College visits: South Dakota School of Mines & University of Kentucky

Yesterday I visited the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. UK is home to 22,000 undergraduate students, but the campus feels surprisingly compact and easy to find one's way around. It's the quintessential modern university: well-kept grounds, state-of-the-art facilities and classrooms, and beautiful residence halls.

Those residence halls! They are some of the nicest I've seen. UK has constructed 15 new residence halls in the past ten years, and they've done it according to a very specific blueprint. The residential spaces are all very similar, with choice between doubles and quads, each student having their own private bedroom. The rooms are spacious, well lit, and aesthetically beautiful. Each residence call is equipped with communal study spaces and a game room. And the residence halls are all within easy walking distance of dining halls, on-campus coffee shops, fitness centers, and classrooms. It's a remarkably well laid out campus.

For the student looking for a consummate collegiate experience complete with outstanding Division I athletics, modern facilities, and myriad possibilities for on-campus activities and an active social life, the University of Kentucky is a great choice.

Something incredibly fun about my job as an independent college admissions consultant is that I get to spend several weeks each year on the road visiting colleges. Last week I had the great pleasure of visiting South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City, South Dakota.

The day of my visit happened to be the last day of final exams for the spring semester, so the campus was relatively quiet. Nevertheless, I was struck by how much I observed students doing things, making things, building things. Whether you’re into automotive design or 3D printing or computer science, there’s a maker space for you, friends who’ll want to tinker and experiment alongside you, and ample opportunity to translate your experiential learning into a successful career.

South Dakota School of Mines offers a great education at an affordable price, and consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top value schools. It’s located 20 minutes from the Black Hills, and Rapid City is a friendly and vibrant small city. If you’re a STEM-oriented student looking for great value, this is a small school you should visit!