Archive for the ‘College Campus’ Category

One More Reason Why Extracurriculars are a Great Idea

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Colleges and universities love to see that you are actively involved in extracurricular activities.  High school is a great time to discover new passions and interests that can last a lifetime: that club you joined on a whim could evolve into a future career.  Now we’ve got one more reason why it’s a good idea to get involved in high school and beyond: it could be your ticket into a music video!

College students in the University of Notre Dame’s marching band got a chance to be a part of OK Go’s This Too Shall Pass music video for the album Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, shot live.  How fun is that!  Sure, it’s an experience that the majority of college students probably won’t get to have, but it just goes to show, you never can tell.  And, wow – what a story to tell the grandkids!

Overheard on Twitter from Shawnz.

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Don’t be Fooled by the Glossy Brochures: Schedule a College Campus Visit

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Friendly faces, lush landscapes, and the persuasive tone of a college brochure can make every college seem like it’s the one.  Photos, especially the gorgeous glossy photos in a college brochure, tend to paint happy pictures of every college campus.  How can you choose?  Easy: does it fit you?

What is the campus atmosphere?

jeremy.wilburn/Jeremy Wilburn

When it comes to a college campus: you need to see the whole picture and not just a carefully composed snapshot.  You should get a feel for the general atmosphere, the classrooms, and the students, things you can’t glean out of a college brochure.

You are potentially going to spend four years of your life (and plenty of money) here: make sure it’s a good fit — and that what’s portrayed in the brochure is what’s actually happening in real life.

A college campus may boast of its sprawling acreage or comfortable size, but what does that mean?  Are the classrooms that you need in convenient and close proximity to one another or will you need a car to get around?  Does the campus make you feel safe and protected?  Is it well-maintained?  If you crave the bright lights of the city, make sure that your college of choice isn’t under-estimating it’s distance to the action.

It can be hard to tell from a brochure just what a college campus is really like unless you actually take the time to check it out.  Get the real story – and keep our tips to remember when visiting a college campus in mind.  In this case, seeing is believing.  Schedule a campus tour when college is actually in session.  Skip the campus visit and you may strike out!

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8 of America’s Most Affordable Public Universities

Monday, January 25th, 2010
800px-UCBerkeleyCampus

brainchildvn

Public universities are often much bigger than private schools—but what they may lack in intimacy, they often make up for in resources, course options, and an ultra-low price tag. If the cost of college is a concern for you and your family (and when isn’t it?), choosing a public university could save tens of thousands over the course of your academic career. The key, as always, is choosing the right school for you. Here’s the run-down on eight public universities.

College of William and Mary. This school, located in the quaint historic village of Williamsburg, Virginia, has the size and character of a private school with the low cost of a public university. The college has less than 6,000 undergraduates, and offers a diverse range of liberal arts courses with world-class professors on the beautiful campus. The school, founded in 1693, is the second-oldest college in the United States.

Georgia Tech. Located in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia Tech offers world-class facilities, instructors, and research opportunities, particularly in the fields of science and engineering. If you’re a football fan, you’re in luck: thousands turn out to see the Division 1 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets play at the huge school stadium.

UC Berkeley. Located within an easy BART subway ride of San Francisco, UC Berkeley provides students with an Ivy-caliber education at a fraction of the price for in-staters. The school tops the academic charts in just about every field, and the town boasts an eclectic blend of hippie and student culture.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. With more than 30,000 undergraduate students, this school is big and bustling, but it’s got plenty to do. Students can choose from more than 150 unique majors, have access the largest school library outside of the Ivy League, and can cheer for the school’s 19 varsity teams.

University of Michigan Ann Arbor. This school has over 40,000 students, great sports teams, and top-notch programs in nearly every field. Choose from more than 200 majors, including unique fields like kinesiology (the study of movement, if you were wondering).

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. UNC-Chapel Hill is one of the least expensive of all public universities, but it boasts world-class facilities in a beautiful historic campus, Division 1 sports teams, and a friendly Southern college town. The school has a strong focus on sustainability, and requires all new buildings to be constructed to LEED standards.

University of Wisconsin Madison. Located between two lakes in the charming city of Madison, UWM is home to almost 30,000 undergraduate students. Students can choose from 135 unique majors, including human ecology, cartography, and—fittingly for a state known for its cheese—dairy science.

University of Virginia Charlottesville. UVA was established by Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, and the school’s beautiful green lawns and historic architecture are reminiscent of his home, Monticello. The academic programs are some of the best in the United States, and with a $5 billion endowment, UVA is the wealthiest of all public schools in the U.S. And while secret societies may be a thing of the past at many schools, they’re alive and well here—see if you can score an invitation to Seven or Z.

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7 Tips for Finding the Best Professors at College

Monday, January 18th, 2010

In the classroomWhether or not you’ve decided on a school, one factor is sure to play a big part in your decision: the professors. Sure, they’ve got all the necessary letters after their names, but are they interesting, entertaining, and open to new ideas? No matter what the subject is, the quality of your professor will make or break the class—so you’d better make sure that you’ll be able to find teachers who you can respect and learn from. Here are some ways to discover whose classroom you want to sit in.

Check out ratemyprofessor.com. This site has anonymous student reviews for thousands of college professors across America, rated according to a variety of factors. If there are just a few ratings, take them with a grain of salt, and don’t take the occasional negative rating too seriously—many students who get poor grades will take it out on the professor in their review. But if you see a number of common traits between many reviews, you’ll probably have a good idea of whether or not a particular professor fits your learning style.

Look for online video courses. Many colleges offer free videotaped lectures on YouTube and other video servers. See if a professor you’re interested in has a class online, and find out what you’re in for. Many great resources for video lectures are available here.

Check out the professor’s course website or blog. Many professors have publicly available online syllabi for their courses, which will give you a good idea of their focus, teaching style, and sense of humor (yes, some really do have one). Even better, a number of college professors have online blogs dedicated to both their professional and personal interests—start following your favorites and leave comments on posts that appeal to you. If you end up at that school, it could be an opportunity to forge a bond in advance.

Find past or current students in your prospective major, and ask for their recommendations. Facebook is a great way to find students at a particular college, or you could simply ask the school to put you in touch with a few students or alums to find out more about the courses. The students may not want to bad-mouth any of their professors to a stranger, but they’re likely to recommend certain instructors above others, which will give you a good idea of which courses are worth taking.

Read their work. Most college professors have published a wide range of books, studies, and academic reports. The reading may sometimes be a bit dry, but if you want to get a true sense of your instructor’s intellect, pick one up and dig in. Many scholarly reports are available online through Google’s Scholars search; if you can’t find the one you want, ask your local library for help.

Sit in on some classes. The easiest way to get a sense of which professors you’ll most enjoy is to try out their classes firsthand. Whether you make a campus visit as a prospective student or after you’ve been accepted, you’ll probably have the opportunity to sit in on some of the larger classes. If you’re hoping to check out one course in particular, contact the school’s admissions office in advance to plan your visit so that you’ll make sure to be there at the right time.

Trial and error. When you begin college, you typically have a full week to exchange classes if you decide that a particular course isn’t for you—so if you’ve ended up with a lemon, don’t wait too long to trade it in, or the class you’d rather take is likely to be filled up.

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College Admissions Tips for Parents: How to Help Your Kids without Driving Them Crazy

Friday, January 15th, 2010

momteenSure, your kid’s the one who’ll be going away to college—but let’s be honest: if you’re a parent, you’re probably more invested in the process than your son or daughter is. So, whether you’re researching schools to start visiting, or eagerly awaiting admission decisions, it’s important to make sure that your excitement about your child’s college decision doesn’t have a negative impact on your relationship. Here are some tips for how you can help your child through this stressful time.

Let him choose the schools to apply to. It’s true that financial concerns can be valid reasons for choosing one school over another, but that doesn’t mean you should limit your child’s choices to cheap state schools. Most elite private universities offer generous financial aid and merit scholarships, so it’s well worth letting your child apply to schools he seems qualified for to see what they’ll offer. Likewise, even if you’d love your daughter to attend Smith College like you did, if the idea doesn’t appeal to her, don’t force it.

Combine a college tour with a vacation. Even though your daughter is curious to see where she may end up spending the next four years, don’t go overboard on the college tours. Before applying to schools, you might be best off to limit the tours to your child’s top choice, or to schools in a specific region that you can combine with a fun family vacation. After your child finds out where she’s been accepted, you’ll be able to visit the schools she hasn’t seen up close yet, so there’s no need to spend thousands of dollars on jetting around the country now.

Shell out for SAT prep courses, or at least some test prep books. If you’re still early in the college application process, your teen may not have even taken the SAT yet. No matter how he did on the PSAT, you can help him boost his college prospects by investing in an online or in-person SAT prep course, or, if that’s unaffordable, buying some test prep books and committing to spending a few hours a week quizzing him.

Don’t compare your child to other teens you know. So what if Hannah down the road just got in to Princeton? Bringing up other students’ college success stories, especially if they’re unrealistic for your son or daughter, is likely to make your child resentful. Follow your teen’s lead, and only discuss other students’ admissions decisions when your child specifically brings the subject up.

Keep track of admissions deadlines, but don’t nag. It’s important to know when all of your child’s admissions materials are due at their prospective schools, and marking deadlines on your teen’s calendar can be a helpful reminder for your child. While it’s okay to ask every once in a while to make sure things are on track, try not to nag your teen too much—as long as she gets everything in on time, there’s no cause for concern.

Remember – it’s not about you. Many parents get emotionally invested in their child’s college decision, which can often cause a lot of friction in the relationship. While of course you want your child to go to a good school, the best college for your teen is going to be the one that’s the right fit for him or her—which isn’t always the one that you might like the most. Whenever you find yourself getting judgemental, take a deep breath and think about whether it’s really worth picking a fight over. After all, your child doesn’t have too much time left at home. Enjoy it while you can.

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Posted in Choosing a College, College Admissions, College Applications, College Campus, Preparing for College, SAT Scores | 2 Comments »

Get a Green Degree: 6 of the Most Eco-Friendly Colleges in America

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
College of the Atlantic. Photo by udall.

The Udall Legacy Bus Tour: Views from the Road/Morris K. Udall Foundation

If you’re focused on living a sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyle, you need two find a college that fits with your ideals. That means more than just offering great programs in ecology and environmental science. It means more than being surrounded by natural beauty. Most of all, it’s about finding a school that practices what it preaches, by focusing on clean energy, recycling, local eating, and other eco-friendly initiatives. If you’re a treehugger looking for a green spot to set down roots, look no further than these great options.

College of the Atlantic. This tiny college in beautiful Bar Harbor, Maine is home to just a few hundred students, and boasts the stunning Acadia National Park as its backyard. The school is carbon-neutral, most buildings are made from recycled elements, and the campus’ food is all locally grown and organic. The school is most unique, however, in that it offers just one major: human ecology. Students are free to take courses in a variety of disciplines, like literature, arts, and sciences, but all classes include a message of sustainability and being aware of our impact on the planet.

Warren Wilson College. This small liberal arts school in North Carolina takes an innovative approach to the college experience, requiring each student to join a campus work crew and participate in outside community service in order to graduate. The school’s food and lumber come from its own gardens and forests, and vehicles run on biodiesel fuel. With an ongoing commitment to sustainability, Warren Wilson College is the perfect place for a student as interested in giving back to the world as learning from it.

Green Mountain College. Located in Poultney, Vermont, Green Mountain College requires all students to take a 37-credit Environmental Liberal Arts General Education Program, but the school’s commitment to the environment doesn’t end there. Students are also encouraged to take part in hands-on experiential learning seminars in the natural world, and to take part in the Food & Farm Project, where they can garden and farm to produce the food that the students and faculty eat. The school is also involved in developing ongoing sustainability projects, such as a biomass plant that will source about 20% of the school’s energy requirements.

Carleton College. Minnesota’s Carleton College has its very own wind turbine—the only college in the country to do so. The school is committed to local, organic food, and offers its students “single-stream” recycling, which means that they don’t need to separate the various elements to recycle them. Every February, the students participate in “Dorm Wars,” where they compete to see which building can reduce their energy usage the most, even if it meant outdoor camping in the middle of winter. The winning dorm reduced their energy usage by 22 percent, but the students all used the experience to focus on how they can remain energy-efficient all year round.

UC Santa Cruz. Along with top-notch programs in ecology, marine biology, and other eco-focused subjects, the beautiful UC Santa Cruz is committed to sustainability by fueling all of its energy needs through hydroelectric and wind sources. The school is surrounded by natural beauty, and the town has an eclectic mix of eco-focused independent shops, including an all-night vegan diner.

Oberlin College. Ohio’s Oberlin College, a small liberal arts school, has a strong focus on sustainability, and has developed campus-wide technology to help students, staff, and faculty live green. The college uses an online system to monitor water and energy usage in the dorms, which the students can use to control their carbon footprint, and the campus boasts a solar array and many LEED-certified educational buildings.

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Beyond the Campus Tour: 7 Signs to Look for When You Visit a College

Friday, December 18th, 2009
Photo by Chaval Brasil

Chaval Brasil

As the time to choose a college approaches, you’ll probably want to visit as many schools as possible to get a feel for which one is the best fit for you. But sometimes, visiting a school is more of a distraction than an answer. After all, the tour guide is bound to show you the nicest dorm rooms (which you probably won’t have a chance of getting), but will she tell you which professors are the human equivalent to Nyquil?

To get the true scoop on college life, it’s important to get beyond the tour script and ask the tough questions. When you go, here’s what you’ll want to check out to see if the school’s worth applying to.

Sit in on a class. Don’t just take the tour guide’s word that the professors are fantastic—go sit in on a class in a field that you’re interested in, and find out for yourself! You’ll probably need to get the college admissions office’s approval to sit in on a course, but they should be able to help you find one that coincides with your visit, if your tour is during the regular school year. Check out ratemyprofessors.com to find out what regular students think of your lecturer.

Find out what students do for fun. Is most of the activity focused on-campus, or off? Is the Greek scene a big part of campus life? Does the whole campus go crazy for football, or do the students seem more artsy and independent? Depending on your interests, you’ll want to make sure that the school has what you need to thrive socially.

How’s the food? OK, maybe it’s not the most important thing, but you’ll be eating food from the college cafeteria every day for at least your first couple of years, so you’ll want to make sure it’s edible. Take a swing by the cafeteria for lunch to try it for yourself.

What sort of sports and outdoor activities can you take part in? If you love to run, take a look at the track. If swimming’s your thing, you’ll want to check out the pool facilities—and if you love mountain biking, then see how far you are from nearby trails, and how easy they are to get to. Some schools in beautiful areas, such as Colorado College, offer students the chance to take outdoors excursions every weekend. If you’d be interested, ask a student who’s attended one of the events about what it’s like.

How’s the library? You’ll probably be spending plenty of time there, especially during finals week. Is it well stocked? Is it quiet and comfortable enough to study in? Take a look at the students there—if they all seem incredibly stressed, it may not be the best place to spend four years of your life.

What’s off campus? At some schools, you’ll have enough to do that you’ll rarely want to leave campus—but when you do, what will you find? Is the college located in an interesting city with lots of cheap restaurants and nightlife options? Or are you an hour or more from any place worth seeing? While location isn’t everything, it can play a big part in your college experience, so it’s worth considering. (Check out our list of great college towns for some ideas of places to consider applying.)

How easy is it to get home? Obviously, this isn’t something to ask your campus tour guide—you’ll answer this question yourself when you make the trek there. If getting back and forth between home and the dorm seems like a huge hassle, it may not be the best place to set up shop for four years.

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Posted in Choosing a College, College Campus, College Classes, College Life, Housing | 4 Comments »

Want a Unique Academic Experience? Try One of These Schools.

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
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Timothy Hursley

At most colleges, you need to complete two full years of general education requirements and then focus on your major requirements. You take between three and five courses at a time, and are graded on a scale from A to F. But some unique liberal arts colleges are bucking the trend, establishing innovative academic programs that help students to discover and engage with their passions. If you don’t want a run-of-the-mill academic experience, take a look at these unique schools.

Colorado College. This small school in gorgeous Colorado Springs offers the unique Block Plan, which allows students to focus on one course at a time for a three-and-a-half week period (though some intensive courses require multiple “blocks”). This innovative structure gives students the opportunity to plunge into their studies, engaging in field trips and independent projects along with several hours a day of classroom instruction and discussion. There are rarely any lectures: the average course size is just 16 students. After the intense block course is over, students have 4-and-a-half day weekends, in which they can either relax on campus or take advantage of one of the school’s many adventure excursions, such as hiking or mountain biking.

St. John’s College. This small school has two campuses: one in Anapolis, Maryland, and another in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The lecturers are folks you may have heard of: Plato, Aristotle, and Freud, to name just a few. Rather than spotlighting individual professors’ courses, the entire school follows a Great Books curriculum, in which all students spend the first two years reading, discussing, and engaging with the same books and other media, ranging from the ancient to the modern. There are no lectures; instead, students are given the chance to debate ideas and philosophies on equal ground with their instructors. And you won’t find any textbooks teaching you how to interpret the texts: here, the classic books, and your fellow students and professors, are your only guides.

Brown University. Brown is part of the Ivy League, but has vetoed the competitive academic atmosphere of its counterparts in favor of a more flexible curriculum, focused on the students’ interests. At the school, there are no general education requirements; students are allowed to enroll in any courses they choose, including classes at the nearby Rhode Island School of Design. There’s also no need to worry about grades for courses outside of your concentration: students may elect to take courses for “satisfactory” or “no credit,” which means that the fear of not performing up to par won’t stop them from trying something new.

Reed College. At Reed College, in Portland, Oregon, students work with professors in 10-to-1 ratios, typically in roundtable conference style. Though they receive grades at the end of courses, they aren’t mailed to the students, and few are aware of their GPAs—discussion and engagement with the courses are far more important than exam scores. The rigorous academic program concludes with a year-long senior thesis, which can be anything from a scientific project to a novel-length book, which students will then defend before faculty members. Reed also offers a unique program called Paideia, which allows anyone—faculty, students, and janitors alike—to create their own weeklong courses, which have included esoteric subjects like Underwater Basket Weaving and Garden Gnome Construction.

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7 of the Most Bizarre Mascots at American Colleges

Friday, December 4th, 2009

UC Berkeley’s got Oski the Bear, Penn State has the Nittany Lion—and UC Santa Cruz has the fierce and powerful… Sammy the Banana Slug?

Strange, but true. UC Santa Cruz isn’t a sports-focused school, so students unofficially adopted the slow-moving slug as a humorous commentary on the school’s lack of athletic prowess. At one point, college officials tried to switch the mascot to a sea lion, but the protest from students was so great that the slimy yellow slug was reinstated, and you’ll find countless odes to Sammy in toy, t-shirt, and shot glass form at the school’s campus bookstore.  UCSC isn’t the only school with a not-so-normal mascot. Here are just a few other quirky mascots representing colleges around the United States:

Randy Son Of Robert/Randy

The Anteater. California students have a quirky sense of humor, it seems: the Anteater is the official mascot of the UC Irvine sports teams. During school sports games, students often chant, “Zot, zot, zot!” — supposedly, this is the noise that the anteater’s tongue makes as it laps up ants.

John the Poet. Poets aren’t normally thought of as sports stars, but at Whittier College, which is named for poet John Whittier, the school decided to pay tribute to its literary star on the playing field. Richard Nixon is the school’s most famous grad, but we’ve got a feeling Whittier won’t be swapping the Poet costume for a Nixon mask any time soon.

Speedy the Geoduck. Ever heard of a geoduck? You might be surprised to know that it’s not a duck at all, but a type of mollusk, probably not too far removed from Santa Cruz’s Banana Slug, Sammy. Speedy is the face of Evergreen State College in Washington, which boasts The Simpsons creator Matt Groening among its alums. Maybe one day, a life-sized Bart will join Speedy on the courts for a little pre-game fun.

Artie the Fighting Artichoke. In the 1970s, Scottsdale Community College asked students to vote on a mascot for the school’s sports teams. However, most students were annoyed that the administration was devoting much of the school’s funds to sports rather than academic programs, and came up with a few ridiculous options to choose from: The Artichokes, the Rutabagas, or the Scoundrels. The Artichokes won the vote, and the giant green veggie has been raising school spirit ever since.

alvarezperea/Alberto Alvarez-Perea

The Billiken. St. Louis University’s Billiken looks a bit like E.T., with giant pointed ears, but apparently, the odd-looking creature bears a striking resemblance to one of SLU’s early coaches. Billikens were all the rage for a six-month period in the early 1900s, and are intended to be used as good luck charms. For a sports team, that sure sounds like a good omen.

The Fighting Okra. Okra is a Southern staple on the dinner table—and the ferocious Fighting Okra is a staple at Missouri’s Delta State University. Although the school’s athletic department has chosen the more appropriate Statesmen and Lady Statesmen as monikers for its teams, the Fighting Okra has long served as an unofficial mascot and student favorite.

Who did we miss? Share your favorite bizarre mascots in the comment section below!

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10 of America’s Best Towns and Cities for College Students of All Kinds

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
800px-North_End,_Boston

Jonik

Sure, the professors, courses, classmates, and extracurriculars are all important parts of the college experience—but if you’re not happy with where you are, then you probably won’t be happy, period.

No matter how much you love your school, you’ll be itching to get off campus every so often. So when you choose a school, you’ll want to think as much about what’s off campus as what’s on. After all, you’ll be spending four years there at minimum—don’t you want to make sure it feels like home?

We’ve rounded up 10 of the coolest college towns to fit any student’s interests. What’s the best fit for you? Here are some ideas to get you started.

Boston. Home to Harvard, MIT, Boston University, and tons of other schools, Boston may well be the brainiest city in the nation. Taking the T makes it easy to scope out the entire city without a car, and there are ample opportunities for off-campus adventure: try checking out the vintage clothing stalls and cool shops on Newbury Street, chowing down on some clam chowder at Legal Seafood, or watching the Sox play at Fenway Park.

Santa Cruz. Beaches, redwood forests, and stunning mountains are just a stone’s throw away from University of California – Santa Cruz in this coastal California town. A perfect spot for the laid-back, liberal, and slightly quirky student, this gorgeous town boasts great Mexican food and world-class restaurants, a fun beachside boardwalk amusement park, an eclectic mix of independent shops, and beautiful weather all year round. Be warned: go to school here, and you’ll never want to leave.

Washington, D.C. The nation’s capital is home to great colleges including Georgetown University, George Washington University, and American University. Go to school here, and you’ll feel the pulse of history all around you, with ample opportunities to visit the Smithsonian Museums, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and countless other national landmarks. The city is home to all sorts of great cheap eats and shops, which are easily accessible by subway. Best of all, your educational opportunities are unlimited: you could land a prestigious internship with a Senator, a foreign ambassador, or even in the White House.

Pittsburgh. Home to colleges including Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh is a fun and budget-friendly alternative to more cosmopolitan cities. With a range of unique neighborhoods, Pittsburgh boasts extremely affordable housing, a mix of fascinating museums, and a killer football team.

New York. Often referred to as the center of the universe, students at Columbia University, New York University, Sarah Lawrence College, and others will enjoy the bustle of big city life in the Big Apple. Though New York living can be pricey, students have access to world-class museums and cultural events, an incredible range of dining and nightlife options, and fantastic internship opportunities in almost any field imaginable.

Boulder. Just minutes from big-city Denver, the stunning town of Boulder, Colorado is home to a University of Colorado campus and the Buddhism-focused Naropa University. The town borders the Rocky Mountains, providing fantastic opportunities for mountain climbing, biking, and other outdoors activities, and green-living fanatics will feel right at home in this eco-focused enclave.

Madison. Home to the large University of Wisconsin – Madison campus, this small city offers great shops, dining, museums, and bike paths, all at a student-friendly price. Countless area farms sell their produce at the city’s famous farmers’ markets, and football fans will have a blast cheering on the college’s famous Badgers every game day.

Middlebury. Home to Middlebury College, this picturesque Vermont town is the perfect spot for budding poets and artists to get in touch with their muses. The New England winters may be cold, but you’ll find easy access to ski slopes and snowshoeing trails. If you choose to stay in town through the summer, you may have a chance to attend the world-famous Bread Loaf Writers Conference, which is led by some of the world’s best poets, authors, and memoirists; or to take part in one of ten summer language programs, in which you can take one full year’s worth of language classes in just seven or nine weeks.

Portland, OR. Home to Reed College, Lewis and Clark College, and numerous other schools, this Northwestern city is a college student’s dream. Boasting fantastic independent shops (including world-famous Powell’s Books), great restaurants, a thriving indie music scene, and parks and bike paths galore, Portland is an ideal spot for the intellectual, creative, and eco-conscious student.

Chapel Hill. Home to the renowned University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, this small Southern city is a fun and friendly place, featuring a great music scene (bands like Ben Folds Five and Superchunk started out here), an impressive tech industry where you might land a prestigious internship, and impressive college basketball and women’s soccer teams. Chapel Hill hosts several annual festivals, such as October’s Festifall and a massive Halloween street party, which welcome students and townies alike. If you love Southern charm but crave urban sophistication, Chapel Hill could be the perfect fit.

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