All Connections Enhance Success (ACES)
Join a Freshman Themed Learning Community!
Welcome to the ACES (All Connections Enhance Success) webpage! ACES is expanding to include four themed learning communities tailored for incoming first-year students. These communities offer a close-knit peer group within the larger university setting, fostering direct connections with dedicated faculty and staff. As we embark on these exciting changes with ACES, here's a glimpse of information about the four themed learning communities available for the Fall 2025 - Spring 2026 academic year.
At this time, ACES does not offer scholarships for participating in the community. Please visit Financial Aid if you have questions or concerns about the fees in regard to living on campus.
Health Professions
The Health Professions Learning Community is for first-year students majoring or minoring in health-related fields. You'll live with like-minded peers, build friendships, engage in activities, network with professionals, and access resources to support your academic and personal growth.
Emerging Eagles
For first-year students eager to develop leadership skills, the Emerging Eagles community is the perfect fit! Within this themed learning community, you'll reside alongside fellow program participants in the same residence hall. Engage in diverse activities, events, and programs tailored to enhance your leadership abilities.
M.A.G.I.C.
The M.A.G.I.C. Learning Community (Men Aspiring Greatness In Communities) is dedicated to empowering first-time male college students to become confident leaders and active contributors to their communities. Through mentorship, networking, and tailored resources, M.A.G.I.C. fosters personal growth, academic success, and the skills needed to inspire positive change both on campus and beyond.
Community for the Arts
The Community for the Arts Learning Community brings together first-year students passionate about the arts, whether as a personal interest or a career path. This vibrant community offers a creative space to connect with peers, explore artistic disciplines, and engage in unique opportunities that support both personal expression and professional growth in the arts.
Additional Information
Participating students in any of the four communities will live in Century Park North Building 3. Click here to access more information about the residence hall.
The application will go live at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 2, 2025! Come back to this page on that date to submit an application!
Once the application opens, the deadline to submit your application is Friday, March 7, 2025 by 5:00 p.m.
To be eligible to apply to one of these communities, you must be an incoming freshman that has started a housing application. If you haven't started a housing application yet, click .
Placement into TLC
Once submitted, your application will be reviewed by the learning community staff for a decision on placement. You will be notified via your USM email regarding your TLC status towards the end of March, and you will need to respond to accept the offer.
If you accept your offer to one of the TLCs, you will automatically be assigned into that community. If you have not been offered a spot in one of the TLCs or the TLCs have reached capacity, your housing assignment will be based on the room you select in the room selection process.
Hear what some of our previous students have to say about the ACES program and why they applied.
"I applied for ACES to not only be surrounded by people with my similar major, but to start off my first semester in college in order and without stress. Since joining the ACES program, I have gained some good friends who I believe will be with me even when my freshman year is over. If you're on the fence about applying to the ACES program, I would say do it! Go ahead and apply because it is an amazing opportunity to have."
- Jasmine F., ACES Fall 2023 - Spring 2024
"I applied to ACES because I wanted to be around a community of people where we all shared the same interests and major. Since I've joined ACES, I've enjoyed the connection of similarities with others, and through this program, I have gained many friendships. If you're not sure on whether you should apply, I would say you definitely should! It is an amazing experience where you meet new people, make friends, and help each other out in the same community."
- Valerie C., ACES Fall 2023 - Spring 2024
"I applied to ACES because USM is far from home and the program would ease the process of meeting new people. What I enjoy most about ACES would be recognizing someone else in the program and asking them to partner up for lab, or getting lunch with them. The most I've gained from ACES was having a couple classes picked out for me, which made the transition a lot easier."
- Kendall B., ACES Fall 2023 - Spring 2024
"I applied to ACES to be around other people whose major was nursing and to make new friends. Not just that, but you also have ACES dorms with nursing students beside you. What I enjoy most about ACES is Hannah. If you need anything, she can help you or find someone to help you. If you're on the fence about applying to the ACES program, I would say DO IT. You will make a lot of friends and have a good time."
- Takyalah R., ACES Fall 2023 - Spring 2024
Meet the Staff
Frequently Asked Questions
No.
At this time, if you participate in the ACES program, room and board is not covered.
No.
Unfortunately, you cannot do both ACES and Luckyday or Honors College. ACES students must live in the ACES residence hall for their community and cannot opt to live in Luckyday or Honors housing.
No.
A key element of the program is the shared living environment in on-campus housing (Hattiesburg campus). It allows first-year students to engage in a supportive community as early as their first day on campus. As a result, you are not able to be a part of ACES and live off-campus.
No.
The ACES program is a living learning program that requires students to live together on a specific floor of a residence hall and take specific classes together. As a result, you are required to live on the designated ACES floor. All of our ACES participants are assigned specific floors in Century Park North Building 3.
Click here to view Century Park North Building 3 information.
We ask that ACES students reside with other ACES students.
If you and your preferred roommate are both accepted into the ACES program, you and your desired roommate will both need to denote on your housing application that you want to room with each other. Both parties will need to have submitted their housing application, paid their housing fees, and denoted roommate preferences.
Please Note: Both roommates must be accepted into the ACES program due to the specific floor assignments.
Yes!
You can submit both interest forms. However, if you receive invitations to join both learning communities, you will have to select one to participate in.
No.
ACES communities are only on the Hattiesburg campus because of our live-on requirement. The Long Beach campus does not provide on-campus housing, which means they do not have ACES communities.
Questions?
If you have further questions about the ACES program, you can contact Housing and Residence Life by emailing reslifeFREEMississippi or calling 601.266.4783 Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m., CST.
