Why I Picked California Institute of Technology Pasadena (Pasadena, California)

Suchita Nety, senior

I was drawn to Caltech by the opportunity to study chemistry and to contribute to high-impact interdisciplinary research in a collaborative, close-knit environment. As a college freshman, I joined a lab and have continued working year-round thanks to the support of Caltech’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships.

I’ve also benefited tremendously from opportunities to grow outside the realm of academics. Caltech’s SanPietro Travel Prize allowed me to spend three weeks traveling through Greece to experience a foreign country — just because!

As a dancer, I’ve found opportunities to explore diverse styles, including hip-hop and Indian classical dance, and even choreograph and stage my own pieces. My love of literature, combined with the encouragement of wonderful English professors, has led me to pursue an English minor along with my bachelor’s in chemistry.

[Check out five reasons to get involved in college.]

Why I Picked Rutgers University–New Brunswick (New Brunswick, New Jersey)

Katherine Lau, 2016 graduate

I chose Rutgers University because of its phenomenal school spirit — on game day, the school is a sea of alumni and students wearing scarlet shirts — state-of-the-art facilities, and central location in the biopharma hub of America. On my first campus visit, I spent the most time during my tour in the gleaming biomedical engineering building, where students can conduct research alongside professors in an ultramodern clean room. As a biomedical engineering major, I found a home in the Engineering Governing Council and Phi Sigma Rho, the national engineering sorority.

Because the university has great career services and supportive faculty and staff, I have been able to capitalize on great opportunities. As a sophomore, I was able to start research in computational gene analysis. Then as a junior, I landed an internship at Chromocell Corporation, a biotechnology company.

The university’s ties with top pharmaceutical corporations is a big plus, too, as I hope to join one of these companies after completing graduate school.

Why I Picked Truman State University (Kirksville, Missouri)

Mackenzie Smith, senior

I chose Missouri’s Truman State University because of its affordability, small classes and commitment to academic excellence. Initially, I did not know what to major in, so the school’s liberal studies program turned out to be a great fit for me. A public speaking course so engaged me that I decided to major in communications.

Truman faculty take a strong interest in their students, which is how I became a McNair Scholar. My professors encouraged me to apply to the McNair program, which helps students who are the first in their family to attend college or who are from underrepresented groups to get access to research opportunities and faculty mentors who advise them on course planning and their research projects. The goal is to keep you on track for graduate school — something I had never dreamed of doing before reaching Truman.

[Get tips from current students on choosing a college major.]

Why I Picked Colby College (Waterville, Maine)

Lucas Lam, senior

Growing up in Southern California, the coldest place I had ever visited before Colby College was my refrigerator. But the school offered to pay my way for a campus visit, and I quickly felt at home despite the temperature shock.

Undergrads tend to have wide interests and reflect the diversity the college values. Our radio station, for example, is run by a biology and history double major. I am a Science, Technology and Society and physics double major headed to a career in government affairs and public policy.

Colby also has a monthlong “Jan Plan” program each year in January. We can take a course, travel abroad or intern off campus.

Why I Picked Creighton University (Omaha, Nebraska)

Ashley Weed, Class of 2017

Creighton University sent me a handwritten note to tell me I’d been accepted. This kind of warmth and personal attention made it an easy decision to accept. I entered the College of Arts and Sciences’ four-year Honors Program. Freshman year we lived together on the same floor and shared the same core classes.

The university encourages students to pursue diverse interests . I’ve been able to build close relationships with my professors in the Classical and Near Eastern Studies and psychology departments . Through the Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, I studied ancient Roman artifacts including a first-century bust at Omaha’s Joslyn Art Museum. As a sorority member, I led campus initiatives promoting academic achievement and wellness.

[Get tips on five ways to prepare for freshman year at a U.S. college.]

Why I Picked Rice University (Houston)

Griffin Thomas, senior

I chose Rice University because it melds an intimate liberal arts education with the research opportunities of much larger institutions. As a political science major, I’ve been able take small classes and develop relationships with professors who actively spend time with students outside of class .

At Rice, most students, regardless of their major, can do research. I have met some of the world’s pre-eminent political thinkers who’ve given speeches on campus and attended small lunches with renowned government officials that were sponsored by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Many students here become volunteer advisers for their peers, providing academic, health and career guidance, among other things. And each night, if you wander into the residential commons, you’ll find students tutoring each other for an exam, proofreading a paper or discussing assignments.

Why I Picked Gonzaga University (Spokane, Washington)

Aaron Danowski, senior

Gonzaga University appealed to me because it offers tons of opportunities for students to discover how their talents can best serve communities around the world. I entered college as a business major and was admitted to the Gonzaga Honors Program.

My first semester I helped a local Burmese refugee family improve their English . Later, I spent spring break with Montana’s Blackfeet Nation . I spent part of one summer in Chennai, India, observing a social enterprise fighting caste discrimination , and , I spent last fall in Cameroon studying international development and sociology.

These experiences helped me realize I want to use social entrepreneurship to address the root causes of poverty, disease and environmental degradation. The university has encouraged my passion by sending me to conferences for social entrepreneurship , where I got to practice networking and deepen my knowledge of the field.

Why I Picked Stetson University (DeLand, Florida)

Alexandra Shimalla, 2016 graduate

Stetson University gave me a small school experience with access to larger metro areas. Since our class size is just 12-to-1, professors are extremely accessible. Classmates have received grants to do summer research with their biology professors, and my friends at our outstanding school of music perform with nationally known musicians.

A fter taking a terrific intro to journalism class, I realized how much I wanted to pursue writing and editing. I wrote a column about healthy living for the college newspaper and work as a peer tutor at the writing center. The head of the communications department helped me get an internship with a lifestyle magazine in Savannah, Georgia, to get on-the-job experience while earning credit.

Why I Picked Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, New York)

Clairiola Manessa Etienne, junior

I moved to the U.S. to attend high school three months after an earthquake devastated my hometown in Haiti. Looking at college websites, I was impressed to see that Vassar College had a story about how its Haiti Project was aiding a village educationally, medically and environmentally.

Since I hoped to go to medical school, freshman year I went back to Haiti on a spring break trip to get hands-on experience assisting a doctor and a nurse in a rural clinic built by the Haiti Project.

As a double major in biology and French, I’ve been able to study Caribbean writing, concentrating particularly on Haitian literature. Now as the school’s director of the Haiti health initiative, I lead a student committee looking into solar power and laboratory equipment for the clinic, while serving as the liaison between U.S. doctors and the local staff.

This story is excerpted from the U.S. News “Best Colleges 2017” guidebook, which features in-depth articles, rankings and data.

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College Students, Graduates Weigh in on Their College Choices originally appeared on usnews.com