olive walrus
Location/Region:
United States. Prefer coastal or near-coastal areas with mild to warm weather (no dry desert heat). Campus should feel calm but be close to a major city with access to entertainment, media, internships, and creative industries. Open to being far from home.
Major:
Undecided / likely Communications, Public Relations, Media Studies, or related fields. I want flexibility to explore and switch majors easily if needed.
GPA/Test Scores:
3.4 GPA. Test-optional applicant with a strong upward trend junior and senior year (mostly A’s and B’s) after I switched schools.
Curriculum:
Looking for solid academics without a hyper-competitive or high-stress culture. Strong academic advising is very important. Interested in creative/media-related classes, study abroad, student orgs, and performance-adjacent spaces (theater, arts, campus events).
Size:
Prefer mid-sized schools, but I’m also open to larger universities as long as they still feel personal and community-oriented.
Costs:
College fund of about $80,000 total. I can take some loans, but I need schools that are financially realistic and not extremely expensive even with aid.
Schools You're Currently Looking At:
San Diego State, Cal State Long Beach, University of Oregon, Emerson, Arizona State, Loyola Marymount, Chapman, University of San Diego, Santa Clara, Syracuse, Penn State, URI, American, NYU.
Additional:
I care a lot about student life and overall experience. I want a campus with strong school spirit, lots of clubs and activities, and a friendly, welcoming student body. Good dorm quality and dining matter to me. Greek life can exist but shouldn’t dominate the social scene. Diversity and study abroad opportunities are very important to me. My main goal is to leave college with great friendships, meaningful experiences, and personal growth.
I do not qualify for fee waivers so the most schools I can apply to is 10.
limpid elk