"Taking online classes forces you to get really good at time management, but no matter how much you engage people in an online discussion, you don’t build relationships.

"Community-based learning and research gave me a chance to prove that I have a marketable skill set. I have letters of recommendation that are based on my work ethic, not just my academic effort.

"I imagine that in those crowded, stadium-like classes at other schools, you might get to volunteer, but you’re not sitting in on important meetings or working shoulder-to-shoulder with influential people. You’re not becoming an integral part of 'the team.'

"When you tell people in the community that you’re a Weber student, they want to work with you."