrigerators and glassed-in showers in each suite. Your meal plan includes swipes at the three white-tablecloth, reservation-only restaurants where students learn how to dress and conduct themselves professionally. (If necessary, restaurant staff will cue students to take their phones off the table and which fork to use for which course.) As you walk across campus, classical music plays and kiosks are set up where you can grab a coffee and a muffin on the way to class–all included in the cost of attendance.
One would think that such a fancy campus must be expensive, but its $67,000 total cost of attendance is less than that of a typical small liberal arts college. It emphasizes “God, Family, Country” but welcomes all faiths, identities, and nationalities. Fifteen NCAA Division 1 teams give plenty to cheer about. It admits significantly more students through early decision and early action than through regular decision because the school’s administration wants to reward motivation and action, and this trickles down to admissions as well.
Lexi says, “I think students should know that HPU is an amazing place to earn a one-of-a-kind education and that they should take advantage of all the clubs and festivals thrown on campus. Something that makes HPU different from other colleges is that the professors are there for you! Take advantage of it and gain a mentor because they will always look out for your benefit!”
