STUDENT STORY

“Michigan Technological University was the third school I applied to and I ended up getting the Leading Scholar award, which influenced my decision to attend MTU. It’s a good fit for me because I like being outside, so there’s a lot to do here. If I need to go home, I can, but I’m still far enough away where I feel like I’m not at home. It’s just nice having that independence.

I’ve done a lot of traveling while at school. During my second year I went to Beijing for a conference and my third year I visited Houston. Through the Pavlis Honors College at Michigan Tech, I spent time in India. While pursuing my degree, I’ve been able to experience what life is like in different places around the world. There’s a lot of opportunities at a smaller university like this, which is also why I’m glad I chose Michigan Tech.

If you’re looking for advice as a first-generation college student, my advice is to seek out people who have gone to college. Ask them what they did and what they went through and what they learned and what they would recommend. A lot of times, universities offer their own scholarships, so applying for those can help you in the long run because they’ll usually repeat over your four years in college.

Don’t limit yourself to local educational opportunities, because people in your hometown might not know all of your options. Once you know what schools you want to apply to, I recommend that you look specifically on their websites and identify people at the university you can call or email to get suggestions on applying for financial aid and scholarships. In my first four years, I didn’t want to graduate with a large amount of student debt. By focusing on financial aid, it was a way to minimize the cost of college.”

(Nichole, Engineering, Michigan Technological University)