The Right Fit by Atley

The Right Fit by Atley - August 2020 Scholarship Essay

My dream college has many characteristics that are important and unique to me. In North Carolina there are many large universities that offer a lot of opportunities, but a big campus always seems overwhelming to me. The bachelor degree I want to pursue is in wildlife biology and isn’t offered at many universities. It limited my options severely, but I want a university that shares most of my interests, and beliefs. I was lucky enough to hear about Lees McRae college through a friend and once I did some research I knew Lees McRae was the college for me.
Lees McRae not only offers wildlife biology for a major but they also have a wildlife animal hospital on campus. This is where students can have real hands-on experience while learning, which I believe is very important. They’re also devoted to helping improve the environment with a program led by students called the “Green Initiative”. They’ve implemented recycling programs on campus, they give compost bins to students for individual use. Students can then empty their personal bin in the community garden compost. In the garden anyone can rent a space if they’d like to plant.
One of my favorite aspects is they are an animal friendly campus. That means they have certain dorms where you can live with your animal and bring your dog to classes and the library so they never have to be alone. They also have a reptile room, so every pet has a place on campus to live. It’s refreshing to see a campus that cares for students' mental health enough to know that animals provide stress relief. The campus also encourages all students to get outdoors as much as possible. They offer many great outdoor programs like rock climbing, backpacking, paddle boarding and many more exciting activities to participate in nature. That is very important to me, to have a campus that cares and wants students to spend time in nature and reconnect.
Lees McRae college is my dream school that has many unique qualities that are perfect for myself. I realize not everyone who is looking to go to college wants to live on a small campus, or in the mountains. However it is the exact fit I’ve been looking for in a college. Everything Lees McRae’s does ensures students have the best experience and is unique to any colleges I’ve come across in North Carolina. Lee McRae is definitely the school I wanted to find in my search for a college, and I know that when I’m accepted it will be an extraordinary experience.