Year I joined the Office of Admission: 2024
Favorite thing about SMU: The campus traditions! SMU is a university rich with traditions from the moment students step on campus, to moments that last well beyond their four years of college. From the Rotunda Passage, Boulevarding before a home football game, attending Celebration of Lights or celebrating our mascot Peruna’s birthday at PerunaPalooza, SMU provides students with a strong sense of belonging to a close-knit community.
Favorite place on campus: I hold both a master’s degree in history as well as library and information science, so I have a strong appreciation for historically significant cultural pieces. If you love history and art as much as I do, you’ll be pleased to know there’s an incredible museum, the Meadows Museum, right on our campus! Students can get free admission to the Meadows Museum with their student ID card, and there you can see one of the largest and most comprehensive Spanish art collections outside of Spain. The SMU campus is also home to the George W. Bush Presidential Center, which students can visit for free with their SMU ID card. I recommend touring the permanent collection of the museum and checking out the Center’s schedule for temporary exhibits, talks and special events. You never know when you might see former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush (an SMU alumna!).
Favorite place in Dallas: The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is about six miles away from campus and is one of the best arboretums in the world! Take a stroll through the serene gardens or come for one of its annual events, like Autumn at the Arboretum, which features over 100,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash grown in Texas!
Favorite restaurant near campus: I love grabbing a bite to eat at Sclafani’s New York Bagels & Sandwiches. There’s even a location on SMU’s campus in the Cox School of Business! The bagels are made fresh daily, and this family-owned business is a great place to stop in between classes (or after attending a Cox School of Business info session!).
What I recommend during your stay in Dallas: If you’re able to make a trip to Dallas to visit our beautiful campus, be sure to take in some of the iconic Dallas sights and bites while you’re here! For those who love to shop, a trip to the flagship Neiman Marcus store is a must, and the NorthPark Mall is not only home to 200 plus shops, but it also has museum-quality art on display. Dallas has many unique neighborhoods to explore near SMU, such as Deep Ellum, Lower Greenville and Uptown Dallas, to name a few. Regardless of your interests, you’re likely to find something fun to do in one of Dallas’ distinctive neighborhoods! And if you’ve never been to Texas and experienced a Buc-ee’s before, the best way I can explain it to fellow Californians is that it’s like the Disneyland of convenience stores. You can buy just about anything with Buc-ee the beaver, the store’s mascot (akin to Mickey Mouse with a large fan base), featured on its products!