Choose Chico Day 2019

Chico State held its annual Choose Chico Day on Saturday, inviting admitted students and their families to come check out the campus, speak to current students and professors, and learn more about the university and community. And of course that includes all of the things the College of ECC has to offer.

Rachel Simmons, External Relations Coordinator for the College of ECC, "Here in the College of ECC we have an open house for each one of our departments and programs. And additionally we have about 20 of our student organizations and student clubs who are out here with booths and tables, and they are talking to perspective club members."

Included in that bunch is the current president of the Design Build Club, Javier Tavera, who remembers what it was like for him as a high school senior, trying to make his collegiate choice.

Tavera, "Now I'm on this side of the table, actually talking to the students, I know how they feel. Like, 'Oh, maybe I should go study something else, or maybe I should go to another university.' I really recommend Chico State, because I love the people that I work with, and I love the students, my colleagues, and I really like Chico State."

While some of the students who attend Choose Chico are still undecided on where they'll be going to school next fall, many others have already committed, and it allows them to get more acquainted with the campus and ask some questions.

Shelby Freese, Section President for the Society of Women Engineers, "They kind of want to know what classes to register for, if they should take four classes their first semester, or five, what's the difference between a full-time student and a part-time student, how beneficial it is to be involved in clubs early on versus later on, what should you focus on your first semester, so kinda just basic questions that can really help provide a foundation for these new incoming students."

Out of the hundreds of students who checked out the College of ECC on Choose Chico Day, more than 75 percent will end up enrolling at Chico State. Among those are Foothill College transfer Carlos Lopez, who will major in Construction Management, and current high school senior from Escondido, Cristobal Ruiz, who plans to become a Civil Engineering major.

Ruiz, "I really like the campus itself, I don't know how to describe it, I just really like it, and then the community seems really cozy and I really like the weather like this."

Lopez, "I like how it's actually a pretty small town, yet it's huge because of the community that revolves around the college itself. And I really like how it's very diverse and I didn't expect that to be honest. Coming from San Jose that's a big plus for me, because I live in a diverse area, so I really like that."

Overall, the day was fun, informative, and successful.

Freese, "It's awesome that we still have this event where incoming freshman and transfer students can kinda see what it's like to be a part of our college and see what we have to offer."