Hey Future Buffs! My name is Emily Page and I am a sophomore majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Engineering Management. I am originally from a town called Holmdel, New Jersey, located about 45 minutes from New York City and 3 highway exits from the world famous ‘Jersey Shore’. People ask me all the time: “Emily, why CU? What made you pack up and move halfway across the country when there are some amazing schools closer to home?” and the story behind my decision is far from ordinary.
When beginning to think about where I wanted to go to college, I told my parents right off the bat that I wouldn’t be applying to a school in New Jersey, a state that touches New Jersey, or a state that touches a state that touches New Jersey. I began to formulate a list of schools up and down the west coast; originally I had my heart set on California. Colorado was nowhere to be found on any of my lists or in any of my research, not until my mom showed me CU’s website and convinced me to apply. I checked CU’s box on the CommonApp and submitted all of my applications, but CU was still not at the forefront of my college list. Not until November 11, 2015. It was on that day that I got an email. Little did I know that email would be the first step to the best decision of my life.
The email turned out to be my acceptance letter to CU, my first college acceptance letter! Obviously, this meant I had to come out to Boulder and visit. I had never been to Colorado before, and honestly, I really wanted an excuse to hop on a plane and miss a few days of senior year. Fast forward to late January: My parents and I arrived in Boulder with virtually no knowledge of the school. Throughout the information session, I flipped through the handouts and pamphlets, all of them plastered with the iconic view of the flatirons, and began to see what the hype was all about. It was not until my walking tour that I knew that I would be #BoulderBound. I couldn’t put a finger on it, but the feeling I had inside throughout the tour was something I had not felt while walking around the other campuses I had visited. It was like there was magic in the air. The combination of the amazing engineering school, the beautiful campus, and the fact that it couldn’t be more different than New Jersey, were all the reasons why I knew CU was going to be my home for the next four years. At the end of the tour, I bought a shirt at the bookstore and instantly posted my college decision to all of social media when I got back to NJ. I was a Colorado Buffalo from that moment forward.
Fast-forward two years later, I could not be happier with my decision. Not only am I thriving academically, but I have also gotten involved in clubs and leadership activities, allowing me to meet some of my favorite people who challenge and motivate me on a daily basis. I love CU so much that it is now my job to tell people how much I love it! No really, come join me on one of my campus tours and I hope you will feel the same Boulder magic that I did when you first come to campus.
Emily Page
Mechanical Engineering, 2020