Ypsilanti, MI: As soon as you enter the city of Ypsilanti, you know you are in the home of the Eagles. My initial impression of Eastern Michigan's campus was that it was a clean and pleasant place: a place I could see myself one day calling home.

The campus is small; it takes no more than 15 minutes to walk all the way around. Don't let age deceive you, even though Eastern Michigan is one of the oldest universities in the state, with recent renovations and new buildings, it is very up-to-date.

Safety is a priority here. Students and parents can sign up for text message alerts for updates on anything happening on campus. Emergency telephones are located on every corner, and there is an escort program to help you get around campus at night if you are alone. Eastern Michigan has its own police force, and is close to two hospitals.

Ypsilanti is a small college town with a lot to offer. There are over 300 restaurants. The city is also just 10 minutes from Ann Arbor and 40 minutes from Detroit.

Dormitories are all co-ed but have single-gender floors. The entire campus has Wi-Fi. Freshmen are allowed to have cars, but if you don't have one it's okay because not only is everything close enough that you can walk, but there is a shuttle service.

Eastern Michigan is all about academics. Their slogan, “Education First,” reflects both their focus on ­academics and the fact that the school was originally a teaching college. One in four teachers in Michigan graduated from Eastern; nationally that number is one in 16. Eastern Michigan also has a top-ranked business school. But if business is not your interest, don't worry, over 33 percent of the students are majoring in the arts and sciences.

Eastern offers over 200 majors, along with the opportunity to create your own. Studying abroad is also available, which has the same tuition as campus.

Eighty-eight percent of the classes at Eastern are no larger than 30 students, and there is a student-to-teacher ratio of 19 to 1. I heard from current students that teacher and student bonds are really good and not only are encouraged but also are common.

Eastern Michigan boasts excellent job preparation. Teachers, administration, and the prestige of the school will help students and graduates land internships and jobs and other opportunities.

One great aspect of Eastern Michigan is that you won't leave college heavily in debt. Not only is tuition low for in-state students, but in 2009, Eastern Michigan had the lowest increase in tuition of all public schools in the state, and in 2010 it was the only school in the country not to increase tuition. Despite the low cost, many scholarships are offered based on ACT or SAT scores and high school GPA.

Student life at Eastern is very active. There are over 150 activities and clubs, as well as a Greek system. A nice aspect of Eastern is that any student can participate in any activity, ­regardless of your major.

They recently completed a new Student Center and Recreation Center, filled with work-out rooms. There is also an auditorium that shows free movies every Friday. The sporting events are also another free activity for all students. Eastern Michigan is a Division I school and has a top swim team.

From just a simple campus visit
and tour, Eastern Michigan makes a terrific presentation. The school is ­extremely diverse in many areas, ­especially academically, ethnically, and socially. I can already tell that by attending Eastern Michigan and by utilizing all it has to offer, you can
go far.

Find out more at emich.edu.