For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admissions representatives at colleges all over the country (the subject line of the e-mail is “Three quick questions”), and then I hope to hear back from them. When I do, I post them on Apply with Sanity. It’s that simple.

The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

This response is from Amarit Ubhi, Admissions Counselor at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.

What is a course, tradition, program or event that is unique to Willamette University?

We're the only college/university with such proximity to state government, and it's shocking how many students in a wide variety of disciplines find internship opportunities across the street. It's not just about politics! Environmental scientists, data scientists, economists, psychologists, mathematicians, writers - you name it, they all work in state government and they all love the help of bright, hard-working Willamette students.

Willamette also has so many fun distinctions that makes our campus so unique. As an alumnus, my favorite is probably the Bistro. The Bistro is a student-run coffee shop that was founded in the 80's by two economics students . They noticed that there wasn't really a place to hang out after dining halls and restaurants closed. They created the Bistro, which is not only a very cherished part of campus for the Willamette community, but it's a great way for students to get first-hand experience on what it takes to run a business. My favorite part about the Bistro is the cookies. In the Bistro's governing documents, the founders wrote that the price for the Bistro Cookie can never be changed. So to this day, the Bistro serves cookies that are about 5-6 inches in diameter that only cost a dollar. I think this really highlights a strong value of accessibility and community at Willamette. If you ever have a chance to visit our campus, I really encourage you to visit the Bistro!

Naturally every college wants to recruit the perfect student--high grades, high test scores, involved in their community, leadership...everything. But what kinds of imperfect students tend to flourish at Willamette?

Students who thrive at Willamette have done well in high school because they’re curious learners and hard workers. They’ve tested their ability to manage some rigorous coursework – whatever that may mean for their school – and achieved a good, solid record in doing so. We read transcripts with great care and know there may be trends or outlying grades that can be understood with context. We don’t expect students to be perfect! They come to us as works in progress and Willamette’s amazing teaching faculty know how to support their continued growth and development.

When people come to visit Salem, what's a place off campus that you recommend they check out while they're there?

In the summer? Minto Island Growers Farm Stand for salad and a smoothie - especially if you have a bike to ride around the nature preserve afterwards. In the fall? Willamette Valley Pie Company for a beautiful country drive and a warm popover with ice cream. In the winter? The Oregon State Capitol building rotunda for the holiday decorations and the local school choirs that come from throughout the valley to sing. In the spring? The cherry trees on the Capitol grounds if you can catch them in bloom, or the baby ducks hatching along our very own Mill Stream. Fun for every season!

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Photo by Angela Elisabeth. [The banner photo is not of Willamette. I use the same photo for all Meet the Class posts so you can spot them easily.]