It’s springtime. You are ninety-nine percent done with the academic marathon that comes before college, and you are filled with hope for the future and wonder toward the academic and social experiences that will come with you spreading your wings and flying to university.
You see a new message in your inbox from the University of California, Davis. Upon opening it, your screen is flooded with blue and gold confetti and videos of students just slightly older and wiser than you having the time of their lives in a teensy-weensy college town in the northern California. With this acceptance to a campus over 30,000 students strong comes one big question: Why Davis?
There are several easy answers to this question. The competitiveness of the academics here. The choice between over one hundred majors. Over 800 clubs to connect with to find friends catered to you. The “college town” vibes that are few and far between in the twenty-first century. The resources for students, ranging from amazing academic advising to internship and career advising to mental health initiatives that fight for your wellbeing. The professors. The chancellor. The NCAA Division I athletics. The list goes on.
These are all fantastic reasons to choose UC Davis, but the reasons that its current students would vouch for you to come here cannot be found within the pages of a promotional pamphlet. They cannot be found when you Google statistics.
You’ll experience it when you speak to the students about what they’re passionate about. Their eyes light up as they go on about their major, their clubs, and their involvement on campus. They radiate positivity about their education and their future. You’ll feel it when you ask someone here a question. They live to help others. Filled with some of the friendliest people you could ever encounter, UC Davis wants to make sure that everyone is accounted for and that everyone is happy.
You see it in the groups of friends in the quad, as the laugh about their weekends over a shared meal. The sense of support and joy is radiant in them.
You’ll understand it when you feel yourself transform because of the people and activities here. After coming in as a shy, small thing out of high school, I was convinced that I would be someone who sat in the corners of poetry nights and kept to myself.
I could not have been more wrong. Coming to UC Davis allowed me to understand my voice, my beliefs, and my passions. I joined various clubs, obtained jobs, studied in several different departments, became a leader in my organizations, and was able to write more than I had ever written before. Suddenly, I was doing concrete things that formed a path toward my future and toward a version of myself that I could really vouch for. It gave me confidence and courage in what my abilities are and what I can do. It made me want to grow and be challenged rather than settle for what others expected from me.
You should come to UC Davis because of the statistics. You should come because of the people. Ultimately, you should come because of the most important person: You.
If you want to go somewhere that will allow you to become the best version of yourself while getting to know the best people you’ll ever meet, all while obtaining a competitive degree, you should come here.
That’s why UC Davis is for you.
Cover image source: MyUCDavis