What are some of the things you like about college? "CMC supports its students in ways I’ve never seen at another college: from orientation trips at the beginning of the year that give you a great group of friends, to countless free activities, to the teachers themselves. If you think about your favorite teacher in high school, that’s pretty much every teacher at CMC. They are extremely passionate about what they do and they’re committed to their students, as evident by the office hours and willingness to support any student no matter where they are in their journey. I had teachers in my first semester who were willing to get on the phone with me and walk through my essay even when it wasn’t their office hours. Beyond academics, you’ll find that the social life is welcoming here. The students are intelligent, but there is not a stressful level of competitiveness that you find at most other colleges. I was worried about making friends, but the process could not have been easier with a support system given to me by the college and the type of students that attend CMC. Beyond that, CMC looks out for the safety of their students and their progression as a human beyond college. " What are you studying/involved in? "My two favorite things this past semester academically was my acceptance onto the Model United Nations team and my intro Arabic class! MUN is like a second family, and I’ve learned so much in just one semester. Though everyone competes as an individual in MUN, the team is incredibly supportive of every member, and as someone new to MUN I immediately felt welcome. With Arabic being such a hard language, I was nervous to take this class. Surprisingly, however, it immediately became my favorite course. Not only was the professor extremely kind and intelligent, she cared so much about her students but at the end of the semester she threw a mini party for us at a Middle Eastern restaurant. I was able to grow close to her this past semester and knew that she was as committed as I was to seeing me succeed. The benefit of a small college like CMC, is that every teacher is able to get to know their students and connect with them on a deeper level. Knowing that you are not a number truly alters your experience as a student as it did in this class." What is something that surprised you about college? "As I stated previously, I was nervous about making friends. However, because of the support system CMC has in place, the process of connecting with people was so easy. I will be honest, anyone’s freshman year, especially the first semester, will feel lonely. But, with countless clubs, outgoing students, and social events, it’s almost impossible to not meet someone you’ll become friends with. The thing that surprised me the most however, was how connected people are with the staff. I have friends that will jam out in the music room with the security guards when they’re off shift, and I’ve sat down for tea at the Athenaeum with almost all my teachers." Doing anything fun on the weekends? "CMC students always love to have something to do! I loved going to the village on the weekend to see the farmers market with my roommates, going to the music room, attending amazing talks at the Athenaeum, and going to parties. It’s true that CMC students work hard and play hard, but that being said I have never once felt unsafe in any party scene, which I am extremely grateful for. This is in part due to the orientation we receive and the constant reminders from the school about how to say safe, and also in part due to a group on campus called Advocates which is dedicated to ensuring the safety of students. They will “lifeguard” at parties, and I’ve received training in bystander intervention. All the students are volunteers and are not paid, which I think is yet another testament to the care CMC students have for each other." What is a fun fact you have learned about your college? "I will forever look forward to two things at the cafeteria that I never expected: the pizza and the churros. The pizza is probably the best I’ve had in my life. Secondly, my roommates and I have a tradition that any night they have churros, we grab a brunch and dip them in a mocha latte. It is incredibly delicious." What did UniVarsity help you with most? "The biggest thing I received help in was organization and accountability. The hardest thing about any of the essays or part of the application process with starting and committing fully to the process. I cannot even begin to express how thankful I am for the support I received and how it helped keep me on track. Furthermore, I received a lot of aid in organizing my ideas and making sure they got on the page in a clear, concise, and creative manner. I stressed for so long about my personal statement, and was so glad to have it done the summer before. It was the greatest bonus and gave me so much confidence.

What are some of the things you like about college? "I love a lot of things about Berkeley. There is such a diverse mix of people who are all excited about learning. There is also unlimited experiences no matter your interest. The campus is also integrated into the city so you really get independent and experience living in a city environment. I have met a ton of great people and have had good professors. I have not surrounded myself with competitive people so I have not personally felt the competitive atmosphere even though I am taking difficult and challenging classes." What are you studying/involved in? "I am studying Data Science with a concentration in computational biology. I am also planning to minor in math. I had a part time job off campus and was involved in the club Triathlon team." What is something that surprised you about college? "I was surprised by the extremely diverse mix of people at this school. You have people who are extremely focused on school and their academics, and people who focus more on their social life, yet both love Berkeley equally. I was also surprised that the campus feels small sometimes despite the size of the undergrad population." Doing anything fun on the weekends? "Weekends for me were filled with trips to San Francisco, local coffee shops, and sitting out on grassy areas of campus. I also had Triathlon races all over the state. There is a lot to do in Berkeley- nice restaurants, karaoke, etc. It is also nice to take nights to yourself or have a quiet night with friends." What is a fun fact you have learned about your college? "Fun fact is that you will never have to own a car in Berkeley if you don't really want to. Public transportation is pretty good." What did UniVarsity help you with most? "UniVarsity helped me the most with my essays and made sure that they captured my character. Also with the structure and formatting of different essays or activity lists."

What are some of the things you like about college? " So far my professors have been great at Cal Poly, many of which have made uninteresting subjects very lively."​ ​ Doing anything fun on the weekends? "On the weekends, downtown is always fun and has a lot to offer food and shopping wise. Pretty close the city are some great hikes and sand dunes which are great places to watch the sunset." What are you studying/involved in? "I am a graphic communication major and am taking part in the Design Village media team. My main role is generally motion graphics for the videos that we put out regarding the club."

What are some of the things you like about college? "Some things I love about SDSU is how social it is, so there's never a boring moment. There are always chances to meet new people and do things around campus, day to night. I also love the weather in San Diego so you can always find me tanning at the pool in between classes. Another pro about SDSU is that the meal plan is restaurant based, and I really love all the food options, and the fact that the campus is super pretty so I always enjoy my walks to class."​ ​ Doing anything fun on the weekends? "During the weekends there are always fun things to do on and off campus. I especially love going to Pacific Beach for a shopping day, and cute restaurant spots, or La Jolla for a relaxing day at the beach!" ​ What is a fun fact you have learned about your college? "A fun fact about SDSU is that there is a study spot in the middle of campus known as the “turtle pond” where you can always find so many turtles crawling and swimming around." What are you studying/involved in? "I am currently on a general business pathway, and plan to major in marketing this following year. I also hope to get involved in Greek life my sophomore year now that I’m fully adjusted to my college lifestyle!" ​ What is something that surprised you about college? "One thing that surprised me about college is how much independence you gain. Obviously you have to adjust to a brand new lifestyle, but I feel like it pushes you to grow in every aspect of your life! " What did UniVarsity help you with most? "UniVarsity immensely helped me when it came to the whole college application process since it can be such an overwhelming time. They helped keep me on track every step of the application way, along with keeping everything organized. UniVarsity also helped me brainstorm and discover topics I wanted to write about for specific college essays, and overall what school would be a great fit for me!"

What are some of the things you like about college? "Some of the things I like about USD are that the views are incredible, the food is good, and the class schedules are nice and spaced out." What are you studying/involved in? "Right now, my classes are Introduction to Media Studies, First Semester Italian, Survey of Calculus, and Principles of Microeconomics. I am also very involved in my church in San Diego. I sing in the choir, and I am a part of their young adult group, which is an organization that is affiliated with my school called Orthodox Christian Fellows. I am also trying to become a member of Italian club." What is something that surprised you about college? "What surprised me about college is that all of the professors list all due dates for homework, dates for quizzes, and dates for tests on their syllabus at the beginning of class." Doing anything fun on the weekends? "On the weekends, I am mostly doing activities involved with my church and going to sports games." What is a fun fact you have learned about your college? "At USD, the best caffe on campus is Aroma’s. They have the best food and drinks, and they have a great big patio that is right next to the Immaculata (the Cathedral)The best food to get in the cafeteria is the Mediterranean food at lunch. Also, the best times to wash clothes, bedding, and towels is on Friday night or Saturday morning."

What are some of the things you like about college? "I love how welcoming everyone is on campus, how counselors are super helpful and have a lot of insight on things, and how there are so many resources available." What are you studying/involved in? "I am studying Interior Architecture and Design and I joined a sorority called Delta Gamma." What is something that surprised you about college? "I am excited to do more projects within my major because you never know what to expect." Doing anything fun on the weekends? "On the weekends, I hang out with all of the girls in my sorority and we always have fun times together." What is a fun fact you have learned about your college or surrounding area? "One place in Moscow that I love to go on the weekends is this restaurant called Gambino's; it has the best pizza." What did UniVarsity help you with most? "I would not be at the college I am without UniVarsity. They made this process ten times easier than it is and because of them I'm at an amazing college with amazing friends!!"

What are some of the things you like about college? "At SMC, I think there are a lot of things I like. They have different events to engage the community, such as the clubs, First Year Olympics, and activities outside campus like horse back riding or Giants baseball games. Everyone here is very welcoming as well; I really got to know the girls on my floor, whom I hangout with."​ ​ Doing anything fun on the weekends? "When I'm not studying or engaging in the clubs/sports, I go out with my friends off campus. San Fransisco and Walnut Creek are within an hour driving radius, so my friends and I will go shop, eat, go to museums, and other activities. The school also gives away free baseball tickets, holds events like white water rafting for everyone to have fun on weekends as well." ​ What is a fun fact you have learned about your college? "A fun fact about St. Mary's is that we have deer, wild turkeys, and other animals that just wander on campus. Although SMC is located so close to major cities, it's tucked away in the hills where there are tons of trails and forest." What are you studying/involved in? "I am studying chemistry and maybe minoring in archaeology. I am involved in club water polo, Gael sisterhood, and St. Luke's pre health club" ​ What is something that surprised you about college? "At first, I was a little bit nervous about balancing my time and studying properly. As I talked to my professors and upperclassmen mentors, they guided me on how I was doing the correct steps to become successful. SMC really does value your success, they want to celebrate the good times and uplift you during the difficult ones." What did UniVarsity help you with most? "For college, SMC wasn't even on my radar until UniVarsity mentioned them to my family and I. The schools they suggested fit my criteria and everything I was looking for in a college experience. This really helped me chose my current school based on their values on academics and community involvement!"

What are some of the things you like about college? "Some of the things I like about UMD: the sports atmosphere, I have had a great time going to the football games with my friends, the honors program, I have gotten great professors through the honors versions of my classes with small class sizes and a tight-knit cohort, and the opportunities, I have found great academic and non academic clubs that helped me find people who have become my friends." What are you studying/involved in? "I am studying Aerospace engineering, and I am involved in the AIAA Design build fly competition team as well as researching aerodynamics of bodies at mach 4 and mach 6 in the wind tunnel we have on campus." Doing anything fun on the weekends? "Some fun things I have been doing on the weekends are going to the football games, going bowling in the student union and taking the metro into DC." What is a fun fact you have learned about your college or surrounding area? "Fun fact is that 251 north dining hall has a gourmet ice cream sundae bar with ice cream made from milk from the cows in the agriculture school." What did UniVarsity help you with most? "Univarsity helped me the most with finding a school like UMD where I can do all manner of things that I am interested in, from research in my major during my first semester as a freshman to the community and atmosphere of division one sports teams and a large school."