Admissions

Go see the school and talk to some of the students. Be prepared for rain, but it's no big deal. Consider a bike with fenders.

Do as best as you can in high school and apply early to the university. There are more and more students applying each year and that makes it a little more hard to get accepted. Having a strong high school transcript helps along with extra circular actives.

Prospective students, beware: you may never want to pursue the Real World after your dream-like musings of four years at the University of Oregon. Instead, you might try to hole up in one of the many trees planted throughout the campus, convinced that you are a fairy squirrel destined for a simple life of nuts, philosophical ramblings with interesting characters that pass you by, and of course, wild goose-chases from the DPS that land you in some random person's drunken house party where everyone is singing in hand-held unison, tuned into a frequency mean and green.

Again: visit the department of the major you're interested in. If you just have a few in mind, visit all of them. Apply to the Honors College. Though it has a different curriculum which can sometimes be a pain, it's worth it. Also, make sure to look into clubs and other extracurricular activities at the UO. Don't just look at the academic programs! If there are any events (lectures, etc.) going on on campus when you visit, go to those too! You might get an idea of what sorts of interesting events will be taking place on campus.

Stick around for more than just the tour. Visit the art museum on campus! Don't be afraid to explore the campus or ask questions to strangers.

It is not the most difficult school to get into, so I really don't think tips for the application process would be very useful. It's more important to know how to evaluate a school, to see if it's right for you. Keep in mind, though, that you have the ability to make yourself happy almost anywhere.

Visit the campus beforehand! Don't get your mind set on getting the LLC dorms, I have a Walton dorm and I am perfectly happy with it, personally, I think it's cleaner than LLC and more homey. In your first term, make sure not to go too hard, but take one or two hard classes and then take a couple electives, like a PE. They have plenty to offer - I have friends in their well rated Journalism school, and I myself am majoring in Human Physiology. This school has a lot of opportunities for internships and outside volunteer/work opportunities if you are interested, and they also have great programs to help you if you are struggling in any classes.

If you get a bike, that's good campus transportation because it is mostly flat and a lot of it you can't drive through anyway. Since it's such an environmentally conscientious school, many people bike to and from class. It's really beautiful.

If you're wanting to go to Oregon and you're out of state, make sure you apply for as many scholarships as possible because the out of state tuition is extremely steep and the scholarships you could potentially get from the school don't cover much.

Don't get too set on a major. Sure, you might think you know what you want to do in your life when you apply to colleges, but once you get there, you're going to be faced with a lot of different people pursuing different degrees and you will acquire new interests as well. For example, when I was applying to colleges, I wanted to be an architect, now I want to go into psychology or become a teacher. Just keep your minds open and be positive throughout the whole application process. Sure, its long and it can be repetitive and tedious, but keeping a positive attitude will ensure a positive attitude on your applications as well!

Get your FAFSA in on time and if you are coming from a different state make sure you get it in by March 1st. My state gave me a different date and my mom is now working double time to pay for my education on her own.

Don't be afraid to approach professors, they don't want to fail you. Don't put them on a pedestal, go to their office hours and don't leave till you get that question answered! My second piece of advice is to be spirited and take pride in being a Duck. There are so many clubs and events happening nonstop on campus, try to go to as many as possible you meet so many people that way.