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Fisk University is Nashville’s oldest institution of higher learning, offering more than 20 undergraduate and graduate programs via a liberal arts curriculum rooted in cultural literacy and academic curiosity. The school places emphasis on the uniqueness of each academic discipline and the specific vocabularies within, and students can choose to pursue majors such as Homeland Security, Modern Foreign Language, and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. There are multiple dual degree options available at Fisk, including the Pathway to Nursing, in which students of the health sciences finish their degree in three years and then seamlessly transition to finish a separate degree at the Galen College of Nursing, as well as pre-professional programs with Case Western Reserve University and Vanderbilt University. For students struggling with their studies, or just wishing to improve, the Academic Excellence & Student Performance (AESP) office provides advising, mentoring, and access to the tutors at the Writing Center.

Studious African Americans…willing to help others make up the majority of the Fisk student body, where undergrads describe themselves as "smart, creative, motivated, and determined individuals who are constantly learning how to make ourselves better people." The typical student "probably has a lot going on such as class, community service, and on-campus activities" and "looks nice, dresses appropriately for any occasion," and is "very outspoken but respectful" as well. Quite a few students noted the high proportion of "nerds" here; as one puts it, "Everyone at Fisk University is different in their own way. There are many people here that others may call weird, but they still fit in because of that uniqueness." The same student continues, "Although everyone at Fisk is different, we all have many things in common: for example, intellectual abilities and the love of music."

Fisk University is "a small school" where "there are very few secrets and very few males" (women outnumber men by a more than a two-to-one ratio). "Because it's surrounded by many other schools," Fisk provides "a great college atmosphere" that makes it easy to have fun when you want to but also "easy to stay focused on school." Campus life offers "many organizations," including Greek organizations and the Jubilee Singers, the school's world-famous singing group specializing in African American spirituals. Indeed, "Music is a large part of our school's history, and it is still respected today. There is usually music on the Yard on Friday nights, and this is an event that gives the students an opportunity to mix and mingle and dance with one another in a relaxed manner." College athletics are also important: "We have boys' and girls' basketball teams, and they are very popular on campus," one student explains. On-campus events such as parties, club meetings, and philanthropic programs are driven by "a core group of students [who] push and push to make life better here," including many involved in Greek life. While some students from big cities may find Nashville "pretty boring," others will enjoy the city's vibrant music scene and its eateries catering to everyone from the meat-and-three crowd to upscale epicures.