We, freshmen, have just moved into our dorms, but soon it’ll be time for next year’s freshmen to work on their college applications. (They’d be wise to start early--those deadlines are closer than they appear!) When they do, they should really apply to Oxford College of Emory University. Few applicants (or parents) have heard of it, but this hidden gem of a school has a lot to offer…

1. It’s Free (To Apply)

Believe me, I wish I could say it was free to attend. That would solve the single biggest problem of a lot of young people. But another problem is application fees, and if you’re already applying to Emory, there’s no additional fee to apply to Oxford. All you have to do is check a box on your Emory application. You don’t even have to write any extra essays! You’re essentially applying to an extra school with no effort and no cost. You’d be crazy not to.

2. The Campus is Small

If you’re accepted and come to visit, your feet will thank you. Walking diagonally across from one corner of the campus to the other takes only 10-15 minutes, which is nothing compared to some college campuses. That might not seem important to you, but when your next class is all the way on the other side of campus and there are just 10 minutes between bells, Oxford’s compactness could well save you from a tardy. Plus, in general, you won’t want to walk for 20 minutes to classes and meals. It’s much better to have everything on one quad.

3. The Student Body is Small

With the small campus comes a small student body (about 500 students per class). This is about the same size as or just a little bit bigger than a lot of high school graduating classes, so you’ll get to know people and make close friends quickly. If you’re really socially invested you could probably make that happen anywhere, but if your social skills are as terrible as mine, you’ll really appreciate the help that comes from having a small enough student body that most faces become familiar and you can find friends anywhere.

4. Your Classes are Small

The educational experience at Oxford is just as intimate as the social one. There are NO huge lecture halls--most classes are capped at 24 students or less. All are taught by professors (not graduate students) who are there to help you learn, not talk at you. Oxford is only underclassmen, so all the professors are there because they wanted to teach underclassmen. Many are seminar-style, which means YOU (and your classmates) lead the discussion. Academics-wise, what’s cooler than that?

5. Small Student Body + No Upperclassmen = Less Competition for Leadership Roles

Oxford is only 1000 underclassmen--all the juniors and seniors are on Emory’s Atlanta campus. But there are still leadership roles on campus, so they go to underclassmen. RAs? Sophomores. TAs? Sophomores. Student government executive leaders? Sophomores. Student government members? Club officers? Leads in plays and music performances?

Freshmen and sophomores. You don’t have to wait two or three years before you get a crack at anything important. And since the student body is so small, you don’t even have to compete with as many underclassmen as you would at another school.

6. You Still Have a Big Campus

All Oxford students move to Emory’s Atlanta campus for their junior and senior years, where all the resources and activities of a big research university (and all the fun things to do in Atlanta) are right at their fingertips. They can continue in the liberal arts at Emory College or study in the Goizueta Business School or the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.

But even before then, there are shuttles that run a few times a day between Oxford, Emory, and the nearby MARTA station so that Oxford students can take advantage of all the resources and activities on Emory’s main campus and all the fun things to do in Atlanta (including fraternity parties at Georgia Tech for those who are so inclined). Yes, the immediate area surrounding Oxford is not that exciting, but with awesome Atlanta just 38 miles away, that definitely shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.

Oxford College of Emory University really is the best of both worlds. So even if you’ve never heard of it before, even if you have doubts, click the box. You don’t have to go there (unless you apply ED), but you may as well try to get in. It’s free, and you just might like it.