About Me

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Intro

Some people think I'm just another pretty face, you know, blending in with a sea of other beautiful and flashy places. Don't mistake me for Wonder Bread, though; I'm far less boring, and also, I'm not an edible food product. I'm a school.

If I were bread, however, I'd be more like cinnamon swirl—still wholesome, but with a snazzier flavor.

I'm also a bit of a jock. Don't let my small size fool you—I bring a big game. My athletes are awesome, especially when it comes to hockey. For me, homecoming is big. It's all about football in the afternoon and hockey at night.

Plenty of non-athletes find a home here, too, but they're usually at least getting rowdy on the sidelines.

Despite all of that enthusiasm, I'm not all about the game. My business and engineering programs are also part of the reason I'm consistently rated in the top ten schools of the North.

Not to mention my recent foray into theater. Drama club has become such a big deal for me that I recently started offering performing arts as an academic major. Anyone from Carl Yastrzemski to Charlie Day can find their place here.

Name

The Warrior

Hometown

Scenic North Andover, Massachusetts. It may look like a typical, picturesque New England town, and that's because it is. However, Boston (referred to around here as "The City") is only twenty-five miles away. It's the best of both worlds, if you enjoy living in the peace of quieter spaces but sometimes still need the rush of city life.

Birthdate

1947

Body Type

Technically, the town line between Andover and North Andover, Massachusetts cuts directly through my 220-acre campus. Campus is almost like a town of its own, though, and the population is on the upswing. In the past five years, my student body has grown from around 1,800 to over 3,000 students.

I'm not going to let myself go, however (even though I'm pretty small for a school). I know that size does matter, and my perfect size will always be big enough to provide opportunity, but small enough to provide individual attention. Call me a romantic, but I'm the type who really wants to preserve that personal connection.

Current Living Situation

You may have heard of the dungeon-like dorms that other colleges force their poor students into, but fear not. I would never do that to you.

Well, up until a couple years ago…

Most freshmen are going to find basic doubles with a bathroom shared by the floor—nothing awful, nothing special. It's definitely better than cramming three people per room, sardine-style, and with…communal bathrooms. Yikes.

After that, you can also look forward to the apartments and townhouse-style dwellings that make up a cozy little village right on campus for upperclassmen.

There are lots of different ways to live here, but one thing is for certain: You're going to want to live here. I mean, living with me isn't exactly a requirement (yet), but it's definitely the best way to make the most of your time with me.

Relationship Status

Well, there are these guys in my Division-I Men's Ice Hockey conference, and our competition can be intense. I'm not saying that I'm better than those pricey, pretentious schools I go up against, but my fan base does seem to cheer louder. Just sayin'.

You might have heard of my older, bigger sister—Villanova? Yeah. We're not exactly close, but I like to think that I've been living up to the family name. We're the only Catholic Augustinian colleges in the country. Not that I'm bragging. I just like being unique.

Religion

I get questioned about this a lot. Yes, I am Catholic. No, I will not force you to go to mass, or confession, or any other place. I'm not the controlling type. Merrimack was built by Augustinian friars looking to give back to veterans returning home in the 1940s. Social justice, community, and service are values that I take very seriously, but you don't need to be Catholic to care about any of that.

You will need to take a few theology courses, however, but you can learn about any religion. I even have a Judeo-Christian-Muslim relations minor. Meanwhile, a few friars still live, work, and teach on campus. They're all pretty cool guys. In fact, they're some of the school's most beloved faculty members. D'aww.

Politics

As a Catholic, you might think I'd be extremely conservative. You have to remember, though, that I live in Massachusetts—liberal thinking abounds here. I keep an open mind, and I like to get along.

You should apply to me if...

you know you're good, and you believe you can be great. I'm the school that helps you get there.

Website

http://www.merrimack.edu