Between filling out the Common App, mustering up the courage to ask your English teacher to write you a recommendation letter, and seemingly constant nagging from your parents, applying to colleges can be overwhelming and stressful. But you already know that. What you might not know, however, is that you could be missing out on applying to a college program that could be perfect for you—just because you didn’t know it existed!
Finding a unique program that suits your interests and needs can make the application and decision process much clearer, so we’re spotlighting these seven cool programs to give you a taste of what may have gone under your radar.
The Cornell School of Hotel Administration
What is it?
Calling all jet-setters and future businesswomen—according to its website, the Cornell School of Hotel Administration “was the first collegiate program in hospitality management” and is now “regarded as the world leader in its field.” It is a four-year program that covers all topics relevant to the hospitality industry, which includes not just hotels, but also “restaurants, casinos, cruise lines, finance, real estate, spas, theme parks, travel and tourism.” With a degree in hospitality management, you have a ton of career options, such as being the manager of a restaurant, the CEO of a travel agency, or an accountant for a cruise ship line, just to name a few.
Aside from being taught in the classroom, you also get the opportunity to learn and work in the on-campus hotel and other hotels around the world—it’s a five-star experience.
What majors and classes does it offer?
The school itself is the major, but there are also optional concentrations that you can elect, such as Finance, Accounting, and Real Estate.
The program involves 22 core classes based in a variety of topics, such as facilities management, finance and accounting, food and beverage management, law, communication, marketing, and strategy. You also must take several electives, which allows you to tailor your curriculum to your personal interests. Curious about wine and food pairing principles? There’s a class for that!
“Classes in the Hotel School mimic business school classes but they all have a hospitality flair,” says Ben Chung, a sophomore in the school. “For instance, we take a development course, but it’s Hospitality Development so we learn how hotels, casinos, resorts, and like are developed.”
Why should I consider it?
“The best part of being in the Hotel School is by far the community,” Ben says. “Each grade consists of roughly 200 people, which is smaller than most high schools.” In fact, students jokingly called the Hotel School building “Statler High” instead of Statler Hall because of the small feel. “The community is tight knit, which is hard to come across in a school as big as Cornell.”
So if you’re intrigued by hospitality management and are looking for a united community, put this program on your application to-do list! You may even become the next Donald Trump (but with better hair).
The University of Massachusetts Amherst Stockbridge School of Agriculture
What is it?
If you’re interested in the environment, farming, sustainability, and are looking to make a big school feel smaller, the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at UMass Amherst could be for you. They offer a two-year program and a four-year program.
What majors and classes does it offer?
The two- and four-year programs both offer a variety of majors, such as forest management, sustainable food and farming, landscape contracting, and plant soil sciences.
The core curriculum consists of a variety of biological sciences, ecology, math, chemistry, and lab-based courses. You also get the opportunity to get real-world experience with internships and independent study research projects.
Why should I consider it?
The green industry is expanding rapidly and the careers within it are becoming increasingly popular. Stockbridge has 100% job placement for its students. With an on campus farm and greenhouse, you’ll get the knowledge and experience you need to go green.
The Brown University Program in Liberal Medical Education
What is it?
Thinking about going pre-med? With the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) at Brown, you automatically get to go to the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University once you have completed the undergrad part of the program. That means no MCATs and less stress. But, it also means that if you are planning on applying to a variety of med schools, then PLME is not for you because it feeds straight into Brown’s med school.
It is an eight-year program that involves four years of undergrad education and four years of professional studies. It’s a highly selective program—only about 50 incoming freshmen each year are chosen—and you can’t transfer in from any other Brown degree program or college.
What majors and classes does it offer?
Because it’s a pre-med program, not a major, with PLME you actually major in something else in the first four undergrad years while also fulfilling the pre-med requirements. Since Brown has an open curriculum concept that gives you a lot of freedom in picking classes, you have the opportunity to major in the concentration of your choice and take a wide variety of courses.
As explained on their website, “during the Medical School years, students may pursue, in parallel with the MD degree, an advanced degree in their area of interest (e.g., MPH, MD/PhD) or other professional development such as a Scholarly Concentration.” A Scholarly Concentration allows you to “pursue a course of study beyond the conventional medical education curriculum,” such as Advocacy and Activism, Disaster Medicine and Response, and Medical Technology and Innovation.
Why should I consider it?
“At Brown, creative students need not sacrifice the benefits of a rich liberal arts education in order to gain admission to medical school,” the website attests. If you think medical school is in your future, it’s worth a try applying to PLME. Because it’s so difficult to get into med school, having a guaranteed spot at one your freshman year is a huge perk. Added bonus: the possibility of running into Emma Watson on campus.
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The Syracuse University S.I Newhouse School of Public Communication
What is it?
Ever considered going into journalism, advertising, or PR? Or imagine yourself on TV? The Newhouse School of Public Communications is one of the top communications schools in the country. It offers a wide array of disciplines so you can get a taste of everything in the industry while focusing in on what you love. The program strives to teach its students “to become leaders in a rapidly changing media landscape.”
What majors and classes does it offer?
Newhouse offers all different types of degrees within the communications industry, including advertising, broadcast journalism, graphic design, magazines, print and online journalism (hello future Her Campus Contributors!), photography, TV, radio, and film.
The curriculum of each major varies, but they all provide a broad list of electives and hands-on opportunities.
Why should I consider it?
I watched my school’s basketball team beat Syracuse’s in the Final Four this year, but when it comes to communications studies, Syracuse is the winner. Not only does it offer awesome opportunities and boast a great national reputation, but also the building is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation that is expected to be finished by fall 2014! A good education and fancy new amenities? We’ll take it!
The University of Wisconsin School of Human Ecology
What is it?
Non-sciencey collegiettes, don’t be scared by off by the word “ecology” just yet! Human ecology is the study of how people interact and relate to their environments.
According to Wisconsin’s School of Human Ecology (SoHE) website, it is an interdisciplinary field that “encompasses social, cultural, economic, and design issues, and it supports discoveries related to improving the quality of human life.”
The undergraduate program has fewer than 1,000 people total, so you can get the small school feel within the bigger university.
What majors and classes does it offer?
The school has a diverse list of majors, including community and nonprofit leadership, human development and family studies, interior design, personal finance, retailing, and textile and apparel design.
Outside of the classroom, there are study abroad opportunities like a spring trip to China to learn about business and retail, and tons of student organizations.
Why should I consider it?
Not many colleges offer undergraduate programs in such specific fields like interior design, retail, and nonprofit leadership. If you’re interested in a career but haven’t been able to find a college that offers courses to support it, check out SoHE to see if they have a major that suits you.
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The University of Michigan Program in the Environment
What is it?
UM’s Program in the Environment (PitE) is “a University-wide collaborative effort overseen by the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and School of Natural Resources and Environment,” according to the website. So if you’re interested in saving the environment but still want your daily dose of liberal arts courses, you’re in luck.
What majors and classes does it offer?
You can choose a “Specialization” within PitE, which is what’s commonly known as a major at most schools. These specializations include aquatics, environmental economics, environmental policy, terrestrial ecology, and urban planning. Whether you want to build a city or work in city hall, the specializations can help you focus in on your main interests.
Erin Wallace, a sophomore in the program, is specializing in Sustainable Business. She explains that next semester she will be taking classes such as “Environmental and Resource Economics” and Accounting.
One cool aspect of PitE is that there is a practical experience requirement so that you are guaranteed the opportunity apply what you learn in the classroom to the real world. Options include fieldwork, study abroad, or internships.
Erin explains that two popular options are to go to U of M’s Biostation or to Camp Davis in Wyoming. She will be completing her practical experience requirement in England at Oxford this summer. “I will be doing an excursion for a week in Wales where we will go into the natural environment and in a hands-on way.”
Why should I consider it?
“My favorite aspect of PitE is the amount of independence the program provides its students,” Erin says. “I am able to take the core courses to build a complete environmental education, but then focus on what I care most about—sustainable business practices. I love this program because what we learn is all incredibly relevant to the world and problems today and because I get to choose to academically explore what I am interested in, the hard work is always interesting and rewarding.”
Erin explains that PitE is best for people who have a specific interest within environmental studies because the program really allows you to specialize early on. “The program is definitely a lot of work and is not easy, but if a student has an initial draw towards the environment and environmental issues and has an idea of what they want to do with that interest, the hard work isn’t a chore,” she says.
The Boston University Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
What is it?
Looking to study a specific healthcare field in HC’s home city? BU’s Sargent College has tons of options. It has four departments that cover just about any health-related subject you can think of.
There is a Health Sciences department that covers nutrition, public health, and premed programs; an Occupational Therapy program that is ranked number two in the nation; a Physical Therapy and Athletic Training department; and a Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences department.
What majors and classes does it offer?
Each of the four departments offers its own programs of study.
For example, Olivia Wilker, a sophomore in Sargent College, is majoring in human physiology within the Health Sciences department.
“Since I want to ultimately become a doctor, I wanted to take classes that were more specified towards and human body and things that really interest me. I didn’t want to be a pre-med student with a biology major… I wanted to do something a little different,” Olivia says of why she chose her major. A few examples of classes she can take are systems physiology, exercise physiology, human nutrition science, and human anatomy.
There are three different pre-med options within Sargent College, and majoring in human physiology is one of them. By pursuing that major, Olivia is on a pre-med track and will be all set to apply to med schools her senior year.
In addition to the major itself, Olivia also loves the top-notch facilities that come with it. “I am sort of a science geek and I absolutely love being in lab,” Olivia says. “The Sargent college offers multiple incredible facilities and lab rooms to help students learn the material better and really get a hands on perspective of everything they are learning in the classroom.”
Why should I consider it?
If you know early on what area of health you want to specialize in, the specific, in-depth nature of each Sargent college major can help get you on the right track.
“The courses are so specific to the human body and I feel like as a student who eventually wants to go to medical school I am getting more out of my undergrad experience because I am learning about things that will really help me and broaden my knowledge and sort of get a ‘head start’ over pre-med students that are majoring in chemistry, biology, or psychology,” Olivia says.
As much as Olivia loves her major and her classes, her favorite part of Sargent actually has to do with the community it offers. “What I like best about the Sargent College is that it is so small and everyone really works as a family together to help each other out,” she says. “It is very easy to create a relationship with your professor, as I am no longer one student out of 200 and they really want to help you to succeed.”
As stressful and overwhelming as the college application process is, just remember that there is a program out there for you, no matter how diverse or specific your interests are. It just takes a little digging!