New friends and opportunities with every small step

Supportive communities a game-changer for new students

As a junior at Purdue University, Lindsay Harper is thriving. She’s vice president of Women in Technology, participates in a mentorship program for Women in the Polytechnic Institute and serves as an ambassador for her college.

“Being involved connects me with peers who have similar goals, and each meeting gives me the chance to make new friends and expand my network,” she says.

She realized during her first several weeks as a freshman that the game-changer of her college experience would be the supportive communities Purdue is famous for.

“I struggled at first and wondered if I’d chosen the right major,” she reflects. “Those feelings faded halfway through the fall semester, however, when I discovered some student organizations that I related to professionally and personally. Finding the Women in Technology club and Minority Technology Association has shaped my life at Purdue.”

Being involved connects me with peers who have similar goals, and each meeting gives me the chance to make new friends and expand my network.

Lindsay Harper

With more than 34,000 undergraduate students, Purdue’s student body is sure to have others interested in your niche — even if it isn’t currently represented in the 1,000-plus campus organizations.

“Purdue offers a wide variety of organizations to enhance your education. Plus, the faculty will help you start a new one if you don’t find a group to fit your needs,” Lindsay says.