UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

Eugene, OR

Lillis Business Complex front entrance

Enrollment:  24,450 undergraduates with approximately 3,800 graduate students

Public, 4-year, Coed   Calendar:  Quarter

Residential campus in city of 156,000 people

Location

The University of Oregon is located in Eugene, Oregon which is a two-hour drive south from Portland.  Direct flights from San Francisco International Airport fly into the Eugene airport located just 15 minutes from campus.

Campus

An education at UO offers the advantages of a large public university combined with the personal attention students experience at a mid-size private institution.

The campus is lush with green quads, towering trees, and colorful rhododendrons and azaleas. No wonder it is designated a national arboretum.  Buildings are primarily red brick, but the newly constructed John E. Jaqua Academic Center for Student Athletes and Matthew Knight Arena are examples of Oregon’s commitment to sustainable, contemporary architecture and state-of-the-art student services.

Academic Strengths

The University of Oregon is well known for strong academic programs in journalism, architecture, and environmental science.  The Lundquist College of Business is gaining respect due in large part to excellent majors in accounting, finance and sports marketing. The Clarke Honors College boasts competitive admissions, providing additional rigor for high achieving, academically driven students.

If you think admission to the University of Oregon is easy, take note that admissions standards are increasing at this institution.  The average GPA for incoming freshman in 2011 was 3.59.

The University of Oregon will welcome new leadership as Michael R. Gottfredson takes the reigns as president of the university.  He most recently served as executive vice-chancellor and provost and professor of Criminology, Law and Society at UC Irvine where he successfully led efforts to grow student enrollment and add new faculty, degree programs, and facilities.

The Advising Staff is accessible and knowledgeable.  Students who take advantage of the free tutoring resources will be supported for success.

Student Life

Students are friendly, clean cut with Oregon, Washington, and California the largest states represented.  Greek life exists on campus, however houses are not located in one designated area.

NEW!! The East Campus Residence Hall, a residential building for 450 students, is under construction and expected to open in the fall of 2012.  Located behind the Law School, The East Campus Residence hall is a convenient two-minute walk to historical Hayward Track field and only five minutes to the heart of the Oregon campus.

Some of the undergraduate dorms are still tired and in need of renovation, but the rooms in the state-of-the-art Living and Learning Center feel slightly larger than a standard dorm room, with plenty of light and a clean look.

Adjacent to campus are a number of student friendly restaurants.  The locals look a bit funky and colorful among of sea of spirited students in their green UO gear.  There are a few finer dining establishments in downtown Eugene, but the hub of student entertainment is centered on the Oregon campus.

Rain is an on again off again drizzle.  Oregon gets less of the wet stuff than Washington, but quite a few grey days.  Students can be seen wearing light parkas and rain boots, however what captures the eye is the large number of students running throughout campus.  These students are fitness focused and don’t let a little rain prevent them from taking advantage of the endless outdoor activities in Oregon.  UO students make good use of the first rate athletic facilities as well as the fitness center.  With the financial support of Nike founder, Phil Knight, upgrading academic and athletic venues, Eugene is appropriately nicknamed “Track town USA”.

Lillis Business Complex alternate entrance

Oregon Academic Building

UO buildings are framed with foliage

Green space for studying or visiting with friends

Hendricks Hall with typical Oregon blooms of color

Fenton Hall

The University of Oregon Law School

Oregon’s mascot – Go Ducks!

UO Intramural Field

The Matthew Knight Arena

The Matthew Knight Arena

John E. Jaqua Academic Center for Student Athletes

Historic Hayward Field

Home of the USA Olympic Trials 2012

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
Columbus, Ohio

Enrollment: 43,000 undergraduates (56,000 with graduate students)
Public, 4-year, Coed – Carnegie Classification – Research University
Calendar: Moving to Semester
Residential campus in large city

Location
Ohio State is an easy 30-minute drive from the Columbus airport and approximately 15 minutes from downtown Columbus, the state capitol. This inviting city offers a financial district, performing arts venues, fine restaurants, and an AAA Baseball Team. Internships abound at the “State House” for students interested in politics or you can gain work experience at companies representing a variety of industries.

Campus
The campus is GIGANTIC in terms of student body, buildings, as well as the physical grounds, yet OSU is very clean and green with large trees and plenty of grassy quad areas. OSU features a variety of architecture from traditional red brick buildings with white columns, to modern designs used in the new, state-of-the-art Recreation Center featuring sheer glass windows. A small pond sits at the center of campus. The old buildings of campus surround the “Oval” which is a huge open space with lawns that create a place for playing a pick-up game of ultimate frisbee, recruiting new members to join student clubs or simply chilling between classes. The Olentangy River winds along the far end of the school with a trail perfect for biking. OSU has an extensive bus system to transport students throughout the campus.

The recently opened Student Union with restaurants, student services, meeting rooms and lounge areas is one example of OSU’s commitment to providing excellent facilities for students, staff and alumni. Extensive construction is happening throughout the campus, updating the interiors and exteriors of older, treasured buildings.

Next to the OSU campus there is a great main drag with student-friendly restaurants, bookstores, clothing shops, office supply stores and pubs. Columbus feels like a college town and the community supports the university.

Academic Strengths

Special Study Options
• First Year Experience programs to help new students get adjusted to life on the OSU campus.
• The Leadership Collaborative is a yearlong leadership development program that kicks off with a four-day leadership development conference prior to fall semester.
• First Year Experience Outdoor Camp Program in summer.
• Special programs for out-of-state students.
• Incoming students read a book during the summer before freshman year starts and then attend a study group when they get to campus.

The Fisher College of Business admits some top performing high school students directly into the business program. Other new freshmen students enter as pre-business majors if they meet the requirements of a minimum ACT of 25 or minimum SAT of 1150 or ranked in the top 20% of their high school class. To continue onto upper-division work, OSU pre-business students must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA and complete a competitive application process.
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The College of Engineering offers 15 programs with 30 specializations. Students with a minimum ACT Math score of 24 or SAT Math score of 560 are directly enrolled as pre-engineering students. Students may preselect an engineering major or enroll as undeclared to explore the various types of specialties.

Pre-professional programs include: Pre-health (dentistry, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, and veterinary medicine), Pre-education, and Pre-law.
The College of Nursing offers BSN, RN to BSN and Masters degrees.

Political Science – Offers BA, MS, and PhD
The PhD faculty studied at top ranked institutions such as: Princeton, McGill, Berkeley, Columbia, Michigan, USC, Pittsburgh, Yale, Chicago, Northwestern, UCLA, Duke, MIT, Harvard, and Illinois.

Fields of Study: American, Comparative, International Relations and Political Theory
The Political Science Department offers an honors program and a chapter of the Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society provides the opportunity to network with colleagues.

OSU’s John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy offers one-quarter internships in Washington, D.C.
• Mission: to “inspire citizenship and develop leadership”
• The school prepares students for public service and gives them the tools to be involved in their communities.

• The J.G. Institute offers both undergraduate and graduate programs.
• New Major: Public Affairs BA – The program is designed to teach the skills needed to work in government, non-profit organizations or other entities that require analysis and leadership. Specialization tracks include urban policy and management, community organization and civic engagement, and nonprofit management.

Student LIfe
My impression of both the students and faculty: super friendly. Four people asked me if I needed help finding a facility when they saw my head buried in the walking map.

Many students can be seen running throughout campus. Healthy lifestyles may be making its way to Ohio although some students can be spotted smoking.

Ohio State boasts a thriving Greek scene, but you don’t have to belong to a fraternity or sorority to find your social group. There is a Greek row with large houses that look very similar to those at the University of Washington. Many of the houses are located on 15th street, a short walk to campus.

The campus community loves OSU athletics. The athletic facilities are clustered at the far end of campus and are incredibly impressive. The University has spared no expense at developing first-class stadiums for all sports. For example, the aquatic center is pristine and ranks as one of the top places in the country for swimming and diving, plus synchronized swimming. Gymnastics is also a top program. The football team, which plays in the horse-shoe shaped Ohio Stadium, will be a top contender as the athletic department recently hired Coach Urban Meyer from the University of Florida.

Student Union

Student Union Interior

John Glenn School of Public Affairs

The Oval

The Oval

Recreation Center Interior

Aquatic Center Interior

Ohio Football Stadium

Fraternity Row

Greek Life

Sorority House

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
Cincinnati, Ohio

Enrollment: 23,000 undergrads, 4,200 graduate students
Public, 4-year, Coed
Calendar: Semester (New!)
Primarily a commuter campus, but has plenty of housing on campus.

Tour Impressions
The campus is large enough to have a big school feel, yet small enough that students run into friends throughout the day. This urban campus has an interesting mix of architectural styles: historical red brick buildings stand side by side ultra-modern facilities displaying unique design and material choices such as metal, glass, and cement.

The new Tangeman University Student Center is decorated with the Bearcat colors of
black, red, and white. Study areas are available on the first floor while a variety of restaurants are located on the lower level. A large open space with trees in the heart of campus plays host to student rallies, outdoor concerts, and pick-up games of tag football. Two undergraduate residential towers are being renovated.

Academic Strengths
For Freshmen – Students that enter as undeclared majors participate in the Center for Exploratory Studies which helps them define their interests and career path.

Honors Program – Students with an ACT of 32 or greater are automatically reviewed for the honors program.

Several of the most notable fields of study include the College of Engineering, College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning and the College Conservatory of Music.

The Engineering program is recognized for its coop program; the first in the nation. Beginning in the fall of sophomore year, students alternate between a semester of classes and then a semester of a paid coop experience. As a result, the engineering program takes five years to complete.  The UC Engineering advisors have established relationships with both employers locally as well as throughout the country. Students must apply for coop positions, going through an interview process just like a real job hunt. These paid work opportunities not only assist students in covering the cost of their education, but also ensures they gain valuable, hands-on experience that provides a competitive advantage in securing employment upon graduation.

The College Conservatory of Music is renowned for producing musicians and vocalists who go on to successful careers performing in their art. Take a walk through the CCM Village and you’ll hear students rehearsing their instruments or vocal performances.

The Music Major includes divisions in Performance Studies, Ensembles and Conducting, Keyboard Studies, Music Education, and Composition/Musicology/Theory.

The Musical Theatre major is ranked #4 in the country. As of 5/30/12, every show playing on Broadway had at least one University of Cincinnati graduate in the cast. Students can also concentrate in Opera, Drama, Arts Administration or Theatre Design and Production

The Dance and Electronic Media (E-Media) programs are stellar.

The College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning offers outstanding programs such as Urban Planning, Fashion Design, Industrial Design and Interior Design. Students in these majors are also required to participate in the Coop Program.

The Greater Cincinnati area.
The trip from downtown Cincinnati to the University of Cincinnati campus reveals the impact of the city’s economic hardships. Many homes are abandoned and boarded-up. Local government and activists are working hard to restore the charm of the city; adding a trolley system that will take residents and visitors throughout the downtown area. A new massive ‘Horseshoe Casino’ is under construction with the hopes of creating thousands of needed jobs and bringing additional revenue to the community.

Cincinnati has done an excellent job of developing a hub of professional sports venues right on the riverbank. The Reds Baseball Field and Bengals Football Stadium are separated by an inviting park perfect for pre-game tailgating and post-game celebrations. The city is also recognized for its commitment to the arts.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHAPEL HILL
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Enrollment: 18,580 undergrads, 10,800 graduate students
Public, 4-year: Coed
Calendar: Semester
Residential campus in a suburban setting – large town

Tour Impressions
This traditional college campus is considered the marquee school in the North Carolina public university system. The architecture reflects southern hospitality with expansive lush quad areas outlined by red brick buildings. The “Pit”, which is the home of the UNC Student Union, earned its name because this outdoor patio floods every winter after a heavy storm. This sunken courtyard serves as a venue for student organizations to recruit new members, deliver political speeches, perform music or simply hang with friends between classes. Prospective students should be sure to have their picture taken under the Old Well that serves as UNC’s logo.

Student Life
•Friendly, welcoming students who can be seen proudly wearing Tar Heel Blue clothing.
•Greek Life: 17% of men and women join
•Huge spirit and alumni support for athletics with consistent top teams in basketball, field hockey, and soccer.

Location
The campus is conveniently located an easy 30-minute drive to the Raleigh/Durham International Airport. Adjacent to campus you’ll find numerous student-friendly restaurants along Franklin Street. In addition, UNC Chapel Hill is strategically located in the world famous Research Triangle Park, home to prominent Fortune 500 companies such as: IBM, Cisco, DuPont, Bayer, Fidelity Investments, GlaxoSmithKline, and NetApp. This wealth of business prowess means research, internship and full-time employment opportunities abound. UNC’s Maymester is the perfect time to explore undergraduate work and study off campus.

Academic Strengths
UNC Chapel Hill requires students to complete a general education curriculum during their first two years. Admission to the UNC honors program is highly competitive, which is true of general admissions as well. As mandated by the state, 82% of incoming freshmen must be from the state of North Carolina. However, this instate student ratio does not apply to transfer students!

Students pursuing an education in a health related field should consider UNC Chapel Hill. Majors such as biology, biomedical engineering, nursing, philosophy, pharmacy, and public health, are excellent preparation for careers in medicine.

The Kenan-Flagler School of Business was named the seventh best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report’s 2010 “Best Colleges” guidebook. As a Business Administration major, students can select an area of emphasis among 10 specialties. Students are encouraged to study abroad to gain a perspective of global business issues.

If you are interested in studying Psychology, look at UNC’s offerings. Concentrations include: Behavioral Neuroscience, Social Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Quantitative Psychology, Developmental Psychology. UNC opened a new Psychology Clinic that offers services for adults, children/families, couples, and individuals with anxiety disorders.

Want to become an engineer? At UNC students spend their first two years developing a solid background in chemistry, physics, biology, math and computational skills. For upper-division work, students can concentrate in one of three tracks: computer engineering, biomedical engineering, or materials.

Resources
• The Carolina Center for Public Service offers fellowships for service learning in local and global communities
• UNC has a dedicated health science library
• This school offers an academic success program for students with LD & ADHD

SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY                                                         

Santa Clara, CA

Enrollment: 5,230 undergrads, 3,724 graduate students

Private, 4-year:               Coed        Calendar:  Quarter

Residential campus:  Suburban

Jesuit and Catholic University, but welcomes students of other faiths

Tour Impressions

The historic Santa Clara Mission sits at the center of this beautifully landscaped campus.  The grounds are clean and reflect the university’s commitment to recycling.  Facility upgrades include a renovation of the Benson Memorial Center with healthy places to eat and a late night venue appropriately named, The Bronco.  The new LEED certified Locatelli Student Activities Center provides large conference rooms as well as spaces for student organizations to meet.

The library is completely automated.  Students place an order for a book and then machines not only retrieve the publication, but also deliver it to the circulation desk.

The student body is comprised of hardworking, outgoing young men and women who have a love of learning and a sense of caring for each other.  Many bring high school leadership experience to this school community.

Academic Strengths

The Jesuit philosophy of educating the whole person attracts students who not only want to excel academically, but also want to give back to the community through service.  All undergraduates are required to complete three religious studies courses.  Students benefit from small classes and personal interaction with professors.

Business

Santa Clara is well known for offering a dynamic business education through the Leavey School of Business.  During the first two years, business students complete both a liberal arts core of classes in addition to introductory business classes.  Upper division students take a common core of six business courses including accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing and operations management and information systems.

The alumni network is a key advantage for employment after graduation.  Students often shadow alums during the school year or summer to learn about different careers firsthand.  The University’s national reputation attracts world leaders to the SCU President’s Speaker Series.

Cutting Edge School of Engineering

Undergraduate Majors include:  bioengineering, civil engineering, computer science and engineering, electrical engineering, General Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Web Design and Engineering.  Engineering students who have completed at least 30 quarter units at SCU are eligible to participate in a Cooperative Education program which involves alternating between quarters of classroom instruction with periods of work experience in industry.  Gaining practical training prepares SCU graduates to succeed in the workforce.

Location

If you want to be a part of innovating new technology, then Santa Clara University’s location in the heart of Silicon Valley, 40 miles south of San Francisco, is the ideal spot.  From high tech pioneers such as HP, Apple, and Google, to new start-ups inventing the technology waves of the future, the opportunities are endless at Santa Clara University.

Undergraduate Admissions Office

de Saisset Museum

Walsh Hall

Observatory

Benson Memorial Union

Fitness Center

Library

New Residence Hall Under Construction

Leavey Center

Leavey Center

Bronco Stadium

Intramural Field