Three Reasons to Consider OU

When you're deciding where to attend college, we know that you'll have many options. Three current OU students – Juliana Mejia, Joseph Pham, and Karley Nadolski – share three reasons why you should consider the University of Oklahoma, ranging from the community to extracurricular opportunities to it being a place that feels like home.

Juliana Mejia

Class of 2022 | Meteorology | Hinsdale, Illinois

1. First and foremost, when we say that OU is a family, we mean it. No matter where you go or what realm of the university a student becomes involved with, there will be a community of people with mutual interests that come together to support and uplift each other. In my experience, between the climbing team, the School of Meteorology, or the Office of Admissions and Recruitment, I have friends and mentors that have become my Oklahoma family that I know I can turn to and lean on. Being a long ways from Chicago, this has been a really defining part of my college career.

"Experiential learning is an indispensable characteristic of OU that I truly value."

2. Second, I say that OU is the best of both worlds because of its fantastic athletic reputation and its top-notch academics. While pushing yourself in rigorous classes, many of which are taught by professors that are esteemed professionals in their fields, you also get to enjoy the high-energy school spirit that accompanies all of our sports such as football, men and women’s basketball, gymnastics, baseball and softball, soccer, and the list goes on.

3. Finally, experiential learning is an indispensable characteristic of OU that I truly value. What I mean by experiential learning is that OU offers various programs and classes for credit that allow students to get hands-on experience and practice with the kind of work they would be doing in the field they’re pursuing. Overall, this is incredibly helpful for being prepared for the “real world” and makes the time spent studying all the more gratifying.

Joseph Pham

Class of 2022 | Management Information Systems & Entrepreneurship | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

1. Community: The community here at the university is so amazing and diverse. Throughout every building and street of campus, there is someone new, different and life-changing to meet. We have such a diverse student body that you’ll never run out of friends, ideas, and memories to be made here.

2. Involvement: Due to the inclusive excellence here at OU, there is a fruition of clubs, organizations, and involvement opportunities to explore on campus. Through the people you meet, you’ll come across a variety of events to see, opportunities to serve campus community, or even interest groups to join and hang out.

3. Family: With the combination of community and involvement you will find your home and family in no time. These two things create the family feeling of campus and has brought me so much joy in the last two years.

Karley Nadolski

Class of 2021 | Letters & Economics | Burlington, Wisconsin

1. As an Honors College Ambassador, I get the opportunity to talk to dozens of prospective students every semester. One of my favorite pieces of wisdom to impart on campus tours is that part of starting college is leaving room for passions that you haven’t met yet. OU is the perfect place to get to know those passions. OU has 18 different colleges that offer 170 academic programs. As an incoming freshman, you’re not limited to a certain degree path or college. When I was applying to OU, I was so overwhelmed by all of the decisions that I had to make. I chose OU, in part, because I knew that I could go to OU and take advantage of all the opportunities available to me.

"One of my favorite pieces of wisdom to impart on campus tours is that part of starting college is leaving room for passions that you haven’t met yet. OU is the perfect place to get to know those passions."

2. Before I started looking into OU as a serious option for my school of choice, I was already receiving letters and phone calls. Throughout my application process I knew that if there was a question, I could call and get it answered. When I toured campus the spring before my freshman year, I got the feeling that OU wanted to be a part of my story. Applying to colleges is really draining, especially when the results aren’t what you might have wanted them to be. My experience with OU’s admissions process was entirely unique. For the first time I felt like a school wasn’t just trying to decide if they would accept me, OU wanted me to be there. That feeling alone is a good reason to apply, but when it’s paired with OU’s holistic admissions decision process it creates an experience that just leaves all of the exciting parts about applying to college (and does away with what makes it so difficult).

3. One of the characteristics that makes OU so special is the diversity of undergraduate opportunities for students from any field of study or social group on campus. With an Honors College that creates a small Liberal Arts College-esque community in the heart of OU, a research program that prides itself on providing opportunities for OU undergraduates to get into the lab starting as soon as their second semester freshman year, and more than 550 student organizations planning events and service projects, there are plenty of opportunities to find what you love as a Sooner. You should apply to OU because there’s nowhere else you’ll be able to take advantage of the unique set of opportunities available to you here. Get in on the good stuff, and apply to OU.