From San Francisco to South Carolina

During the month of April I had the good fortune to visit several college campuses, and I want to offer a quick snapshot of a few of them.

1.  For girls who are considering a big city, you really should take a look at the University of San Francisco.  Home to around 6,000 undergraduates (that hard to find medium size school), USF is a wonderfully diverse campus that is always on the lookout for students who are engaged in their school and community.  A Jesuit university, it is only about 30% Catholic, and all faiths are more than welcome.  Signature programs include nursing, communications, international studies, architecture and urban planning, data science, entrepreneurship, hospitality management, and performing arts (a major you can combine with social justice).  They should also be opening an engineering program in 2017.

I found the University to be open, inclusive, and very

University of San Francisco

comfortable. They have created a learning environment that integrates every student into the community, and students inevitably leave asking "How can I use my gifts to make the world a better place?"  Like all Jesuit schools, they emphasize justice, compassion, grace, integrity, and humanity.

Because of their location (and an excellent career services office), finding internships is not hard to do.  After all, San Francisco is home to Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, Apple, Sales Force, Pandora, and Yelp, just to name a few.  Not as competitive as some schools in big cities (NYU, Georgetown, GW, or BU), it is a fantastic option that you should investigate.

2.  It's been a while since I visited Clemson University, so it was fun to go back and see what's new. They have an undergraduate research program called "creative inquiry," where students can research things like "Are double stuff oreos really double-stuffed?" or "can you really pick up dropped food and eat it if it's only been there for five seconds?"  So not only can you get real research practice, but you can do it while investigating a less serious topic.

Another interesting major at Clemson is packaging design (one of only four or five schools in the country that have it).  From start to finish, a PD major focuses on packaging construction and marketing (consumer interaction) and packaging design and management.  Clemson has also opened a beautiful architecture building, complete with open air studio and nooks for presentations.  No portfolio is required, but the major is pretty intense. Nursing, agriculture, business (marketing), and education are strong majors, as is, of course, engineering.

Finally you should check out the Calhoun Honors College.  The SAT/ACT minimum is around 1320/30, and demonstration of intellectual engagement and involvement in activities is important for admission.

If you want to know more about these schools, or my stops at Wofford, Furman, the University of South Carolina, and the College of Charleston, stop by my office and let's talk.