At this very moment, high school seniors all across the country are in the midst of making one of the biggest decisions of their lives: where should they go to college?
For some people, picking a university to call home is a no brainer. Maybe they’re planning to go to their parents’ alma mater, maybe they were only accepted to one school, or maybe they’ve been dreaming of one school in particular since childhood.
For others, making a final decision on the matter isn’t quite so easy. If the University of Toledo is on your list of possibilities, let me help you out. Here’s why you should make UT your first choice
Our campus is gorgeous and convenient.
Almost all of our learning buildings are grouped together around what we refer to as Centennial Mall, and the dorms are just beyond that area. You can walk nearly anywhere you need to go in a matter of minutes; plus, if you don’t feel like walking we have a bike share program and bus loops stopping just about everywhere every few minutes.
Our tuition isn’t bad, comparatively.
College, as a general rule, is expensive. But compared to other universities in the state, it isn’t so bad here. Our in-state tuition, plus fees for a year is currently $9,242. At BGSU, that number is $10,606, at OSU it's $10,037, Ohio University is $11,548, and Miami University is $13,533, just to name a few.
UT is generous with scholarships.
If you can manage a semi-decent GPA and a semi-decent ACT score, you’re going to get thousands of dollars every year automatically for those achievements. There's even a handy little grid right on UT's website with the merit scholarships laid out based on ACT score and GPA so you can see what you'll get (at minimum) before you get your final award letter
There’s lots to do here.
As the fourth largest city in Ohio, Toledo is home to lots of exciting things: art museums, shopping centers, the Imagination Station, metro parks, baseball and hockey games, etc. We also have buses that’ll take you from campus to many of these places. If you’re bored here, it’s your own fault.
We have tons of on-campus organizations.
No matter what you’re majoring in or what you’re interested in, you’re most likely going to find multiple organizations where you’ll fit right in.
We also have amazing Greek life.
About eight percent of our students, male and female, are affiliated with Greek life here at UT, making lifelong friends, supporting philanthropies, and keeping impressive GPAs. The on-campus Greek village is also kind of adorable.
Our Rec Center is pretty awesome.
And it was just renovated this past summer. At the Rec, we have all the normal stuff you’d expect (pool, cardio machines, weight lifting stuff, basketball courts, a track, locker rooms, etc.) along with a hot tub, soccer field, game room, sauna, rock climbing wall, and high ropes course. Plus, you can take advantage of lots of free fitness classes like yoga, Zumba, PiYo, etc.
You’ll meet so many cool people.
UT is relatively diverse (you know, considering that it is still Ohio) and we have international students from all over the world studying here. On any given day you might hear another language being spoken as you walk across campus.
We’re a D1 school.
Our athletics might not get much national recognition, but we still have a lot of fun at our football games, especially when the Glass Bowl (our stadium) is packed. Plus, several of our games are aired on an ESPN channel, which is pretty cool, if you ask me.
Speaking of athletics: we get into all home athletic events for free.
All you have to do is show your Rocket Card.
All of our dorms are air conditioned.
Not every university or college can say the same.
You’ll get big school opportunities with a smaller school atmosphere.
As a bigger school, there are tons of opportunities open to students. For example, communication majors (and other interested students) can take advantage of positions on the school newspaper; they can have their own radio station, and they can even be on TV with our UT:10 News. But at the same time, your professors will most likely end up knowing your name, and you’re going to end up running into the same people wherever you go.
Freshmen can bring their cars.
Some other universities don’t allow freshmen to bring cars. The only downside? You have to park in a special lot on weekdays until you’re officially past freshman class standing.
You’ll gain an extra appreciation for warm weather and calm winds after surviving one of our winters.
No, really -- when you leave the state for spring break or summer rolls around, you’ll be so much more appreciative.
How could you say no to this place?
