My Search for the “Ideal” by Rebekah

My Search for the “Ideal” by Rebekah - August 2020 Scholarship Essay

My dream college is focused on creating a sense of community and working to give students the best possible opportunities. I have a list of qualities that I would love to have at the school I choose to go to. My dream school is unique because the majority of schools do not have what my dream schools has.

Talking with friends of mine that have gone to college, I have heard that when they walk on campus at a specific college, they can “feel” that this is where they belong. My dream college would have that same feeling. One which has a community and inviting feel as you walk on and around campus. However, unfortunately due to the current pandemic, I have had to resort to virtual visits. Though I am not able to feel the atmosphere of the campus, I can get an idea of how it may feel to be a student there.

More importantly, I want a small community feel within a larger school. It would be perfect to have a small, close community within my specific program while having the opportunities that come with a larger school. Because of current circumstances, I have had to do a lot of my college research online. My dream school would have lots of its information online and available. Some schools I looked at have extensive and greatly helpful information on their website, though some other schools have very little information available.

The most essential aspect of online information is friendly, willing, and helpful faculty. With some of my top schools, I have spent time emailing faculty as well as participating in general and individualized virtual meetings. It is easy to tell which schools have faculty who are willing to help in any way possible, and those that do not. The more friendly and helpful the faculty, the more I want to learn more about the college itself. This represents the college as a whole, and reflects the willingness of the faculty in helping current students. The attitude of faculty and professors towards students makes a huge difference in college experience.

The most important aspect of my dream college is having great opportunities for building my resume and experience. My dream college would have a variety of quality research labs open for students to work in as well as hospitals with internship and coop positions. Because I plan on going into a biology field, research experience is essential when pursuing a career. I would love to have professors who run research labs and are willing to have students work in their lab. I would love to have faculty who work with students to find available opportunities. I would love to be at a college which has plentiful connections among companies and businesses. Each of these will greatly enhance my college experience as well as my experience in finding jobs after graduation.

In addition to experience opportunities, my ideal college would have a variety of accelerated and honors opportunities that would encourage me to challenge myself as well as have lots of programs that fall into the same general field of biology. These programs would give me more options and flexibility when pursuing my degree, and though I plan on going into the general field of biology, I would like to major in a more specific area. This school would have programs in a variety of biological fields that I am interested in, including genetics, genomics, immunology, microbiology, biochemistry, and cancer biology. Although I am fairly confident in my choice of immunology, having a variety of similar programs would give me the opportunity to take classes in similar areas to strengthen my skills in biology.

I have listed the most desired qualities of my dream school, though there are a few more aspects I would greatly love to have at my college. As a senior, this is my ninth year as a competitive gymnast. My dream school has a club gymnastics team, in which I could participate to keep active and doing something I love.

And finally, affordability is a large factor. My dream school would be affordable. Though schools with the aspects I have listed are most likely not very affordable. In that case, my dream school has a variety of scholarships that allow me to go to a higher caliber school at an affordable rate.

My dream school has an amazing sense of community, one that is small within clubs and programs, yet large in the school as a whole. Though more importantly, my dream school has amazing people. People who are willing to spend time giving me the best possible experience and opportunities. Of most importance, my dream school has willing faculty in regards to research opportunities, professors willing to share in their research, and a variety of opportunities around the city.

My dream college is unique, because not many schools offer all that I wish for. Though the school I choose to go to may not measure up to everything that my dream school does, I can be confident that the school I go to will have the best opportunities possible. Because I know what I am looking for, I will find schools that are as close to my ideal picture as possible.