Emily Ma: How did you hear about Temple and what attracted you to it?

Zareen Johnson: My dad told me about Temple, and the reason it really stuck out for us is that last year Temple was giving amazing merit-based scholarships, which I qualified for, based on grades and SAT scores.  Temple is also well-known for the Tyler School of Art, their school for art majors, which is where I take most of my classes.

EM: Have you always known that you wanted to go to school for art?

ZJ: I decided I wanted to pursue art in junior year when I was touring colleges.  I think I was deciding senior year between going to a school that was purely an art school and Temple, which has all kinds of majors.  I’m happy that I chose Temple because as someone who had a really broad range of interests in high school, I value having really good general education classes, since they’re taught by the same professors who teach students of those majors.

EM: What is unique about Temple?

ZJ: Temple is a public university in Philadelphia, which I really like because I wanted to go to school in a city.  Philly was ideal for me, because I didn’t want to be really close to home, but close enough to come home for a weekend.  Philadelphia also has a lot of really cool cultural events and museums.

EM: To what kind of student would you recommend Temple?

ZJ: I think the average Schreiber student would do well at Temple, especially if they are on the extraverted side or if they function well near a city.  Students with really good grades could get a really good scholarship so they should consider applying!!

EM: What is your most memorable college experience so far?

ZJ: Although it’s only November, my favorite college memories so far have been exploring Philadelphia, which is a really cool city, with my friends, and going to see Ta-Nehisi Coates speak when he came to Temple.  The coolest thing I’ve done has been glass-casting, which is the process of pouring molten glass into molds.  I got to do that in my 3D Foundations course, and I totally wasn’t expecting to get a chance to do that at all, much less in my first semester.

EM: What extracurricular activities do you participate in?

ZJ: Honestly, my workload is pretty heavy right now so I don’t have time for all the clubs I’d like but I’m part of Feminist Majority, a feminist group that discusses national and local issues and provides support for women’s rights.

EM: How is college different from high school in terms of workload, difficulty, social life, etc.?

ZJ: Even though I have a heavier workload, I enjoy doing homework a lot more now than I did in high school because I’m normally doing things I really enjoy and creating things I’m proud of.  Also, somehow I’ve managed to take classes with no tests, just papers and one in-class debate.  I really love that because I think I’m a much better writer than I am a test-taker, and I am gaining analytical skills instead of having to memorize things, which is what will be more helpful in a job.