Information for High School Counselors

As high school counselors, you play a vital role in helping students find the right university. We know that students benefit from the kind of personal attention you offer — and we continue that personal relationship when they arrive at SMU.

Why should you encourage your students to pursue a business degree at SMU/Cox?

A well-rounded education
The Cox education includes a strong core of liberal arts studies. Students here are encouraged to pursue multiple majors and to study topics outside of business. 

An exceptional reputation
The Cox BBA Program is consistently ranked in the top 50 BBA programs in the nation. BusinessWeek recently ranked our undergraduate program #26 in the nation based on a review of criteria including student satisfaction, quality of the student body, employment information, and number of graduates who enter top 30 MBA programs.  U. S. News and World Report ranks our undergraduate program #38 in the nation, and the Fiske Guide to Colleges recommends SMU Cox as one of the best private universities for business.

Yet unlike many top-50 business programs, we do not offer a Ph.D. in business — so we do not have Cox Ph.D. students teaching our undergraduate classes. Cox faculty teach both the MBA and BBA programs. Students attending the Cox BBA program receive the full value of the Cox academic experience.

Individual attention
SMU and the Cox School are focused on the student as an individual. That's why our faculty knows their students’ names. That’s why faculty eat in the student cafeteria, sponsor student clubs, and attend SMU sporting events. SMU faculty and staff are tied to every facet of the student experience.

Admission options
It is quite rare for a nationally ranked business school to publish its admission requirements. Most schools tell students the grade point average they need to apply to the business program, but the actual GPA required for admission can be much higher than the minimum to apply, or other subjective factors may come into play. That’s not the way we work. At Cox, we publish our admission requirements in the catalog. Students who meet the required GPA are admitted to the business school, normally in the spring of their sophomore year. It’s up front, it’s published, it’s fair, and it puts access to the business school in the students’ hands.

We also have an early selection option for your very best students. The BBA Scholars Program invites a small number of students for early admission to Cox based on their performance in high school and on standardized tests (SAT and ACT).

Please let us know how we can help you connect students with SMU. If you would like to have a member of the Cox or SMU admissions staff visit your high school, please contact the BBA Admissions Office or SMU Admissions Office.