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 Kendall Wulbrun, Assistant Director of Admissions at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California.

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

Santa Clara has many unique courses and traditions for students. To name a few, the Life After SCU Series is a fun and educational event for seniors to prepare for life after college. It's put on by the Alumni Office and includes topics like barbeque basics and financial planning. Midnight breakfast is a student favorite. Each quarter during the last week before finals, the Activities Planning Board hosts a FREE breakfast in the dining hall for all students at midnight. It's a great way to destress and relax with friends before finals. Our Experiential Learning for Social Justice core curriculum requirement is a reflection of our Jesuit values. All students are required to take an ELSJ course that focuses on service-learning in our local community. Finally, our Conscientious Capitalism course combines economics and ethics for an interesting (and very popular) look at capitalism.

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 Kenyon?

At Santa Clara, we wouldn't say there is a perfect applicant. Each student brings unique experiences and perspectives to our community. One thing we do look for in students is "ganas," or the will and determination to succeed. Even without several leadership positions or awards, students who may not have had as much experience in high school can display dedication and potential for success at Santa Clara.

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

Situated in the Silicon Valley and the Bay Area, Santa Clara offers so much for students to see and explore. Rocko's Tacos is right off campus and offers great ice cream "tacos" to cool down on a warm day. Avaya Stadium and the SAP Center are each about 10 minutes from campus and offer students the opportunity to attend professional sporting events and concerts. Santana Row in San Jose is a nearby stop for shopping, dinner, and a movie after a campus tour. The Computer History Museum (about 15-20 minutes from campus) is a fun way to learn more about the history of the Silicon Valley. If students and families have additional time to spend in the area, we recommend taking the CalTrain (station across the street from campus) into San Francisco for the day. Alternatively, there's a bus that can take you to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk as well.

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Photo by Angela Elisabeth.