The taste of the ice cream, the smell of the manure, the touch of the cow. That’s what you will experience at The University of Delaware.

The Blue Hens compete as a Division 1 National Collegiate Athletic Association, which ranges from football to theatre. The University of Delaware (UD) is a nationally ranked, award-winning facility, along with a beautifully vibrant campus and amazing students and staff that come along with it. 

I’m Emerson Fraley and I’m a freshman at Highlands High School. You might be asking, Why is she going on a college visit? My answer to that is why not get ready for what will happen in four years while learning that being independent is important. Driving 611.8 miles to Delaware can be tiring but it is going to be so worth it in the end. UD might be big but I’m ready to take on the challenge of being independent for a day and learning the truth and difficulties of college. As freshmen, many of us are not used to being independent, show that just shows just how important is to try.

It’s finally the Friday of fall break which means it’s the day that I go to Delaware. Two hours in and we took a stop at my family farm! We went to see our chickens, fainting goats, and ducks. They were all doing great so now it’s time to head back on the road to Delaware.

When we reached the University of Delaware and I was amazed at how big the school was. I am focusing right now on majoring in pre-veterinary practice. They have majors in animal science, a master’s in food science, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree.

They have an amazing agriculture and natural resources program. In the first week of being in the program, you are hands-on with the animals at the farm. All the current students enrolled in the program that I spoke to commented on how much they enjoy and love the program, along with how hands-on everything is.

Post-graduate education is important, although veterinary school and graduate school have very different terms. For a DVM, VMD in Veterinary School you need at least a 3.6 GPA, vet experience, all animal studies, internships, and veterinary experience. For an MS, Ph.D. in graduate school you need a 3.2 to 3.4 GPA, a selected discipline and species, and research experience. The only big difference is that graduate school is funded while veterinary school is not.

They have many types of animals on their farm ranging from the blue hen to Angus beef cattle. They have chickens, sheep, horses, cows, and more. They also have an ice cream shop called UD Dairy Creamery and its is freshly made ice cream from their freshly produced cow milk. 

Overall I loved my experience, although I was a little overwhelmed at the start, I still enjoyed my stay. I would love for one day to be a Blue Hen! Their college has inspired me to work hard every day in school to get into an amazing university. I would definitely recommend taking a trip to Delaware to visit the Blue Hens to anyone who is interested in going to a college with wonderful students and staff.