Hey, everyone!
My name's Alap Patel and I'm currently a sophomore at the University of Rochester, one of the best universities in New York! I hope this blog will give you more insight to a student's life at the University, and I'll be sharing tons about my activities, academics, and interests here at one of the few colleges in the Northeast with a flexible curriculum.
First off, I was born and raised in California and am excited to finally experience life on the east coast. In fact, last winter was the first time I ever saw snow fall from the sky, and I'm thankful that I've never had to plow any of that stuff, as beautiful as it may be. Back home and in high school, I was really big in debate and previously debated for the United States International Debate Team. I was also involved with the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) organization and was a member of my high school's tennis team.
I decided to attend the University of Rochester because I was in love with the Combined Admission Programs this school offered. I applied to both the University and to the Rochester Early Medical Scholars (REMS) program, and was accepted! As long as I keep my grades up, I'll be guaranteed admission to the University of Rochester Medical School without having to take the MCATs. This honor gives me the opportunity to really dig into the opportunities this top tier university and community have to offer because I won't be stressed out over the MCAT exam. As a health, behavior, and society major and legal studies minor, I hope to enter medical school with a strong background in multiple academic disciplines, in addition to the basic pre-med core sciences.
As soon as I got to college, I knew I wanted to get involved in things I wouldn't have found myself otherwise doing . . . after all, isn't that was college is all about? Freshman year, I tried out for the UR Bhangra Team, a cultural Indian dance team that competes all over North America and is continually acknowledged as one of the top teams in the country. As a part of the team, we practice many hours a week in preparation for our competitions throughout the semester. I'm so honored to belong to such a respected organization and am looking forward to the years ahead of me on the Bhangra team.
I'm also in the Delta Upsilon Fraternity here as well. Greek Life at the University of Rochester is a unique experience and opportunity to meet great people at school and in the community. My fraternity has exemplary relations with their alumni and so I've had the opportunity to meet U of R graduates who are now very successful in the professional work environment. We also do volunteer work in the community and campus, almost every week. I remember one event my organization put on, Homeless 4 Homeless, in which members sat outside one of the U of R buildings for 48 hours straight accepting donations to help fight against homelessness.
All in all, my experience here in just one year has already been unforgettable, and I look forward to making even more memories.