By: Dori Middlebrook

My southern college adventure began today in Atlanta.  The day was sunny and warm, although the heat didn't seem unbearable under all of the beautiful trees on the campus of Emory University.  Emory is located in the very residential Druid Hills neighborhood of Atlanta.  According to our tour guide it is one of the "safest" neighborhoods in Atlanta. The buildings, the lawns and the trees are beautiful and very collegiate.  I soon discovered that Emory is the home to the largest "collegiate" Starbucks!

Home to 6,800 undergraduates, the campus was pretty quiet in the summertime.  A short walk from campus is Emory village with plenty of restaurants and shops.  This is a great feature, since freshmen are not allowed to have cars on campus.  The campus is served 24 hours a day by the cliff shuttle, which takes you all over campus.  Freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus and there are many options.  

Emory is division 3 in sports and does not have a football team but students find many other sports to cheer for.  The Woodford P.E. Center or "Woodpec" is an impressive student athletic facility with numerous options available.

33% of students participate in Greek life although rush does not occur until the spring semester.  Students can live in Greek housing beginning sophomore year.

Every Wednesday, clubs and organizations celebrate "Wonderful Wednesday" in the center of campus with booths, games and giveaways for students.  Tuesday afternoons the campus hosts a farmers' market.

The official mascot of Emory is Swoop the Eagle but the unofficial mascot is Dooley the skeleton.  No one knows who actually wears the costume, but there are many traditions that follow Dooley.  If students write a letter or poem to Dooley and he likes it, he will visit a student's class for a surprise visit.  Once there he will ask the professor three trivia questions about Emory, if the professor can't answer the question class is dismissed for the day!

Emory is a campus with extensive offerings in the liberal arts with especially strong offerings in the sciences.  Internship opportunities are many, with several hospitals nearby and the Center for Disease control right across the street.

My visit to Georgia Tech began with lunch at The Varsity; the largest drive in restaurant in the world.  30,000 fans visit the Varsity before game days at Tech and the football filed is a short walk from the Varsity.  Everywhere you look, the Yellow Jacket mascot and the GT logo are visible.  I can imagine the sea of yellow and black and the spirit in the air on game day, as fans sing the "Ramblin Wreck" fight song.

The campus is very urban, although once you are behind the red brick walls on campus you feel removed from the city. The tall buildings of downtown are visible from many parts of campus. Internship and co-op opportunities are endless with many fortune 500 companies housed in Atlanta. The campus is large but very walkable, or can be accessed by the "stinger shuttle".  Approximately 20,000 undergrads attend Tech.  Freshmen are encouraged to participate in the "freshman year experience" in the residence halls where networking with upper clansmen, faculty and staff is encouraged 

The ratio of men (69%) to women (31%)  is evident even on a fairly quiet summer day.  Such is the norm at a school so renowned for its technology and science offerings.  Engineering majors are numerous, and US News ranks their programs highly.  Greek life is vibrant with almost 25% of students joining.  The large fraternity and sorority houses sit on the edge of campus, within walking distance to everything.  There are many restaurants and shops within walking distance of campus.