A year has passed since I graduated from West Monroe High School, and one year since I've dwelled over various undergraduate universities, mostly in-state, before ultimately nodding my head at the Office of Recruitment and Admissions on the second floor of the ULM library.
Initially, I was very keen on Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport, until blocks away, a group of highly-skilled medical students at LSU-Shreveport School of Medicine (mostly Louisiana Tech and ULM graduates) altered my way of thinking.
Louisiana Tech University suited my expectations, but the half-hour commute (I didn't plan to live on-campus due to a horrific, yet mind-blowing experience) on the interstate deterred me from the Bulldog way. I even applied to Tulane University with an essay and letters of recommendation written last minute.
HOWEVER, my parents and I decided to explore ULM just for the sake of it. I decided to give ULM a try because, well, what did I have to lose? And here are 5 things that attracted me to ULM unlike anything I had imagined:
1. A High Medical School Acceptance Rate
ULM boasts a strong and renowned biology program in the state with faculty members very much involved in research (genetics, molecular, ecological, etc). Most importantly, ULM faculty in the biology and chemistry department are more dedicated to the success of their students than their research.
2. Good Scholarships and Refunds
Spending a quarter of a million dollars at Tulane would've been worth it, only if it guaranteed admission to medical school. With a high ACT score, students are attending ULM at no charge. Instead, one can receive more benefits and scholarships and the full TOPS amount back.
3. ULM Honors Program
For some reason, every in-state university's honors program seemed very exclusive and overrated. However, ULM is very unique in nature, partly due to a good selection of students but also an inspiring, open-minded and creative director--Dr. Joshua Stockley! This organization has been the gateway to my best friends, wonderful scholarships, and esteemed professors.
4. RSO's and the International Community
The student life at ULM is very vibrant and multicultural, a rare sight in the deep South among the Southern-Baptists. I can recall almost discarding nepali night tickets for Nepali night at ULM in 2015, but ended up LOVING all aspects of it. Because of that one event, my enrollment to this school was solidified. My personal heartfelt thanks goes to those talented individuals who changed my way of thinking.
My PREP leaders also influenced me to become a more outgoing person, the total opposite of the goody-goody bookworm I had been.
Right now I'm in various RSO's, some multicultural, others motivational.
Here's a picture of me and fellow Global Ambassadors welcoming and interacting with the newest international students:
5. ULM's Beautiful Campus
Other universities may have mesmerizing buildings or a few fountains, but nothing beats the view of the waterside campus library, the tan European-styled buildings, and the bayou itself, offering recreational activities for all.
ULM isn't the best university for all majors. Every university has its strengths and weaknesses. Just because it suited me and still does, does not mean it is the best choice for everybody. In the end it's not about where a person has completed his or her undergraduate years, but more about the person's own abilities and how he or she used opportunities to better himself or herself mentally, socially, and academically.
Once a Warhawk, always a Warhawk.
Peace!
