On a hot summer night back in 2015 in Williamsport, PA, my husband and I surprised our daughter by taking her to a Weird Al concert to celebrate her 11th birthday.  Yes, an 11- year old girl who loved “Weird Al” Yankovic! I had been witness to my husband’s love of Weird Al my whole life and this father-daughter joint admiration of this artist for a few years. While I never thought I was a huge fan, that one concert solidified my appreciation of Weird Al Yankovic as a creative musical genius. These days as we’re all feeling cooped up and experiencing waves of stress or disappointment, you’ll understand why Sam Anderson’s Sunday New York Times article and podcast about the artist was a welcome distraction—a special gift that made me smile. If you take the opportunity to listen, you’ll appreciate his influence on the artists like Lin Manuel Miranda and you’ll understand why his success has spanned decades. 

Weird Al graduated early, valedictorian from Lynwood HS and went on to attend California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo where he also eventually found his best friend for life. Cal Poly’s motto is Learn By Doing. With 20,000 undergraduates in a small suburban town, 10 minutes from beaches, where the weather doesn't waiver far from 70 degrees, students might want to check out this 6,000-acre campus located in the valley of several hikeable peaks. The school’s acceptance rate is 30% with half of all students scoring between 1240-1430 on their SAT and 26-32 on their ACT. Over 70 Majors from biology, marine science, and education to their most popular engineering majors. The school offers 50 clubs dedicated specifically to engineering majors! Varsity competes at the NCAA Division I Big West and Great-West conferences. They also offer a competitive club program as well as a large offering of intramural sports choices. Since campus visits are off the table, get creative about ways to discover your college list. Take a virtual tour to see Cal Poly’s Learn By Doing in action.

No matter what your interest or where you fall in your graduating class, there is a school out there for you, a place to find your future and sometimes your best friends for life. No matter where you apply, make sure it’s your choice. Don’t forget to follow College Mode Consulting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We’ll keep bringing you college information and resources.