Emory University

"Emory University has the beauty of being a liberal arts institute merged inside of a research institution." The academic experience at Emory is described as both "challenging and thought-provoking." The university encourages you to "get out of your comfort zone" and gives you "the tools to find out who you really are." With over 80 undergraduate majors available across nine colleges and schools, including a business school and a medical school, Emory offers a wide range of opportunities for academic exploration. Students are guided in their academic journey by professors who "made me passionate about fields I never thought I would be passionate about." Emory is home to "groundbreaking research" in numerous fields, and "research opportunities are available for [students in] "all majors and disciplines." Students note that professors "are very accessible and make the material interesting and relatable to the real world." Beyond the classroom, professors "want to know about your life, your drives, your ambitions." Emory encourages students to "become scholars and humanitarians," and over the past decade, 103 Emory alumni have been Fulbright scholars. Overall, students say Emory is "about pushing yourself beyond academics to understand how you can succeed in your career, your community, and the world." And one student says, "We have access to renowned faculty and speakers who inspire us every day not only to be our best but to leave the best impact on the world we can."

Students are driven and “determined to achieve their goals,” but they “work together to do it rather than compete with each other.” Emory is a “very diverse” campus with students from all over the world. Most students appreciate the opportunity to learn from their classmates, and many find it “truly a thrill” to be around so many people who “challenge you to think about what you know and reveal how much you don’t.” Students like that their peers “are serious in school but also find time to be involved.” It’s an environment where people “are extremely passionate about whatever their thing (or things!) is and tend to have very diverse interests, whether it’s their Indian bhangra dance group, their research on Japanese literature, [or] their ultimate Frisbee team.” Overall, it’s a fun, supportive, and engaged community. Instead of getting “riled up about football games,” students are more likely to “get riled up about elections and social issues and our weird unofficial skeleton mascot Dooley.” As one student describes their peers, “They push me to be the best version of myself, help me with anything I need, are always there to talk, and constantly make me laugh.”

There is always something to do and so many activities to get involved in on this “gorgeous campus.” As one student succinctly puts it, “My days are full, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.” A great way to discover everything happening on campus is to stop by Wonderful Wednesday, a weekly event where “student organizations set up tables around the circle and showcase their events happening, throw out free T-shirts, and even hand out food.” Each week, there’s a different theme, such as Sustainability or Women’s History Month, and it’s “a great time to really see everything that Emory offers us.” Another favorite tradition is the annual Dooley’s Week in the spring, which is filled with fun activities and culminates in a concert called Dooleypalooza. The campus has a strong sense of community that’s “aided by Greek life and athletics but not dominated by them.” There’s “a ton of stuff to do on weekend nights,” and popular activities include attending on-campus performances, hanging out with friends in the dorms, or exploring the vibrant city of Atlanta, where there is “always cool things going on.”

As a leading research university, Emory gives students ample opportunity to get hands-on experience working with renowned scholars, as well as internships and training “…at the Emory University Hospital, the Center for Disease Control, the Carter Center, and other organizations that Emory partners with…including the (Emory-Tibet Science Initiative (ETSI)) with our honorary faculty member, the Dalai Lama.” Pre-med and pre-nursing students have valuable access to the lauded Woodruff Health Sciences Center, and students in all departments can utilize the Career Center’s database of employment data, which helps inform their career choices based on employment trends, salaries, and top employers. The center also offers guidance using the Career Cluster model, with students receiving specific job insights, resources, and job/internship listings based on their major. The model also allows students to consider indirect career pathways and opportunities adjacent to their main course of study. According to PayScale.com, 53 percent of Emory University alumni report that their work makes the world a better place, and the median yearly starting salary is $75,100.