Improve your chances of getting into college,

At Western Michigan University there is this idea that all we do is drink. Many people around the state, and on campus call our university WAISTERN instead of our true name, Western. It is sad and disrespectful and it upsets me to think that there are people out there that would even consider that to be all we are and have to offer. Western has many accomplishments to our name, being home to an honors college, ranking number one as a military friendly school in all of Michigan, being the university of choice of pro football player, Greg Jennings, and having (soon enough) a medical school, to name a few.

It is time for the public, and students in particular, to learn that there is so much more to college than partying and Western Michigan University is a perfect place to experience and realize that.

Western Michigan University is the perfect place for me. We have over 25,000 students enrolled but the campus and community still feels close, connected and interested. We have a lot to offer every student with over 300 registered student organizations, which means everybody can find a group that they are interested in, feel like they fit in and begin to thrive in their perfect environment. You don't think it's possible? Maybe it isn't possible to FIND a group that you love, thats why Western has made it possible for any student to create and run their own registered student organization with just 3 other students and a constitution.

When I walk across campus I can count on a smiling face and that is my favorite thing about Western Michigan University. We are so friendly, and you may think it sounds silly but it is hard to find a large university where everyone appreciates a "hello" and a smile. That is what makes Western such a great place, everyone appreciates you for being there and being you.

Western attracts great professors like a hummingbird is attracted to a flower. We have amazing professors along with great class sizes and lecture halls and rooms. Many classes are contained to less than 100, and if we are enrolled in the Lee Honors College we can bet all our classes are under 30 students. We are driven by success and learning, along with knowledge. Students strive to learn more and want to grow as a person by experiencing the moment when someone shares that perfect piece of knowledge that makes the light bulb go off within our minds. Class participation is expected, but often over exceeds the professors expectations. The conversations are deep and insightful and we can walk away knowing something that we hadn't before. It is a great feeling to know that we are getting what we are paying for and will take what we learn away when we graduate and go on with our lives.

Western is extremely friendly to students with different backgrounds, beliefs, and looks. We have many different groups on campus that are devoted to specific races, religions and beliefs, along with LGBT students. Our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender registered student organization, OutSpoken, is one of the largest groups on campus and regularly take part in events, create their own and spread their name around campus. They hold one of the biggest events of the year, being a drag fashion show and also allow "allies" to express their enthusiasm for the group. Students with disabilities are also treated as equals on campus with the help of specific groups, and organizations. It is hard for me to imagine a student feeling out of place on Western's campus, someone is always there to invite, help, accept, and show some enthusiasm for a student.

Western Student Association is our student run government on Western Michigan University's campus and it holds events weekly, including meetings. WSA meets every Wednesday and is open to all students, which works out well because many of them end up getting involved with the organization in one way or another. Campus Activities Board (CAB) is also very popular on campus; they bring most of the celebrities to campus, including Nick Pike, Ludacris, and Jason Derulo. They are funded by money that enrolled students pay for in a fee that is included in tuition, and because of that most events put on by CAB cost $2 or less! They are fun and creative registered student organization to get involved in on Western Michigan Universities campus, and that is why so many students do! OutSpoken is also a large registered student organization on our campus. They are a group for LGBT students and allies. They hold events that pertain to their mission and close the gap on the stereotypes that still exist for LGBT students. They have the best in mind for all students and I think that is why so many students participate in OutSpoken. You don't have to be LGBT to join; straight students can be allies, which means that they stand for what the organization is doing and for LGBT students.

Doors are always open in the resident halls and people are always willing to help. The dining halls hold an annual Thanksgiving feast that is held before school is let out for break and everyone attends. Around 12% of our students are involved in a social fraternity or sorority and many are also involved in fraternitites for their majors, and for honors.

Western Michigan University is ranked a top 100 public school in the nation with roughly 25,000 students attending. We have over 140 majors to choose from, ranging from aviation, engineering, exercise science, dance, biochemistry, paper engineering, athletic training, education, a phenomenal nursing program and coming soon pre med! We are a D1 school and are in the Mid American Conference (MAC) and our hockey team is nationally ranked. We are high on the charts for sustainability efforts, were recently mentioned in a case study for it. We will be getting a face lift come may/june with the addition of a student mall in the heart of campus. This change has been in the works since the 1970's when West Michigan Ave was closed off, uniting the north and south sides of main campus. We have the largest recreational weight room in all of the MAC located in our Student Recreation Center, and Miller Auditorium, which is the third largest auditorium in Michigan. Not to mention a gorgeous fountain located just outside and also named after our third president, James W. Miller. It holds 80,000 gallons of water and has 9 spouts within it, one for each college at WMU.

I am a working student on weekends so my weekends usually involve an 8am on friday morning (due to my major) followed by perhaps a few more classes. I usually finish up with classes around noon (remember most students don't even have friday classes!) and then make my way to work for around 6 hours. I will finish up there and head home for a break. Do some homework, make some dinner, watch some TV and then I usually head to my sorority house. There I hang out with my family where some girls get ready and go out to late dinners, parties, dates, movies etc., and others stay home and enjoy the company of one another. That is what I usually do seeing that I am up by 7am at the latest on Fridays. On saturday morning I sometimes go to work until about 4 then I head off to my other job working as a waitress where I work a shift from late afternoon to (sometimes) early mornings. Sunday is a lazy day for me, I get to sleep in and then do homework and in the evenings I usually have meetings to attend and sometimes do a late dinner with my close friends.

Keep in mind, most students wouldn't put themselves through this kind of lifestyle but I enjoy being busy for the most part. Last year I had a lot more down time and found myself hanging out with next door neighbors and floor mates in the dorm. It was equally as fun and I know that there is always something to do no matter what kind of person you are!

I lived in the Honors Dorms in Ackley Hall located in Valley 1 and I loved it. I would not have wanted it any other way. Most people think about crazy honors students that have no lives, lock themselves in their room to study for a test that is a week away and have lights out by 8:30pm, but that wasn't my experience at all!

5th floor Ackley was so inviting; everyone kept their doors open, there was always someone to offer help if you needed it and we all had a common interest, succeeding in school! If anything, living on an honors floor brought all of us closer together even though there were only a couple of us who shared the same major, but that is what made it so much fun; everyone was their individual person but at the end of the day we all shared a common interest too!

There are all kinds of special interest housing on WMU's campus including fine arts, aviation, engineering and even some for students who are committed to a more intense lifestyle, signing to exercise regularly and getting close facilities for it!

We are one of the headlining universities that are committed to "going green". WMU has such a thing called a quasi-revolving fund that we established in 1980 and it allows us to invest money in sustainability efforts and then take the money saved by that change and put it towards another sustainability effort. We were even mentioned in a case study for our efforts and how we have been doing this for many years; let it be said that we have the oldest such fund in the nation!!! This includes the accredited universities such as Harvard, which established a fund much like ours in 2001. More information on this topic can be found at this link: http://www.wmich.edu/wmu/news/2011/12/009.html

We have been working hard to save the world one water bottle at a time and there are many more smaller efforts that WMU has shown throughout the years, including the new addition of multiple charging stations for electric cars and many new solar panels right on the edge of campus by the famous Miller Auditorium, the third largest auditorium in Michigan. :)

no! not in the least bit, we are known as a party school, but in reality we have a very diverse population. We have a business program that is in the top 20 nationally recognized business programs, we have The Lee Honors College, a great fine arts college and a nationally recognized college of health and human services. Not to mention we are blessed to have Dr. Malott and his behavioral analysis program and courses within the major of psychology. Back to the point, there is a friend here for everyone, no matter what you want to do and where you want to go in life!

Simply because it was the only school I visited and that was because the second I walked onto campus it felt just perfect...right where I wanted to be :D Not to mention, news of a new student mall right in the heart of campus was just released a few days ago and is said to be done by next fall!! HOW EXCITING!! A place for all students to lounge, read, spend time with a friend and listen to the water feature that the school is going to create!!

Every Class is different. All are fun and there are so many different subjects and ideas that one can learn about. The class sizes are very acceptable. In the Lee Honors College you can expect to see a class size no larger than 30 students and the largest lecture classes are in Schneider Hall, part of the business college and that holds around 300 students.

There is food for everyone on Western's campus. Every dining hall specializes in something different, if it be mexican food, sub sandwiches or vegan and vegitarian meals. We also offer "Carry Out" which opens right after the dining halls close, usually around 8pm, at select dining halls and are open until midnight. You bring your own sac and sustainability mug, which are provided at orientation, and are used in order to increase our sustainability. Once there, you use one of your meals on your card and are able to get a whole bag full of food to last the hungry snacker all through the night! I think most of the food is good if not great and there are always new options. You can also find the monthly menu on line for breakfast lunch and dinner.

We have many traditions that we take part in on game day for football and one in particular that we do every wednesday. We call it Western Wednesday and it is mainly sponsored by our Registered Student Organization (RSO) called Western Student Association which acts as our student council. All students have to do is wear Western Gear and show up at the flagpoles (a central spot on campus) usually between the times 12-3pm and they will receive free stuff! Every week is different, sometimes it's food, other times it is pins and chapstick, you never know but that is what makes it fun! Other RSO's join regularly in the fun and games and sometimes the location changes but it can all be tracked online and is easy to follow!