Nathan Weir - Emory University

Where did you go to high school? And what year did you graduate?

Kealakehe High School c/o 2020

What is your college major?

Economics

Location of College

Atlanta, Georgia

Type of College (liberal arts, research, community college)

Liberal Arts

How do you feel about the location of the college that you chose?

I am a big fan of the city of Atlanta and Georgia specifically for college. Its is about 15 minutes away from downtown and is in a residential area that has plenty of stuff around so that you don't feel the need to go into the city for anything you might need.

Are there any distinct features of the school geographically that stand out to you as either a negative or a positive?

The area is gorgeous and really green. The temperature is a good gradient year round and you do get to experience a snowless winter, which is nice. The campus itself is quite hilly, so traversal can be reliant on busses and motorized things if you are going long distances, rather than skateboards and such. It also doesn't have great access to large natural bodies of water, which for me coming from Hawaii, was a bit of a shock. Considering how hilly it is, it's also relatively flat overall, meaning there are not many mountains or valleys within an hours drive.

What is the surrounding city/town of the school like? Is it a place that you like living?

The city of Decatur has a really nice vibe to it and is a place that I enjoy if you are looking for a more small town feeling. Then you have Atlanta, Marietta, and Buckhead all within a half hour from each other and they all offer something different and interesting in terms of city design, layout, and price points which is nice. The food surrounding the college is great and there is a lot to do within the city itself, which means you are rarely bored during a long weekend. A major downside is that a car is really helpful for Emory specifically, given that stuff is a bit spread out away from campus, and this compounds with the fact that Atlanta is not for drivers who are faint of heart. It is quite a nerve-wracking place to drive and is not somewhere that I would recommend driving if you are not comfortable with highway driving.

Are there entrepreneurship programs and support at your college? If so, what are they called?

Entrepreneurial programs at the school are largely centered around the business school at Emory. The main one is called Entrepreneurship and Innovation and it is a program that is very supportive of students looking to pursue entrepreneurship in college as a degree.

Have you interacted with the programs from the above question? If so how were they, and would you recommend them to someone interested in entrepreneurship in your school?

I have not interacted with this program, or the clubs that belong to the school.

Do the entrepreneurial programs cater to certain majors, or are there entrepreneurship majors available at the school?

The entrepreneur programs tend to lean towards majors present in the business school. It is a program that you have to apply for, and because it is in the business school, it is also gated behind acceptance into the business school, which is not great if you are wanting to switch into entrepreneurship later, but if you go in with that intent, they have a great support system in place to help guide students through.

Is there school support and funding for entrepreneurs looking to get their business funded? If so, where would a student look?

The clubs related to entrepreneurship don't have a lot of funding in the way of startups, however the Entrepreneurship and Innovation program has regular pitch events that put founders in front of a panel of investors to pitch their ideas to gain funding for their projects.

How does the surrounding community engage with the entrepreneurial community at the school?

There is a distinct lack of engagement from the community at large because Emory's entrepreneurial aspect does not come to light very often. While it is definitely a shame that it's not more open and accessible, there is plenty of space in Atlanta as a whole that supports the entrepreneurial community.

How/Why did you chose this school?

One of the main reasons that I personally chose this school is because they were and incredibly competitive school with a good education, several degree pathways I could pursue, and a large amount of financial aid. These were some of my main factors when making my decision and they are still the factors that are most important to me after having made my choice.

What were things that surprised you? It can be about the school itself or the college experience as a whole?

The actual campus itself, as well as the energy and vibe of the school was a complete mystery to me. I was not really concerned with location or the campus itself when I was making my personal choice, as I could see myself in any number of different states and regions of the country. So the physical aspect of the city was a surprise, as well as the time management that comes along with living by yourself. It can be a lot of freedom, which is a good thing, but efficiently managing your time is important and something that surprised me about myself going into college.

What has been hardest about college so far? Was there anything that was really frustrating for you? It can be anything related to your college experience or application process thus far.

One of the hardest things I have had to come to terms will is my unhappiness with a degree that I thought I liked. I started in astrophysics, and throughout 2 years, really loved the theoretical part of the degree. However the technical aspects of the degree as well as the actual future job portion was something that I couldn't see myself doing for the next 2 years. Coming to terms with that about myself was difficult and something that took time. In terms of the college application process, not taking it personally was difficult for me, but was ultimately one of the best decisions I could have made regarding looking at my acceptance letters. For one reason or another, if you didn't get into your dream school, there is a reason for it. Whether that reason is your fault or not, don't take it personally.

What are some of the main ways that you interact with your college? (i.e programs, clubs, greek life, etc.)

I do several different programs, things like Matriculate, that aim to help high school students get into high school. I am also part of intermural soccer and futsal, and I enjoy a lot of the student aspects of the college like forming study groups and such.

What has been your favorite part of your college experience so far?

My favorite part of the college experience so far has been learning about and fulfilling my sense of self. Being able to understand and rely on myself more and more and work through the adult parts of life has been incredibly satisfying and I see my friends completing similar journeys that none of us would have been able to be on if we were not given the opportunity to do so in college.

How did you go about searching for colleges? What were the good, bad, and the ugly when you were going through the school search? What were the criteria that mattered to you?

In going through the college process the most important things for me were looking at the quality of the school in relation to the degree that I was looking for. The next couple of things that I was looking for were things like financial aid (whether they were need blind or based) and student population, as I didn't want a school that felt too large or too small. I used US News and World rankings for a lot of the college ranking criteria that were important to me. Part of the actual search that also helped me was my use of spreadsheeting everything out, all the facts about each college I was interested all on one spreadsheet that I could use to map out the schools. I do think however, that I lost sight of fit in my particular search, and that it would have made for a better experience if I had focused more on fit for myself.

What application components did you find the hardest or most important, and what role do you think that played in the way you filled out applications?

One that I think was really important was my essay and my personal story. Being able to tell a story about my life and experiences in so few words in order to explain who I was as a person and why I should be allowed into that college was something that I had a hard time with. It also tends to wear out its welcome when different applications want slight variations on the essay, or when there is a different prompt than I already had the essay for. It made it hard to really continue to be authentic throughout the long writing process and I definitely think it's one of the most important parts of the application, as it's one of the main ways you can show yourself off.

How was your experience with the financial aid process? How large of a factor was it in your final decision?

Financial aid played a huge role in my final decision and was one of the two main factors in my final decision. I was lucky that my parents have always been open with me about our financial status and information, and using the FAFSA as well as various private scholarship agencies, specifically the Hawaii Community Foundation I was able to secure a good chuck of scholarship money to attend a school that would otherwise cost more money that I could afford to pay. Overall my experience with financial aid was stressful, but a good one, and something that I'm glad I payed attention too and figure out.

How did you ultimately decide on the college that you did? From your criteria that previously mattered to you, do you presently think you made the right choice?

The two criteria that were most important to me were the degree pathways, and the financial aid. Given those categories, as well as my other secondary criteria, I believe that I made the right choice. However had I been looking at fit a little more, I think that I would have a different answer from a different perspective.

And finally, If you were to give any advice to a Hawaii high school student applying to college, what advice would you give?

Use your time in college to learn and reflect about the place your grew up in. I find myself missing home when I'm sitting in traffic. And while I miss home, I don't think you should throw in the towel, instead, use this opportunity to experience a different place and what it has to offer you. Cherish your breaks at home, but really plant your feet and grow roots in your place, as it can help to make that place feel a little closer to home and will help beat homesickness.