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Chico State

10 Reasons to #ChooseChico


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On the fence about making one of the biggest decisions for the next chapter of your life? You’ve probably taken the tours and seen the brochures that talk about our exceptional academic programs, and of course we are slightly biased, but we’ll see if we can sway you with a list of 10 more reasons you should #ChooseChico!

1. Best bang for your buck.

YES Chico State has been named a top-10 public university in the West by U.S. News since 1998, when the magazine started its ranking. We have also made Forbes magazine’s “best bang for your buck” list.

2. Chico may be prettier than your hometown.

Creek

We’re not kidding. Chico State has nine beautiful bridges on campus over Big Chico Creek. The same creek that runs through Bidwell Park (No. 5) also runs through campus. Chico State is the only California State University with a creek coursing through campus.

3. You don’t go unnoticed.

tumblr_lfgs5qywbw1qgxm4ao1_500 There is roughly one professor for every 22 students on campus. To put this in perspective, 64 percent of courses last year had less than 30 students in a single class. Students get to know their professors well and have a more hands-on learning experience — and professors always notice if you’re not in class.

4. We log more volunteer hours than you’ve been in high school.

volunteering

Volunteering is more than just lending a hand. It’s giving back to a community that students feel a part of. Students logged 40,360 hours of community service during the 2012-13 school year – the equivalent of four and a half years.

5. Our backyard.

LIONKING2 Bidwell Park is the third largest municipal park in California and one of the 25 biggest in the nation. And it just might be the No. 1 most beautiful. Think of it as a Central Park a hop and a skip away from campus. Lower Park is greener and more urban, with One Mile, a popular community swimming hole. Upper Park has more wild space, with hiking/biking trails, Bear Hole (another swimming destination), and Monkey Face (a rock formation that’s great for climbing).

6. Not your average gym.

WorkingOutCat The Wildcat Recreation Center is equipped with a suspended indoor track, a climbing wall, three basketball courts, a multi-purpose court, a pool and hot tub, latest cardio and weight-lifting equipment, and group exercise rooms that feature tons of free classes.

7. Our scenery is cinematic.

TheAdventuresOfRobinHood Classic Hollywood movies like Gone With the Wind, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and The Red Badge of Courage filmed in Chico.

8. Don’t fret, you can be out in four (or two).

tumblr_muyq7n15Ze1rtbloio1_500 Chico State is one of the top schools in the CSU in graduation rate. And we plan to be number one!  Our new Aim 4 Four and Take 2 programs emphasize that graduating in four years for first-time freshmen and two years for transfer students are totally reachable goals.

9. ‘Cats clean up in the classroom as well as on the court, field, course and diamond.

wildcat You get the gist. Forty-seven student athletes received California Collegiate Athletic Association All-Academic awards last year. Oh yeah, this was all while competing as one of the top Division II athletic programs in the nation. Eight teams competed for national titles last year. It was also our third consecutive year claiming the CCAA Commissioner’s Cup.

10. It’s not easy being green — actually, it is.

tumblr_mb6vsaRrNP1rhubw5o1_500 Chico State hosts the largest student-run sustainability conference in North America. This Way to Sustainability brings together, students, faculty, administrators, and public officials to explore ways toward a sustainable future. Students’ passion for sustainability is also visible through the work done by Associated Students Recycling, which collects 600,000 pounds of recyclables each year with the goal of being zero waste by 2015.

BONUS: Wildcats in the house!

Wildcats dancingYou get to say that you were a Wildcat along with Troy Bolton and Sharpay Evans of High School Musical. The community feeling on campus is a reminder that “We Are All in This Together.”

Image sources: PixyGigglesRedFordTheatrethelifeinexilekadethebabegiphyTeamliquidGleewikinelsonmontyteen.com, Berahtee