The college process is stressful. It is even more stressful when there is only one place you want to go. It also a lot to take in when you have no idea where to go. Deciding where you are going to live for the next four (maybe five) years, where you will eat all your meals, make all your friends, and learn all you can is overwhelming when you're seventeen. With application season amongst our high school class of 2019, I wanted to write an article from my current perspective a couple months after graduation.

Why I Chose UGA:

I applied to seven colleges my senior year. I grew up in a UGA jumper with "dawg" in every login I ever made. I left the house when games were on because my alumni parents screamed too loud at the TV, and our dog was named after Vince Dooley. I wanted a big school. I wanted a place filled with enough people, I would always be meeting someone new. I wanted a school that had a team I could cheer on even after I graduated. I wanted a school well known enough that any interviewer would know the reputation and rigor of the University of Georgia. I wanted to join Greek life at a place with enough houses to find exactly where I fit in to make such a big school so much smaller. I wanted a city that had more than just going downtown, but a place I could see live music any night of the week, a place that has farmers markets twice a week, and a place with more shopping than my hometown mall. I wanted a place that would accept all my dual enrollment and AP credits, so I could double major and graduate on time. I wanted a place with specific colleges that are nationally ranked for both my majors in business and journalism. I wanted to live far enough from home that I could have freedom, but close enough my parents could visit without having to always spend the night. I fell in love with the classic city, the college community, and the social and academic opportunity of the greatest college in the country.

Tradition:

UGA's 233 years of tradition set this campus apart from the rest. We jump in fountains. We call on the Dawgs. We watch the dawg walk. We snellebrate. We wait in line to pull the rope and listen to the chapel bell ring for hours after a win on game day. We avoid the arch then sprint through it at graduation. We embrace the history of one of the oldest southern college campuses.

Food:

We have to be on meal plan, so might as well have a good one. With 5 dining halls complete with hibachi station, burrito bar, personalized pasta, all day breakfast, 24/7 buffet, customized pizzas, jittery joes at the O, and all the mac and cheese you could ever need. Downtown Athens is also full of unique restaurants to take your parents when they're in town and paying the bill.

Academics:

We have more than 200 options for majors, so it's easy to change programs without changing schools. UGA has 17 schools and colleges specialized for undergraduate degrees with an 18:1 student to faculty ratio. We are a nationally ranked public university. This semester, I'm taking Music in Athens as an academic class. Instead of a generic first-year seminar most schools require, I am taking digital language as my first-year class that is the highlight of my week. We get to choose our class based on our own interest, so I spend me Odyssey hour scrolling through twitter in my small class of freshmen studying social media trends, meme culture, and linguistic patterns of every day social media.

Social Atmosphere:

I have yet to walk from my dorm room to the dining hall without seeing someone I know. I brush my teeth next to my best friends in the community bathroom. I talk up a storm with the guys below me in the elevator. I walk to class with my sorority sisters and eat with the friends I met at a social. With over 700 student organizations, greek life, and large residence halls, I feel like I know everyone here. There is always something to do with someone. My residence hall has movie nights, my sorority has bible studies, and campus organizations are always having free pizza. You are NEVER bored here.

Location:

We are close to Atlanta, but far enough to have our own identity. The music scene here developed the B-52's and REM. We live in a poverty-stricken community that allows us to give back to the full-time residences of Athens- Clark County.

Athletics:

We made it to the national championship!! Going to an SEC school gives football a whole new meaning. Our student section stands for 4 hours. We call on the Dawgs. We paint the town red and black. We scream the fight song and rep our "*insert sorority* Loves the Dawgs" buttons. Game days are holidays, and we are always celebrating. UGA also has so many club and intramural sports I'll probably never join with my sideline cheer athleticism but still appreciate.

Why Other Students Chose UGA:

"I picked UGA kinda for a unique reason. They have a program called Embark for students who are former foster care kids who have experienced homelessness and poverty. They also have a program called TRIO for low income first generation and pell-grant eligible kids. I am in both of these programs. It is a support network for students like me who have no outside support because college is something so new and different, and it stood out from other colleges because it helps me through college and shows that I matter to UGA and that they're invested in my success." -Robin Grazulis

"UGA was the first school I toured when I started looking at colleges. Every place after it didn't even compare. I fell in love with the campus the second I got there."-Brooke Bauerkemper

"My brother is a senior here at UGA, and that was basically the deciding factor! I wanted to go out of state, but I wanted to be close to my brother before he moved across the country to California. Also, the football team had a pretty big influence on my decision. Go Dawgs!" -Pauline Keller

"I chose UGA because it has been my dream school as long as I can remember. The great academics, college town, and D1 football create the perfect atmosphere." -Caleb Ellison

"UGA is one of three schools in Georgia that offers a masters degree in communication sciences and disorders. I also have been a Georgia fan since I was in diapers and it has been a dream of mine to get into UGA and now it's a reality."- Meredith Lynn

"Their journalism program, social life, and location."-Nikki Shotz

"I grew up coming to UGA games because my dad had season tickets, so it has been a dream of mine to come here for as long as I can remember." -Jacob Rowell

"UGA has a really great community of hardworking college students and helpful faculty as well as a traditional college town campus with something to do every day." -Jeff Kelsch

"Instate tuition"- Reese Wracher

"UGA had the best program for my career goals that was affordable and close to home" -Jonathan Walls

"Sony Michel and Isaiah Wynn got drafted to the Pats first round on the day I had to decide, and it was fate."-

"Tradition" -Wesley Danuser

"I choose UGA because I loved the idea of going to a big university with lots of school spirit and game days. Being from New Jersey, the warm weather was definitely something I wanted to do. Also it being a top public university with great classes and academic options was huge for me too, and lastly, I saw there were so many options to get involved in on campus!" -Mary Danaher

"Greek Life" -Joshua Bieber

"I wanted to graduate from a big name school, but had to keep that in-state tuition." -Cody Boring