Emily Hood came to see me yesterday. Somewhat rare unless it's American Literature related. Not this time. Emily's new Tulsa hoodie though gave her away.
Come to find out - Emily took advantage of "Junior Preview Day" at Tulsa University. She interacted with students and professors. Walked the gorgeous quad aligned with its Gothic, Oxford-like architecture. Ate in the cafeteria. Saw dorm rooms. Drank deep of one of the hidden secrets in the American college landscape.
At one point in our conversation, I asked Emily my favorite question: "What did you learn about yourself visiting Tulsa?" Emily wrinkled her nose a bit and then smiling exclaimed, "I discovered that I want a college where you are a person; not a number. Relationships matter to me."
Emily provided concrete examples of the personal feel of Tulsa's ethos. One of Emily's highlights was visiting student living quarters - dorms, suites, apartments. Emily noted how much she liked "the six-girl-to-one-bathroom living set up. "Another thing I learned about myself," Emily added, "was that I really value community. The idea of communal living really appeals to me."
Thanks, Emily, for sharing. Come back anytime.
I'm also curious if there are others out there like Emily who have visited colleges.
I'm anxious to hear what you have learned about yourself.
Many times a college visit can work like a mirror: it reveals who you are and aren't. It reflects what you value.
So juniors, pop in my office anytime, like Emily.
We'll chat. I'll take your picture. Convert our conversation into a blog post. Put your purty face out there for everyone in the Casady community to see. Make you famous...at least for a day!
Oh and one more thing: The feature article for our Junior newsletter involves a forum discussion with juniors who visited colleges over spring break. Look for this newsletter on the web soon.
Oh and just a final factoid about Tulsa University: This year they received almost 5 times the volume of out-of-state applications to in-state. It's ironic how 49 states in America are discovering and raving about TU..and yet, there is still 1 state unaware how good Tulsa is - that state, of course, being the one the university is in!
