Emory University closes most academic and administrative offices for Winter Recess, the three days between the Christmas and New Year holidays. The Office of Undergraduate Admission will be closed from Dec. 24, 2024 to Jan. 1, 2025, reopening on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. Please check our FAQs Over Winter Break blog post for additional information and resources during this time.
Emory University Remains SAT/ACT Optional for 2025-2026. Learn more here.

Campus Life at Emory College

Our community is active, diverse, and committed to making the world a better place. Take a look at the many ways our students make an impact on campus and beyond.

Diversity

At Emory, we don't just talk about diversity, we live it. We pride ourselves on the mix of people, beliefs, values, and social circles that make up our campus communities as well as our understanding that every one of us offers more than one way to add to our campus diversity.

Learn more about our diverse community
dancers on stage
35+
recognized faith organizations
50
states represented
100+
nations represented

Arts

students painting a mural
Emory has an active arts community, encouraging innovation and collaboration for both majors and non-majors. Arts at Emory hosts 300 events on campus in the arts each year, with internationally acclaimed musicians, numerous student ensembles, a professional theater company, prize-winning poets, novelists, playwrights, and much more. Many of these events are free for students through the Arts Passport. Additionally, the Center for Creativity & Arts integrates the arts into our curriculum, campus life, and extracurricular activities.

Service

More than 83 percent of our students volunteered last year through volunteer clubs, weekly service trips, large-scale service days, or alternative breaks. The largest student-run organization on campus, Volunteer Emory organizes 20 to 30 weekly service trips that connect students to meaningful service in the greater Atlanta community.
83%
of students
volunteer in Atlanta and across the globe

Traditions

Sometimes hard to describe but always fun, our traditions make for a lively and close community. Here are just a few:

  • Dooley (a skeleton) and our unofficial mascot
  • Swoop (an eagle) and our official mascot
  • Songfest, an annual song and dance competition between first-year residence halls
  • Wonderful Wednesday, a weekly campus-wide celebration
  • Carter Town Hall, an annual town hall conversation for first-years created by President Jimmy Carter featuring an eminent guest speaker
  • Candlelight Crossover, the transition of seniors to alumni happens during a candlelit walk to the Miller-Ward Alumni House
students cheer at Songfest

Sustainability

Emory's innovative water plant

Sustainability is a priority at Emory, and our efforts include our 28 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings; the WaterHub, our reclamation and reuse facility; and our robust recycling and energy conservation programs.

Learn more about sustainability initiatives on campus.
by 2025
95%
of Emory University's waste will divert from municipal landfills
54%
of Emory's campus is designated as protected green space
40%
of Emory's total water use is reclaimed by the WaterHub, our water reclamation facility on campus

Recreation & Athletics

Emory’s varsity student-athletes compete in NCAA Division III varsity teams. Our Eagles have earned 25+ NCAA Championships and over 195 UAA Championships. We have over 100 NCAA Postgraduate Scholars, second only to Stanford University.

Recreation and Wellness offers additional ways for students to be fit and active, with the goal of setting the groundwork for healthy lifestyles. Students can get involved in over 20 intercollegiate club sports or intramural sports.

Emory volleyball team celebrates their national championship

ROTC

ROTC student with flag

Emory offers participation in the US Air Force or US Army ROTC through a cross-enrollment agreement with Georgia Tech. While you can start your Emory career at Emory College or Oxford College, participants are strongly encouraged to begin on Emory's Atlanta campus where they will earn an undergraduate degree from Emory while completing military training at Georgia Tech. Students who choose to enroll at Oxford should understand that the Oxford campus is 32 miles away from Georgia Tech.

US Air Force ROTC
daniel.brand@afrotc.gatech.edu
404.894.7381
US Army ROTC
michael.ward@rotc.gatech.edu
404.894.9938

Greek Life

The Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life oversees Greek Life at Emory. Around 20 percent of students are involved in fraternities and sororities on campus. Chapter housing available for active members of some organizations.
sorority students parade during homecoming