Our Intern’s Schools:

2010

I attend Wake Forest University (www.wfu.edu) which is a small (about 4,500 undergraduate students) liberal arts university located in Winston-Salem, NC.  I am a Business and Enterprise Management major with a concentration in marketing and a minor in entrepreneurship.

I applied to Wake Forest as a back up school because my sister went there and my parents would receive a “package deal” discount if both my sister and I went there.  Also, I didn’t want to stay in-state for college so I applied to colleges on the East and West coast including Stanford, Claremont McKenna, UNC Chapel Hill, and UVa.  I was then wait-listed at most of the schools at the top of my list and decided to attend Wake Forest instead.

US News & World Report ranked Wake Forest University 28th for top US universities and the undergraduate business school has been ranked 1st for academic quality for the previous two years.  The accounting program also has the highest passing rate for the CPA exam.

Besides attending Wake Forest for the academics, we have great sports teams for our size.  Our basketball team has produced some big stars including Chris Paul, Tim Duncan, and Muggsy Bogues.  Hopefully our team will play well this year since we stole CU’s baskteball coach (sorry Mike). Our football team has also been pretty good in some years and we went to the Orange Bowl in 2006.

Go deacs,

- Todd

I graduated from California State University, Bakersfield (www.csub.edu). The college is best known for its humanities and social sciences.  Being an English major and a Religious Studies minor, I felt I received an excellent education.  Although I received scholarships and grants, I had to pay for college myself.  Thus, a major factor in choosing the school was the surrounding area’s affordable cost of living.  The school has a really diverse campus; consequently, I met many interesting people of varying backgrounds.
- Paul in Fresno, CA

I go to the University of Colorado (www.colorado.edu), which is located in Boulder, CO (about 25 miles northwest of Denver).  As the school is located right at the foothills of the Colorado Rockies, students are constantly taking advantage of the outdoor activities – hiking, skiing and biking in particular. The Leeds School of Business and College of Engineering are both top ranked schools in the country.  Our physics and aerospace departments are regularly producing Nobel price wining laureates.

I chose CU for a few different reasons.  First of all, the business school is top ranked in the country and I am a business major.  I also was very interested in studying not only marketing, but international business.  So I looked up affordable schools around the country that offered international business in some form or another, as either a major, minor, or even certificate degree.  Then, I love to ski and play sports and that is pretty much what we spend our free time doing in Boulder – skiing fall and winter and soccer and basketball spring and summer.  Lastly, as I am from New York, like most people who are from the east coast, I had never been off the coast.  So I wanted to venture out to the west and see what the rest of the country looked like.

- Michael in Denver

I go to Trinity College (www.trincoll.edu)  which is a small Liberal Arts school in Hartford, CT.  I am going to be a senior in the fall and I am double majoring in Economics and Political Theory.  The school itself is fairly small, only about 3,000 students total and is located minutes from downtown Hartford.  I chose to attend Trinity because I had been recruited to play lacrosse there, and there aren’t any NCAA lacrosse programs at schools in California.  Once I visited the school and met some of the kids on the team, I definitely knew the school was the right fit for me.  Having endured many New England winters and still enjoying school, I’d have to say I made a great decision.  The school has challenged me academically and athletically, and because of the small size, it is easy to build strong relationships with teammates and friends.  Though the location is far from my home in California, I feel that a major part of the education I have received is due to the drastic change in location.  It’s tough to grow without experiencing change.  Go Bantams!

-Brendan,  San Francisco

I go to Seattle University (www.seattleu.edu). It’s a little Jesuit school 5 minutes from downtown Seattle. And when I say little, I mean tiny.  SU specializes in Business and Nursing – but really our claim to fame is Elgin Baylor (some NBA superstar). I chose to go to SU mainly because my older sister went there. We were more or less inseparable so the decision wasn’t hard at all. And the reason why my parents are paying for my education is because it’s close to home. I’m pretty sure if I fell in love with some other small, private school somewhere else they would not have paid for it. I guess location is everything.
- Veronica

Our 2009 Team

Colorado University (www.colorado.edu) is located in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. The campus can be found at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, which allows students to participate in a variety of recreational activities on and off campus. The Leeds School of Business and College of Engineering and Applied Science are both very highly rated, and are considered by many to be among the best for public universities. CU is a world-renowned graduate research university and employs four Nobel laureates. 31,000 students will attend CU this Fall, and enrollment continues to increase with time. Students at CU take great pride in the athletic program, although many of the teams competing in the Big-12 conference are experiencing rebuilding periods. I have absolutely loved my time at CU and am very grateful for the education and personal growth I have experienced while attending. Go Buffs!

-Drew

Like TJ, I also attend one of the Claremont Colleges, so my college post will probably be very similar to his!  I am going into my senior year at Pitzer College in Claremont, CA (www.pitzer.edu).  Pitzer has a student body of about 1,000 students.  The Claremont Colleges consortium (made up of Pitzer, Claremont McKenna, Pomona, Harvey Mudd, and Scripps Colleges, and two graduate schools) offers the advantages of a small liberal arts school (small class size, close contact with professors, extensive alumni network, etc.) while at the same time offers many of the amenities of a medium sized research university (through shared resources such as the library, dining halls, cross-registration between the schools in the consortium, etc.).  During my senior year, I will be one of the Robert Day Scholars, which is a program that is run through Claremont McKenna College, but is open to students from all of the undergraduate schools in the consortium.  I think this program is a great example of the shared resources at the Claremont Colleges.  It’s also hard to beat the weather, as TJ said, it’s hard to complain about being able to visit the pool in January!

-Melanie

Like Andrew from last year, I am a Senior at Occidental College in Los Angeles (www.oxy.edu) – only a few miles away from the Gallagher office in Glendale.

Occidental (or Oxy) is a small liberal arts college with about 1850 students, so, like Gallagher, it’s really just a big family.  We are consistently ranked and recognized for our academic achievements, and our undergraduate research programs are regarded among the best in the country.  We are the former home of movie stars, Oscar winners and US Presidents, and we’ve got a lot of Tiger pride!  Diversity is considered to be a fundamental part of the learning experience–diversity of race, of income, of religion, of nationality and of viewpoint–and we strive to make this apparent in every aspect of the College.

As an Oxy tour guide and the Editor-in-Chief of the campus yearbook, La Encina, it’s easy for me to go on about what makes Oxy the best.  The three years I’ve spent at Oxy have been the best of my life, and the experiences I’ve had both academically and otherwise have been incredible.  It might not be as glamorous as a Big Ten, but I’ve never regretted coming to a school where I can learn on my own terms.

- Anna

I go to University of Southern California (www.usc.edu) along with another GBS intern Kristen who has recently graduated. USC is divided into 9 professional schools so everyone must choose their major or at least area of interest by their Junior year. The only classes that the whole student body takes together are the 8 General education courses in the first 2 years of studying at the school.

Even though the student population is dispersed and is relatively large, the USC trojan network bonds are very strong. Most have heard of the “Trojan Family” but underestimate its true value. In the professional world especially in Southern California, a USC degree gets you places other institutions do not. I think the inner bond between all those that have gone to the school can be attributed to the immense amount of school pride. Besides the superior athletic teams, I truly believe the education gained at USC is one of a kind.

I attend the Marshall School of Business in which I am majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Corporate Finance and Management of Consulting. Every single one of my professors has been of the highest caliber having already taught at some of the most prestigious universities such as London School of Economics, University of Chicago, Harvard and others as well as had a successful business career. In addition to great academics Marshall offers unique traveling opportunities. Having been a student for 3 years I got a chance to visit Hong Kong, Vietnam and Cambodia all part of the business school experience.

Fight On!

- Helen

I go to the University of Washington in Seattle (www.washington.edu).  I am specifically in the Michael G. Foster School of Business studying business administration with a specialization in marketing.  I love being a Husky despite having the worst D1 football program in the country.  It is a beautiful campus in an amazing city and I do not think I could ask for much more than that.  The one thing I wish I could have at UW, however, is a program that has a focus on risk management/insurance like the University of Wisconsin currently has.

- Rick

California State University, Fresno (www.csufresno.edu) offers a large variety of courses ranging from agriculture to business classes and has many great programs. There are roughly 22,000 students with a 26:1 student teacher ratio, and 68% of applicants are accepted. Fresno State offers a chance for students to study abroad in places like Paris and Tokyo. The university also allows students from colleges around the world to study abroad there. Deborah Young is our internship program leader and has created a very successful program. She has hundreds of businesses in all kinds of fields sending her requests for FSU interns. The Craig School of Fresno State is the school’s business division and is recognized by the Princeton review as a top business program and provides many majors and opportunities for students. Although there is not much to do in Fresno as far as college entertainment and it is a very hot and polluted area, it is home to me and I love it here.

- Kevin

I’m going into my senior year at Claremont McKenna College (www.cmc.edu) in Claremont, CA. The school is about 30-40 miles outside of Los Angeles, and boasts only about 1200 students. However, it is part of the Claremont Colleges Consortium, which contains CMC, Pomona College, Scripps College, Pitzer College, and Harvey Mudd College. There is also two graduate universities located in close proximity. CMC tends to be more focused in Economics, Finance, International Relations, and leadership. Their economics program ranks among the top undergraduate programs in the country. Claremont, California is a quaint town of about 30,000 people, located next to the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains. The location of the campus is perfect for anyone wanting to explore. There are mountains, ski resorts, beaches, downtown, and small towns to visit. I also enjoy CMC because of the availability of professors and staff, and the close knit community of students. Plus its hard to argue with being able to visit the pool in January.

- TJ

Our 2008 Team

California State University, Fresno (www.csufresno.edu) offers a large variety of courses ranging from agriculture to accountancy and has many great programs including chances to study abroad and an amazing internship program. The Craig School of Fresno State is the school’s business division and is recognized by the Princeton review as a top business program and provides many majors and opportunities for students. Fresno State’s most recent claim to fame is the baseball team’s college world series championship victory, go bulldogs! (I love baseball). Fresno State is a great school, although it gets hot in the central valley, and I am happy to go here.

- Hugh

California State University, Sacramento (www.csus.edu) is located in the heart of California’s Capital City. It is one of the largest, greenest, and most beautiful campuses in the CSU system, and it seems like there is always an event or an activity going on around it. Sac State offers 60 undergraduate degrees and 40 graduate degrees. Its largest academic program is teacher education, followed by business, criminal justice, communication studies, psychology, and computer science. Business program is one of the most popular I should say and a well-established one. Within Business Administration, Sacramento State offers great concentrations in Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Accounting. Sacramento State is a great school and I am proud to attend it! Take a look at some of the famous graduates…

- Kristina

A member of the Claremont Colleges, Claremont McKenna College (www.cmc.edu) is a private, highly selective, coeducational, liberal arts college enrolling about 1,150 students with a curricular emphasis on government and economics. U.S. News and World Report has ranked Claremont McKenna as the 11th best liberal arts college in the nation; In 2007, 16% of applicants were admitted to Claremont McKenna – the lowest acceptance rate in the college’s history, and one of the lowest college acceptance rates in the country; The Wall Street Journal has listed it as the eighth best liberal arts feeder school into elite graduate universities for law, business and medicine; and according to quality-adjusted publications, CMC has the top-ranked economics department among liberal arts colleges.

- Evan

My school, Loyola Marymount University (www.lmu.edu) is located in Los Angeles,CA within miles of many amazing beaches including Manhattan Beach, Venice Beach and Santa Monica. Because it is a small liberal arts college in LA we have a very good Theater Arts proram with many students already acting in movies such as Super Bad and Juno. The business school is also starting to gain attention as one of the more accomplished ones on the West Coast with exciting new studies including that of the world of Nanotechnology.

- Ashley

Founded in 1937, Pepperdine University (www.pepperdine.edu)is private institution made up of five colleges: Seaver College (undergraduate studies), the School of Law, the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, the Graziadio School of Business and Management, and the School of Public Policy. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, its main campus in Malibu, California represents the beautiful home of approximately 8,300 students. Pepperdine University is affiliated with the Churches of Christ, but welcomes students and faculty of various backgrounds and beliefs who contribute to a richly diverse student body. The mission statement demonstrates the university’s unique dedication to academic excellence in the context of faith: “Pepperdine is a Christian university committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership.”

- Sarah

U of A! The University of Arizona (www.arizona.edu)is located in the beautiful city of Tucson which is in the southern part of the state. It is a large school with the undergraduate program having over 30,000 students. The educational experience is second to none; an example of this is the business program which is ranked in the top 20 in the United States! U of A is a Pac-10 school and has won national championships in almost every sport except football. The school also has a great Greek life if you’re looking for a good fraternity/sorority experience. I would encourage all to go and visit for at least a weekend because the campus is beautiful and you are guaranteed a great time!

- Mike

The University of California was chartered in 1868 and its flagship campus — envisioned as a “City of Learning” — was established at Berkeley, on San Francisco Bay (www.berkeley.edu). Today the world’s premier public university and a wellspring of innovation, UC Berkeley occupies a 1,232 acre campus with a sylvan 178-acre central core. From this home its academic community makes key contributions to the economic and social well-being of the Bay Area, California, and the nation.

- Monica

I attend the University of San Diego (www.sandiego.edu) located right next to downtown San Diego. USD is a small private catholic school with about 5,000 undergrad and class sizes around 25. The University of San Diego has a highly ranked business school as well as a brand new education building and strong premed department. USD’s campus is gorgeous and looks more like a resort then a college. Since my school is a five to ten minute drive to the beach most of the students that choose to live off campus live at the beach in beach houses. USD is a beautiful school with year round nice weather, its a Seattlites dream.

- Alex

I go to Westminster College (www.westminstercollege.edu) in Salt Lake City, UT. It is a private liberal arts college nestled up close to the Wasatch Moutains. It is quite small with around 3500 students. Westminster specializes in their Business, Aviation, and Nursing programs. I love Westminster because of their small classes, gorgeous campus, and the entire college community as a whole!

- Libby