The 1st Annual Study Hut 2018 College Tour was a tremendous success.  Growing up in a southern California beach town is about as good as it gets, and, as such, we fortunate few sometimes forget about the abundance of college options that exist just a short drive from our beloved beach. A prime example of this is a school that was recently identified as the 58th best public school on Earth, and by Time magazine as the #1 school based on metrics of graduation rate, affordability, and available financial aid for students; this school is the University of California, Riverside (UCR). Study Hut staff recently took a trip to UCR to learn about the school and to share this information with our students and community.

Situated on nearly 1,200 acres at the foot of Box Springs Mountain in Riverside, California, is the campus of UCR. This sprawling park-like campus is a refuge in the hot and arid Inland Empire, boasting open green areas and citrus trees brimming with fruit waiting to be plucked and devoured by passing students en route to their next class or social event. The campus is home to approximately 25,000 undergraduate students, and almost 70% of these undergrad students live on campus or in school-owned housing, creating a young and bustling environment on school grounds. The school offers a wide variety of bachelor degree programs, totaling 101 options for students to choose from. Furthermore, UCR is home to over 350 student organizations and clubs, creating myriad opportunities for students to engage with one another outside of the classroom.

The college application process has become so competitive that students often feel as though they have no realistic options without holding a 4.0+GPA and near perfect SAT/ACT score. This simply is not the case. UCR is an excellent example of a UC school that is academically within the reach of many students. Additionally, UCR makes an exerted effort to provide financial aid to all students who need it, making higher education at a world-class institution attainable to many.

Often seen only in the shadows of the better-known UC schools, UC Riverside has the faculty, resources, campus, and student body to stand on its own, and to be an excellent consideration for southern California students looking for a UC option.