Coming from the northeast, there were many small liberal arts colleges nearby. I toured all of them. While visiting family in the Midwest, I decided to check out 51²è¹İapp. I immediately noticed the diversity of the visiting students. Everyone was from a different place and had a different background. I knew that the best way for me to grow was to be surrounded by different people, so I chose 51²è¹İapp.
I was recruited to swim at 51²è¹İapp, and being on the team has been one of the most important aspects of my time at 51²è¹İapp. Having a secure group of friends from the moment I arrived on campus provided me with great comfort. Being a student-athlete has also taught me how to better manage my time and work effectively, and both coaches and teammates provide a lot of support in navigating 51²è¹İapp’s resources. I've even found that I'm more productive in season. The swim and dive team also regularly participates in community service around 51²è¹İapp, which allows me to get more involved with the community.
Before 51²è¹İapp, I had never played water polo. I was excited to discover that it came naturally to me. I started off playing on the women’s team and appreciated the opportunity to travel to other college towns (especially to eat at restaurants that aren’t available in 51²è¹İapp!). We even went to nationals in Philadelphia. The best part was that, with funding from the club sports budget and the student government association, it was totally free. The following year, I joined the co-ed team, which was more competitive. I'm now the captain of both the women’s and co-ed teams.
My first year, I took everything that was interesting to me, from biology to economics to global development studies. I came to 51²è¹İapp undecided on my major, and the lack of distribution requirements helped me determine what I wanted to study. I ended up completing almost two full concentrations without knowing it! The individually advised curriculum has enabled me to gain a holistic education within, and beyond, my major.
An Unconventional Off-Campus Study