Miranda Canniff - Menlo College

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

Kohala High School 2018

What is your college major?

B.S. Marketing and B.S. Management for Entrepreneurship

Location of College

SF Bay Area (Atherton)

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

4 year private

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

I experienced a lot of culture shock at first being in such an affluent area of the United States. Atherton is one of the richest zip codes in the world and has the highest median home price in the United States. That being said, it allowed me to come into contact with so many different types of people and become more aware of wealth disparity in the U.S. I loved being so close to San Jose and San Francisco though, even if most places required a car to get around. My school is also right in the middle of Silicon Valley, so there are a lot of opportunities due to it's location.

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

Menlo is a VERY small school. We didn't have as many resources available to us so it kind of felt like a bubble sometimes and it was hard to take advantage of the location without a car (there are absolutely NO SIDEWALKS in Atherton-- so weird, but it's because wealthy homeowners didn't want people walking in front of their mansions). Once I got a vehicle, my school life was so much different.

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

The area where Menlo is located in one of the least walkable/bikeable/scooterable(?) places I've ever been, so that was really tough. With a car, it was really exciting to go to the cities surrounding us, but everything is still 20-40 minutes away. The area is very residential but down the street from Stanford so a lot of places cater to their students. Once I moved off campus, I appreciated the area a lot more and still live about 10 minutes away. The area surrounding the school feels very safe. It's SO expensive to live here, but the wages are great and I chose to stay because of that and the access I have to professional networks.

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

Yes! When I first started, the entrep. program was a concentration for my Management major, but now we have a designated B.S. in Entrep. and Innovation. We also have a lot of events focused around entrep and networking and a pretty active innovation club (Oaks Innovation Club). We also are a part of University Innovation Fellows.

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?

Because Menlo is so small, the clubs overall can feel very clique-y and you have to know certain people to get in. I chose not to apply because of this and instead decided to focus on other extracurriculars. It's a little more inclusive now and I have friends who were a part of UIF and loved it, so I would recommend the program. My major in Entrepreneurship was great though, and I learned so much. The new head of the program is incredible and our Dean of Business is really involved and teaching a class with field trips to tech companies and VC's in the area.

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

All of the programs we have are open to all majors. There are a lot of people majoring in Entrepreneurship though, and the network + curriculum is very engaging.

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

UIF funds projects for students but it has to meet certain parameters. There aren't any programs that I know of funding individual student projects.

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

There's a lot of community support for our entrepreneurship program, especially for UIF. We also have networking events and participate in Startup Grind and Startup Weekends in the area, but the level of involvement depends on the year you're there. A lot of faculty are experienced in launching startups and teaching innovation so it's a great resource to have. You really have to go out of your way to connect with people though

How/Why did you chose this school?

They gave me a full scholarship and I've always wanted to live in/near San Francisco. I had a recruiter reach out to me and decided that even though the school was small, I wanted to graduate with as little debt as possible (which I did!)

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

So many things. Menlo is a tiny school, and I knew this, but I was surprised about how much it felt like high school because of how little students we had. For my college experience as a whole, I didn't expect the culture shock to get to me as much, but it did. I loved being around so many different types of people, and I was surprised to meet so many people with different backgrounds but similar life experiences and interests. I found it hard to really connect with people though, I don't think my school was a good overall culture fit for me. Most people who go to Menlo are athletes, it's a PWI, and there are only Business and Psychology majors. It also surprised me how many Hawaii students go to Menlo, and I found a community there that helped me a lot.

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.

My culture shock turned into more than just shock and I had a lot of mental health issues my first two years: my support system fell apart when all of my friends transferred after their first semester (another thing to consider with a small school!) and I had family issues that I had a really hard time being away from home for. Covid actually helped me a lot because I was able to go back home and recenter. It was really frustrating to not so as well academically as a result of this, since a lot of my identity was built on being a good student.

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

I was a part of Pacific Islander Club and Rotary Club. For the years it was active, I was a student worker for our outdoor adventures club. I also participated in an Undergraduate Research Program where my work was published and I got to present findings to a panel. I worked on campus as an Orientation Leader and Academic Success Center writing tutor for all 4 years as well.

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

I loved being a Writing Tutor because I got to meet and help so many interesting people. I think it helped push me out of my comfort zone and get me talking even when I had really bad mental health days. I also got paid for it, so that was a plus. I also got to perform in our Luau, which was a little taste of home and so much fun.

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?

Everyone told me that I had the grades to go to any school I wanted to, so I applied to as many schools as I could. I wanted to go to a big school with a design program where I could minor in business, so those were my main criteria. Especially with some of their application fees waived, I thought I could get into most of them and they'd give me enough scholarships. I got in to the majority, but only 2 offered to cover more than half of my tuition. One of them was a UC, so there was no way I could afford it even at half cost. The other was on the east coast and my mom said I'd be on my own financially if I chose it since it was so far away. My friend was applying to Menlo and told me they have great scholarships so I ended up applying last minute and ended up there.

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?

Some applications were stressful because of the specific questions. The UC system was the most difficult overall for me because their questions had a word count requirement and there were a lot of them. Those seemed the most important as well, so that was what I spent the most time on.

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

I explained in my other responses but finances ended up being the biggest factor of my final decision. Financial aid was difficult due to my family situation and even though I applied to a lot of external scholarships, I only got the smaller ones and while they helped with my expenses, they weren't enough to pay for the schools I would have preferred to go to.

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?

I ultimately decided based on scholarships. I think I made the right choice for my family and my situation. It was very practical. I think not having a ton of debt post-grad was worth everything I went through to get my degree. I still wish I had known more about college and made a different decision.

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

Don't ignore finances. Have a serious talk with your parent/guardian about what you can afford to take out in loans or pay out of pocket for. Do a lot of research. For me, as a student from a Title 1 school, I didn't have as many resources from my school to apply for scholarships, so make sure to reach out to people who do have access to college prep knowledge. When I was applying to college as a first-generation student, I didn't know what I didn't know, and neither did my parent. Money was a make or break for me and a lot of my friends, and I'm really lucky to have made it work, but I know I could have gone to a school that suited me better. A lot of people will tell you to work hard and you'll be able to go to any school you want, but even with good grades, test scores, and extracurriculars, sometimes that's not the case. Getting in is NOT the hardest part.