S3E15: Seattle Colleges Conversations with! International Student Counselor Paolo Nogoy of Menlo College

In this our fifteenth (15th) episode of Season 3, Seattle Colleges host Evan Franulovich interviews International Student Counselor Paolo Nogoy of Menlo College in Atherton, California about their institution and about what they have to offer international students considering an education there.

1:19 - Meet Paolo!

Check out Menlo College's website at: www.menlo.edu
or email Palolo directly at: paolo.nogoy@menlo.edu

Copyright © Seattle Colleges International Programs 2023. All rights reserved. For more information about being an international student at Seattle Colleges, please visit intl.seattlecolleges.edu

The theme music 'Bounce' is an audio file pursuant to the Pixabay License as defined in the Pixabay Terms of Service available at https://http://pixabay.com/service/terms/

Also, connect with us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok) at
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Transcript

Evan Franulovich  0:05  
Welcome to Seattle Colleges International Programs and our show 'Conversations with!', where we talk to people that help you understand how you too, can be an international student in the United States and why Seattle Colleges should be your first choice. We'll talk to students and staff and agents and government folks, all kinds of people about what you can expect when you're getting ready to apply or travel here, what you'll experience while you're with us, and how it can all lead to an amazing life. Don't forget to check out the Seattle Colleges International Programs website at intl.seattlecolleges.edu where you can find a treasure trove of information about the school, the programs here and best of all, fill out and submit your application. Again, that's intl.seattlecolleges.edu.

Evan Franulovich  1:07  
Hey everybody! Welcome back to Seattle Colleges to 'Conversations with!' It's a Wednesday, here at Seattle Central today, I've got a special guest. Very special because this is our first university, college, university from outside the Northwest region, from California. Paolo, welcome. You want to tell everybody who you are and what school you're with. And yeah, let's get into it.

Paolo Nogoy1  1:39  
Sounds good. Thanks for the introduction, Evan. Hello everyone. My name is Paulo, and I am the international student counselor at Menlo College. We are a private four year college in Atherton, California. For those of you don't know where Atherton is, it's right in the Bay Area, Silicon Valley. We are 40 minutes down south of San Francisco, around six hour drive from LA, and we specialize in business and psychology.

Evan Franulovich  2:06  
Nice, yeah. So we met, actually on a zoom call with a group, and then we were talking about our schools and yeah. So he was at a transfer fair here. We do transfer fairs twice a year here at Seattle Colleges, and it's great you had a table. 

Paolo Nogoy1  2:25  
Of course. 

Evan Franulovich  2:25  
Have you been to the transfer fair before?

Paolo Nogoy1  2:27  
I have, yes. I've been to this college. This probably my fourth time now. So yeah, it's good to be back.

Evan Franulovich  2:36  
Yeah, thanks for coming. Yeah. We love it that you're here because it gives our students, or any community college students, because I know you guys go to other community colleges, gives them a chance to get to know your school and what the options are. Widens their world quite a bit. But let's talk about the word college for a second, because you are Menlo College. We're Seattle Colleges, and I think people that are in other countries, in fact, I know it. They get very confused about, well, what's the difference between a college and a university? I know what I tell them. What do you tell people?

Paolo Nogoy1  3:11  
Yeah, I'm glad you actually opened up the discussion to that. So the difference is, universities have a wide range of studies that they offer to students and multiple departments as well. So for universities that might have business department, science department, healthcare department, whereas Menlo College, which is our school, we're more specialized. We specialize specifically in business and psychology. 

Evan Franulovich  3:37  
Right.

Paolo Nogoy1  3:37  
That's why we're considered a college. 

Evan Franulovich  3:39  
No, I've also heard that one of the slight differences between the two is that universities tend to offer a lot of post graduate work, whereas colleges don't. 

Paolo Nogoy1  3:49  
Yes, that's correct.

Evan Franulovich  3:50  
You have post grad? You guys have any master's degree.

Paolo Nogoy1  3:52  
Oh, we actually do. 

Evan Franulovich  3:53  
Oh, you do.

Paolo Nogoy1  3:53  
We just released our first master's degrees about a year and a half ago. 

Evan Franulovich  3:58  
Okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  3:58  
And we've been around since 1927. 

Evan Franulovich  4:00  
Oh, so long. 

Paolo Nogoy1  4:02  
Yep, we've been around for a while. 

Evan Franulovich  4:04  
That's almost 100 years. 

Paolo Nogoy1  4:06  
Yeah, in three years we're about to hit 100 years. 

Evan Franulovich  4:10  
Big party.

Paolo Nogoy1  4:10  
Yeah, big party.

Evan Franulovich  4:12  
Wow, that's cool. So hey, you could start here, transfer there, and then be there for the big party. That would be cool. 

Paolo Nogoy1  4:19  
Exactly, exactly. And our master's programs are also a short master's program, especially our master's in information system. It's one year. It's a STEM OPT. So you get three years of OPT, and it's only one year. 

Evan Franulovich  4:34  
Well, we're going to talk about OPT in a minute, but before we get there, I wanted to continue with the college university thing, because what I tell international students is, don't worry about it. Just know that in American English, college and university are used almost interchangeably. 

Paolo Nogoy1  4:52  
True. 

Evan Franulovich  4:52  
We don't focus on it as much as other countries do, like the UK or Australia or whatever. For us, if I say I'm going to go. To college next year. I could be going to Menlo College, or I could be coming to Seattle Colleges. Just means I'm gonna go start my university work. So I think that's a really great way to do it. You guys do have people do all four years there? Yeah? 

Paolo Nogoy1  5:13  
Yes, yes. So we only offer a bachelor degree and master's degrees. 

Evan Franulovich  5:17  
Yeah. 

Paolo Nogoy1  5:17  
So usually students stay throughout the four years, so they come in as a freshman and get out as seniors. 

Evan Franulovich  5:23  
Right. And how many students are on the campus?

Paolo Nogoy1  5:25  
On average, we have 800 per year. 

Evan Franulovich  5:27  
Okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  5:28  
And the fall of 2024, currently we have 810.

Evan Franulovich  5:32  
We're talking 810 total. That's domestic and international students. 

Paolo Nogoy1  5:35  
Yes, that's right. 

Evan Franulovich  5:36  
So it is pretty small. Do you guys have sports? Are you guys a...? 

Paolo Nogoy1  5:38  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  5:39  
Oh, you do. 

Paolo Nogoy1  5:39  
We are actually a very big athletic school. That's probably one of our personal branding. We are a big athletic school. In fact, 50% of our students are athletes. 

Evan Franulovich  5:49  
What?! 

Paolo Nogoy1  5:50  
Yep. 

Evan Franulovich  5:51  
Do you guys travel to other schools to compete? 

Paolo Nogoy1  5:54  
Yes, a lot. 

Evan Franulovich  5:55  
So division one, division two, division three. 

Paolo Nogoy1  5:58  
We're D2. 

Evan Franulovich  5:58  
You're D2. 

Paolo Nogoy1  5:59  
Yeah. So fun fact, we actually got to NCAA just the last year, because throughout, since 1927 we're part of NAIA. We've been doing good in terms of recruiting, so we had to step it up, and now we're D2.

Evan Franulovich  6:16  
Good to know, yeah. So if you're interested in sports, you can definitely in, you know, consider going to Menlo College. Seattle Colleges doesn't have a sports program. There are community colleges out there that do offer sports. Usually walk on. I guess some might do scholarships. Do you guys give scholarships to your applicants?

Paolo Nogoy1  6:37  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  6:38  
You do. 

Paolo Nogoy1  6:38  
So the amount of scholarships will depend on how good they are. We have medalist, Olympic medalists who gone to our college. Got a full ride. 

Evan Franulovich  6:47  
You were telling me about that. 

Paolo Nogoy1  6:48  
Yeah, we have one person, I believe he's from Uzbekistan. He actually went to Paris. He did bring home a bronze medal for us. 

Evan Franulovich  6:57  
That's awesome. What year is he? 

Paolo Nogoy1  7:00  
I'm not sure. Actually, he's quite big. Every time I go to community colleges, I talk to students from Uzbekistan. 

Evan Franulovich  7:08  
They know him. 

Paolo Nogoy1  7:08  
They know him. 

Evan Franulovich  7:10  
I'm sure. 

Paolo Nogoy1  7:10  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  7:11  
Wow. So you could start, I suppose, here, and then go and then try to walk on they have walk ons. 

Paolo Nogoy1  7:18  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  7:19  
What do you recommend? Like, if a student's like, been thinking about it, do they contact the coaches directly, or is there a formal process? Do they contact you?

Paolo Nogoy1  7:26  
Oh, that's a good question. So, and this is basing off of what I've seen on campus, I do think, and this applies to other schools as well. If you're trying to walk into a team that's highly competitive, it's always best to make the relationship with coaches first. 

Evan Franulovich  7:44  
Gotcha. 

Paolo Nogoy1  7:45  
Because these coaches have a list of recruits that they're trying to get to the school. 

Evan Franulovich  7:50  
Oh, okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  7:50  
So that will be their first priority. If you're a walk on, it's probably going to be second priority, and the best way to get their attention is to enroll in the school, make relationships with the team, with the coaches, and maybe sneak in a little bit of try out there. 

Evan Franulovich  8:04  
And be awesome. 

Paolo Nogoy1  8:06  
Be Awesome, yeah. Because if you get good team chemistry, if you got good team chemistry, you get along with the team so well, and they see you develop, then, yeah, you can get into the team. I've seen it too. 

Evan Franulovich  8:17  
Yeah. 

Paolo Nogoy1  8:18  
When I was in Menlo, because I went to Menlo College too. As a student, I had my friend who's from Germany, and at first he actually did not get into the soccer team, but he still trained with the team, you know, developed good relationship with the coach, and by his junior year, he got in.

Evan Franulovich  8:37  
Oh, that's cool. 

Paolo Nogoy1  8:38  
So yeah, and that's how I... 

Evan Franulovich  8:40  
Living the dream.

Paolo Nogoy1  8:41  
Exactly, exactly. It takes a little bit more resilience, a little bit more effort, and obviously good social skills. You gotta have good team chemistry. 

Evan Franulovich  8:50  
Right. 

Paolo Nogoy1  8:51  
And develop that relationship with the coach.

Evan Franulovich  8:53  
Can you get a, I know you guys specialize in business and psychology, but do you have, like, a business of sports, or maybe business, but with a focus on sports management or something like that. 

Paolo Nogoy1  9:07  
Yes, we have major in sports management. 

Evan Franulovich  9:10  
Oh, really? 

Paolo Nogoy1  9:10  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  9:10  
Oh, very cool. Check it out, guys. 

Paolo Nogoy1  9:13  
That's what majority of our athletes actually get into. Okay, that makes sense. 

Evan Franulovich  9:18  
Well, let's go back a little bit to your personal story, because, you know, we are a community college, and from what I understand, you went to a community college... 

Paolo Nogoy1  9:28  
I did, yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  9:29  
...Before you went to Menlo. 

Paolo Nogoy1  9:30  
Yes, yes. 

Evan Franulovich  9:31  
So can you tell everybody about your personal pathway? 

Paolo Nogoy1  9:34  
Of course, yeah. So it's been a while now, it's been seven years. I'm from the Philippines, and I came... 

Evan Franulovich  9:42  
International student as well!

Paolo Nogoy1  9:44  
International student as well. Yeah, yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  9:46  
That's awesome. 

Paolo Nogoy1  9:46  
Yeah. So came to California 2017 and at 2017 I enrolled in De Anza College. It's quite a big community college in Cupertino, California. So I was there for two years, and just like with majority of college students during those two years, I did not know what I wanted to do, absolutely had no idea. I think, I probably switched majors, like three times. 

Evan Franulovich  10:12  
Sure. 

Paolo Nogoy1  10:13  
I first was a physics major, but I switched to psychology, and then I switched to marketing. So during my time in De Anza, I played sports too. Played sports, I was on to swim team, and I also worked in the international student office. So yeah, so I accumulated quite a bit of knowledge and the enrollment prior to having this job. And then my sophomore year in De Anza, I remember how I found out about Menlo because I was working in the ISP office, and one random day I saw a flyer about Menlo College, and it's talking about a international transfer scholarship. And during that time, I was in desperate need of a scholarship. I didn't really I came from a modest background, so I obviously did not have a lot of options. So I could really use a lot of scholarship. And then I took a look at the flyer, and then I saw them. Point of Contact was a person that went to the Anza as well. I'm like, Whoa, I know this person. So, you know, I scanned the QR code, applied, got contacted, and that's how it started. I ended up getting a scholarship, because I got pretty lucky, because the scholarship I got, there's three criterias you have to meet, you have to be an international student, you have to be a transfer student. And you need to be a fall 2019 transfer. 

Evan Franulovich  11:46  
You need to be what? 

Paolo Nogoy1  11:47  
A fall 2019 transfer.

Evan Franulovich  11:48  
Oh, gotcha. Gotcha. 

Paolo Nogoy1  11:49  
So I hit all three check marks. 

Evan Franulovich  11:51  
Perfect. 

Paolo Nogoy1  11:51  
And then I got in, and a couple months later I transferred. 

Evan Franulovich  11:56  
So I'm guessing you guys have a big intake in the fall? 

Paolo Nogoy1  12:02  
Yes, that's correct. 

Evan Franulovich  12:03  
Do you also do a spring intake? 

Paolo Nogoy1  12:05  
Lots of them, yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  12:06  
Did you start in the fall or the spring? 

Paolo Nogoy1  12:09  
Fall 2019, yeah. So the good thing about private colleges, I think this is what a lot of students are not aware of. You can actually transfer any time, and transferring is a lot easier. I don't know how the transfer process is here in Washington, if you're going to a public school, but in California, it's quite complex and difficult.. 

Evan Franulovich  12:30  
Oh, really? 

Paolo Nogoy1  12:30  
...and stressful too. Because if you enroll at a community college and you want to transfer to a public school, there is a degree worksheet that you have to follow. 

Evan Franulovich  12:41  
Right. 

Paolo Nogoy1  12:42  
It's a very complex worksheet. You literally have to go to class just to just to do that. 

Evan Franulovich  12:47  
Figure it out. 

Paolo Nogoy1  12:48  
Just to figure it out. There's so many prerequisites you need to take, so many classes you have to take. There's specific units that you have to complete in order to transfer, and most of the time you're gonna be fighting for those classes. 

Evan Franulovich  13:02  
Right. 

Paolo Nogoy1  13:03  
And majority of the students I know, they can't register for those classes, and there's so many prerequisites. Now the stress builds up, and now everyone's stressed out of their minds. And there's also a website called assist.org I believe you guys use it too, right? 

Evan Franulovich  13:21  
Well, I think the transfer advisors do. But yeah. 

Paolo Nogoy1  13:24  
Yes, the transfer advisors. And there's list of class you have to finish. So there's so many requirements that you have to to finish in order just to transfer, right? 

Evan Franulovich  13:33  
Right. 

Paolo Nogoy1  13:33  
Which makes it stressful, difficult and complex. 

Evan Franulovich  13:36  
Yeah. 

Paolo Nogoy1  13:36  
And also, if, let's say, you fail a class, you could register for a certain class, right? Then you have to start over, or it prolongs your stay at a community college sometimes. 

Evan Franulovich  13:48  
So to help with, because it can be complex, and especially so if you start at Seattle Colleges, we're on a quarter system. And in the United States, you're usually either on a quarter system or you're on a semester system. Seattle College is on a quarter system. Menlo College is on a semester system. So you're kind of transferring from one type of system to another. Don't let that dissuade you from applying to a school like Menlo College, though, because we have transfer advisors that understand this, and they will help you, and if they don't have the answers right off the bat, they'll contact the school on your behalf. 

Paolo Nogoy1  14:25  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  14:26  
You can also, and I totally recommend this to any student that I talk to, is start the process of reaching out to schools you're thinking about talking going to, whether it's Menlo College or some other school, start talking to them directly, because it'll just save you a lot of hassle down the road. Do the research, understand the process.

Paolo Nogoy1  14:47  
Yeah. One my advice to students who are in a community college, definitely look ahead. Have target schools. Even if you're just in your first semester, talk to the school you want to get into and talk to an advisor and have an ED plan from start to finish. 

Evan Franulovich  15:02  
Yeah, great idea. 

Paolo Nogoy1  15:03  
Yes, because if you do not, then it's going to be very, very stressful. 

Evan Franulovich  15:07  
It can be stressful. Yeah, you're spending a lot of time and a lot of money, and you don't want to spend any more of either of those resources than you have to. 

Paolo Nogoy1  15:16  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  15:17  
I know that I ended up going to school for four and a half years, just because I needed a few extra credits for certain things where I know other people finish in four years. So I could have saved a half a year, maybe if I had been a little more efficient. But yeah, just get out there and talk to all the different schools that you're thinking about.

Paolo Nogoy1  15:40  
Yeah, and definitely talk to an advisor early on that helps so much.

Evan Franulovich  15:44  
Yeah, we have academic advisors that you'll work with to create an education plan for yourself. But we also have transfer advisors so that will help you understand that process, to help you do research or point you in the right direction anyway. We want you to self advocate. We want you to be your own best resource. But the transfer advisors are there to help you understand, because this is the US, different world. Definitely. Did you find when you got here that the US was a lot different than you thought?

Paolo Nogoy1  16:13  
Oh yeah, it was such a shock. 

Evan Franulovich  16:15  
Really? 

Paolo Nogoy1  16:15  
Yeah, it was such a shock, because the terms are different too. So here in America, what I noticed is the term majors in courses are different, because in my country, course is what you're majoring in. So if somebody asked me, okay, what's your course? I'm gonna say, oh, I do business. 

Evan Franulovich  16:37  
Sure, sure. 

Paolo Nogoy1  16:37  
That means I'm a business major. 

Evan Franulovich  16:39  
Okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  16:39  
Yeah. And classes, we just call them classes, because here in America, sometimes they are called courses, right? Also, it shocked me that here in America you can actually pick your classes because, well, I don't know any other countries so far, America is the only country I know where you can actually select your classes, and you have a say on how many classes you want to take or when you want to graduate, because in other countries, it's super rigid, super strict. 

Evan Franulovich  17:13  
Right. 

Paolo Nogoy1  17:13  
If you major in physics, for example, right? You have a class from start to finish. And there's a stigma where if you fail a class, you fall behind, and you get into a class with the younger kids, right? But here in America, it's not like that, because all classes are filled with freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors, right? 

Evan Franulovich  17:34  
Sure.

Paolo Nogoy1  17:35  
And you dictate your own pace here in America, which makes it a little bit easier, but you have to be disciplined too, because you want to make sure you're taking all the right classes. 

Evan Franulovich  17:44  
Well, that's for sure, right? That's where an advisor can help too. 

Paolo Nogoy1  17:47  
That's where an advisor comes in. 

Evan Franulovich  17:48  
Or use a course catalog to map it out or whatever. 

Paolo Nogoy1  17:51  
Exactly.

Evan Franulovich  17:52  
Yeah, so I'll temper what he said a little bit, because you can choose whatever you want, but understand that whatever major you choose, there will be a set number of classes you have to take to get that major. So while they say you have to at least take three English classes, you definitely are going to have to to do the first two English classes, like 101-102, or whatever the number is at your school. And then, you know, maybe you get to choose, maybe I'll take a world literature class, or I'll take Dickens, you know, class just on Charles Dickens, or whatever. So you do get a little bit of say there. 

Paolo Nogoy1  18:29  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  18:29  
So it's a combination of the two, but yeah, the sky is the limit, and you had changed majors three times. That's another thing to talk about, because in a lot of countries, man, once you get locked in, you're in. 

Paolo Nogoy1  18:40  
Yeah, it's true.

Evan Franulovich  18:40  
But here, I don't want to be a geology major anymore. I want to study dance or whatever. 

Paolo Nogoy1  18:46  
Yeah, yeah.

Evan Franulovich  18:46  
You can do that. That cost you money and time. 

Paolo Nogoy1  18:48  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  18:49  
But you can do it. 

Paolo Nogoy1  18:50  
It's possible. My advice, though, if you are going to switch majors, definitely take a lot of GE classes in your first in sophomore year. Because good idea. If you switch majors while you're taking GE classes, a lot of the class you have taken will count towards graduation. 

Evan Franulovich  19:07  
Right. 

Paolo Nogoy1  19:08  
Compared to, let's say you're a physics major and you've taken a lot of major class or the upper division classes by the time you transfer to a business major, a lot of those class might not count towards graduation. 

Evan Franulovich  19:20  
Right, yeah. You don't want that.

Paolo Nogoy1  19:22  
Yeah. So it's always safe to first finish your GE classes first, so you have a lot of room to change. 

Evan Franulovich  19:28  
And just for the listeners out there who don't know what GE stands for.

Paolo Nogoy1  19:32  
Oh, yeah. So GE is general education classes education.

Evan Franulovich  19:35  
Yeah, in America, usually any major you do has a number of classes that doesn't matter if you go to Harvard or you go to community college, you have to do those classes as part of their major work. So yeah, but it's kind of cool, because usually it's a wide variety of classes. Some schools will make you take physical education classes. Some schools will make you take English. Some will take make you take you know, history. Or whatever. So there's always a set number. That's cool. So did you actually receive a diploma from De Anza? 

Paolo Nogoy1  20:08  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  20:08  
Oh, you did. 

Paolo Nogoy1  20:09  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  20:09  
And what was it in? 

Paolo Nogoy1  20:10  
Associates in... Oh, no. Let me try to remember this. Associates in Liberal Arts...

Evan Franulovich  20:17  
Okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  20:18  
...with an emphasis in business. 

Evan Franulovich  20:19  
Gotcha. Cool.

Paolo Nogoy1  20:21  
That's how it's written. 

Evan Franulovich  20:23  
Cool. That's great. And then you had the choice after you finish at a community college, whether it's Seattle Colleges or wherever, you can do OPT, after that first year, did you elect to do OPT?

Paolo Nogoy1  20:35  
Oh, that's a good question. I actually did not. 

Evan Franulovich  20:37  
Oh, you didn't. 

Paolo Nogoy1  20:38  
I did not. I went straight to getting a bachelor's. 

Evan Franulovich  20:40  
Right? 

Paolo Nogoy1  20:41  
Because, me, it's probably a culture thing. We always have the stigma that you have to finish as soon as you can. 

Evan Franulovich  20:48  
Momentum, yeah. 

Paolo Nogoy1  20:50  
Yeah, because, at least in my country, not in all countries, if you're maybe around the age of 23 and 24 the pressure builds up. 

Evan Franulovich  20:58  
Right. 

Paolo Nogoy1  20:58  
To finish college, right? And good thing, I was on track and I didn't want to delay my graduation. Just want to finish it as soon as I can. That's why I enrolled. 

Evan Franulovich  21:07  
Right. 

Paolo Nogoy1  21:08  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  21:08  
But know out there, if you are listening and you are thinking of starting at a community college, one of the benefits of starting a community college is, after you finish those first two years, you do have the option of doing a year of OPT, if you go straight to a four year, then you'll only get the one opportunity after you get your bachelor's degree. I mean, you can also do it after your master's degree or whatever. But that is one benefit for sure. And then if you're a STEM major, of course, how many years can you do? 

Paolo Nogoy1  21:34  
Three years. 

Evan Franulovich  21:35  
Up to three years. So it can be a really great deal. And if you're interested in extending out the time on your visa as long as possible, then you can do two years, OPT, two years, OPT. Yeah, it's a good deal. Yeah, we don't have very many students. We've have a few students from the Philippines, but not many. Do you guys have too many? 

Paolo Nogoy1  21:58  
Actually, no Philippines. There's not a lot of Philippine international students here. Majority, there's a lot of Filipinos in America. Majority are immigrants coming here as an international student. It's almost unheard of.

Evan Franulovich  22:12  
Well, how did you arrive at the decision to be an international student in the Philippines?

Paolo Nogoy1  22:18  
Oh, that's a good question. Well, first of all, when I wanted to come to the US. I was 16 or 17. 

Evan Franulovich  22:24  
Oh, you were young. 

Paolo Nogoy1  22:24  
So I know nothing. I didn't even know what an international student is. I don't know what a green card is, a permanent resident. I was a young kid, very naive. I thought, once you come to America, you can just, that's it. You just arrived by the country, and that's it. I did not know, not the way it works. That's not how the way it works. But I had to learn it the hard way. 

Evan Franulovich  22:44  
Sure, sure. 

Paolo Nogoy1  22:45  
So I came to America as an international student, thinking, okay, cool, I'm here in America. That's it. No rules and regulation, right? But as soon as I went to orientation, did more research. I'm like, oh, there's actually restrictions. 

Evan Franulovich  22:59  
For sure. 

Paolo Nogoy1  23:00  
And I guess that's bad research on my end, because I should have known this before coming here, but I just had no clue. 

Evan Franulovich  23:07  
And your parents were all on board with your like, yeah, you want to go the US? Go ahead. 

Paolo Nogoy1  23:12  
Yeah, yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  23:13  
They were? Cool. Have they been students in the US? 

Paolo Nogoy1  23:15  
No, actually, no. So it was my mom to help me, because she knows that I wanted to come to America because college for a better education too. So that's why she sent me. 

Evan Franulovich  23:30  
Okay, cool. 

Paolo Nogoy1  23:30  
And in Asia, especially, at least in my country, getting an education outside of your country, that's a big bonus. 

Evan Franulovich  23:37  
Okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  23:38  
It gives you an edge, almost. It gives you an edge compared to students that went to... 

Evan Franulovich  23:43  
Students that went to like the University of Manila, or whatever. 

Paolo Nogoy1  23:46  
Exactly. And I do think that's pretty similar to most countries in the east. That's also one of the big reasons why they come here to America, because getting that western experience does a lot to your personality and who you are as a person. So when you come back home, you're different. 

Evan Franulovich  24:04  
We corrupt you.

Paolo Nogoy1  24:06  
 You get that edge. Yeah, yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  24:09  
No, we do good things. It's good. 

Paolo Nogoy1  24:10  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  24:11  
Wow, that's really interesting. So you came, you did your first two years, then you transferred. So let's talk a little bit about the transfer process. So you went from a community college in California over we're at Seattle Colleges. Maybe we'll have a student or two here that are thinking, hey, that sounds cool. Start in Seattle, then go down to San Francisco area, which, by the way, I have three favorite cities in the United States, New York.

Paolo Nogoy1  24:38  
New York. Okay. 

Evan Franulovich  24:39  
Seattle, but also the Bay Area. I love San Francisco. That's a great area. So, yeah, you could start in Seattle, which is an amazing city, and then go down, stay in the Bay Area, which is awesome, and then you get really two different, I mean, it's all West Coast, so you're still kind of in a progressive, politically kind of part of the world. Um, I would argue that it's a little more welcoming of foreigners out on the West Coast rather than other parts of the US. I know I'm getting a little hate mail from the east coasters. No, no, it's good, just to come to the West Coast. We have a very cosmopolitan set of cities along the coastline that has, like we have a huge Asian community here in Seattle, but we also have a lot of Africans and lots of Latin Americans. Yeah, I'm guessing it's the same way. 

Paolo Nogoy1  25:25  
Oh, yeah, 100%. 

Evan Franulovich  25:27  
So yeah, let's talk about the transfer process. 

Paolo Nogoy1  25:29  
Cool. 

Evan Franulovich  25:29  
What should they do? 

Paolo Nogoy1  25:31  
So this is one of the biggest benefits to going to a private college, because a transfer process is a lot easier. This goes back to our conversation earlier about assist.org, and the degree worksheet, right? So if you're transferring  to a private college like Menlo, you don't need any of that. It's very simple. All you need to do is apply, send in your transcript, depending on, well, this is specific to Menlo. Once you submit your application in your transcript, we should be able to issue a decision within two weeks. 

Evan Franulovich  26:03  
Oh, that's pretty fast. 

Paolo Nogoy1  26:04  
Yes, we're pretty fast. 

Evan Franulovich  26:05  
Is there a deadline? They have to get it in by a certain time? 

Paolo Nogoy1  26:08  
So there's a deadline for the application. So for spring applicants is going to be December 10. 

Evan Franulovich  26:14  
Okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  26:14  
That's a soft deadline. And then for fall, applicant is going to be July 15.

Evan Franulovich  26:18  
Oh, that's quite late. 

Paolo Nogoy1  26:20  
Yep. 

Evan Franulovich  26:21  
Oh, that's good to know. 

Paolo Nogoy1  26:22  
The reason why we try to extend our deadlines, because we're a small college, so we have a very personalized admissions process. So that means, if you apply, we can work really, really fast. 

Evan Franulovich  26:34  
Oh, cool. 

Paolo Nogoy1  26:34  
Yeah, because if you reach out to me saying, hey, I need to transfer ASAP, I'll prioritize your application. 

Evan Franulovich  26:40  
Right, right. 

Paolo Nogoy1  26:40  
I'll try to get you in within like 10 days.

Evan Franulovich  26:42  
That's crazy. So they have to pay an application fee. No. Application is free, yeah, what and then, what about a personal essay?

Paolo Nogoy1  26:53  
Personal essay is not a requirement, but it is recommended. 

Evan Franulovich  26:58  
Okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  26:58  
But usually, once you apply, there's a highlight clip that I'm going to hop on a phone call with you, because I want to make sure you know if Menlo is the right fit. I want to see your goals, what you're majoring in, just to know you as a person and see if there's a good fit. And that kind of counts as your personal essay, because I'm already getting to know about you. 

Evan Franulovich  27:19  
Sure. Yeah, yeah. Wow, that's cool. 

Paolo Nogoy1  27:21  
And then once they submit their application and their transcript, and they get accepted, I will be sending the student a document called a TCE, which is a very it's a very scary term, but it's called transfer credit evaluation. But what it is it's a document that will highlight all the classes that have been transferred over to our school. 

Evan Franulovich  27:43  
Okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  27:43  
And it will also show you all the classes you need to take at Menlo in order to graduate. So it's super straightforward. 

Evan Franulovich  27:51  
Super helpful. 

Paolo Nogoy1  27:51  
Yeah, so before you even commit to Menlo, you're going to be able to see all the classes you need to take in order to graduate. And then you can decide, okay, I need 60 credits. How long is that going to take me? How long do I how many credits do want to take per semester? 

Evan Franulovich  28:06  
Right. 

Paolo Nogoy1  28:06  
So you already have, like, a sense of how long you're going to stay and how much workload you're going to have.

Evan Franulovich  28:11  
Right, right. 

Paolo Nogoy1  28:12  
Which is a big determining factor, right? If you're considering a call. 

Evan Franulovich  28:15  
Do you have summer sessions as well, or is it just fall, spring?

Paolo Nogoy1  28:18  
We have summer session, but we do not have a summer intake.

Evan Franulovich  28:22  
Okay, that makes sense. So if you're there, you start in the fall. You could take classes in the spring, and you can take classes in the summer. 

Paolo Nogoy1  28:29  
Yes, that's correct. 

Evan Franulovich  28:30  
Are there two summer sessions, or is there just one big one? 

Paolo Nogoy1  28:32  
Just one summer session. 

Evan Franulovich  28:33  
And how is it? More condensed?

Paolo Nogoy1  28:36  
It is more condensed, yes. 

Evan Franulovich  28:37  
So faster pace. 

Paolo Nogoy1  28:39  
It's a faster pace. I believe it's also the same for other colleges. 

Evan Franulovich  28:44  
Well, the University of Arizona where I went to school, they had two summer sessions, and they were very compressed. So at least this was back in the day, so I don't know if they knew that now, but yeah, it was much shorter, much more intense. 

Paolo Nogoy1  28:57  
Much more intense, yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  28:58  
I tried it, and then I was like, no, I just want to relax over the summer. 

Paolo Nogoy1  29:02  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  29:03  
Some students, they just want to go through.

Paolo Nogoy1  29:04  
I know, because I think you need to take, like, four or five hour classes for days. 

Evan Franulovich  29:12  
Yeah, mine weren't that long, but the homework was pretty intense. And, you know, I was already tired from the springs. Think about the semester system. Some people love semester systems. Some people love quarter systems. It kind of depends. I liked the semester system, but the spring semester does feel long, whereas if you have three quarters, to me, it feels short. You do three short, and then you're always switching, which is kind of nice in a way. But I also like the semester system, because you kind of get into your subject a little more deeply, which is cool. So both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Paolo Nogoy1  29:50  
I think I like semester system a little bit better, at least for me, because class registration used to stress me out. 

Evan Franulovich  29:57  
That is complicated. 

Paolo Nogoy1  29:59  
Yeah, it used to stress me out a lot. But again, to each their own. 

Evan Franulovich  30:03  
Well, what happens with a school that only has like 800 students? You know, everybody's gonna have to take first year English, right? So do they, if classes are filled up, do they add more classes? Or do they just, what do they do? 

Paolo Nogoy1  30:18  
Usually, they add more classes. But based on this is coming from personal experience. The good thing about Menlo, I never had to stress about registering for classes, because there's always a spot. Which is a nice thing. 

Evan Franulovich  30:30  
That is nice. 

Paolo Nogoy1  30:31  
Yeah, I'm pretty sure most of I'm not sure if it's here in Washington, but when I used to go to De Anza, when we register for classes, we have to set up a timer because everyone's racing... 

Evan Franulovich  30:43  
You're trying to get in, yeah. 

Paolo Nogoy1  30:44  
...for a specific class, especially if they're CS major, at least in De Anza. Some colleges in California, it's a little bit easier. But depending on the population, it can be very stressful. 

Evan Franulovich  30:55  
It can be stressful at Seattle Colleges too, because sometimes there are limited spots for certain classes. And if you register late, then some of those classes are full. 

Paolo Nogoy1  31:05  
Yeah, yeah.

Evan Franulovich  31:05  
One advantage of Seattle College is those that we have three campuses. So if you can't find it here at Seattle Central, maybe you go to North to take the class that you need, or you go to South. 

Paolo Nogoy1  31:15  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  31:16  
De Anza has multiple campuses?

Paolo Nogoy1  31:18  
No, just one. 

Evan Franulovich  31:19  
It's just the one. 

Paolo Nogoy1  31:19  
Yeah, and they have a lot of students. 

Evan Franulovich  31:21  
Right, right. 

Paolo Nogoy1  31:22  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  31:22  
There are others, like Portland Community College, I think they have multiple campuses as well. So I don't know how it works there, but they may be under the same kind of things. 

Paolo Nogoy1  31:31  
Yeah. And the good thing about Menlo too is, if you are a senior, yeah, if you are an athlete and you're about to graduate, you get priority registration. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, just ease the stress off your back. 

Evan Franulovich  31:45  
Well, let's talk about what everybody always asks about first. Usually when I'm touring and I'm talking to students, the first question out of their mouths is, how much is it? Or the other question is, do you have scholarships? Now you already started talking about scholarships. Let's talk tuition first, and then let's talk about the transfer scholarship that you got. 

Paolo Nogoy1  32:04  
Okay.

Evan Franulovich  32:05  
Is it still available? And then, if not, what is available now? So let's start with tuition. All in, that's housing, food, tuition and fees. All in, what do you got to put on your financial statement or acceptance? 

Evan Franulovich  32:22  
So with zero scholarships. 

Paolo Nogoy1  32:25  
Yeah. Which is highly unlikely, because 90% of our students received scholarships. 

Evan Franulovich  32:29  
Oh, that's great. 

Paolo Nogoy1  32:30  
Yep. And so assuming there's zero scholarship, it's going to be $78-79,000. 

Evan Franulovich  32:35  
Okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  32:36  
That includes tuition, housing, additional fees with the average scholarship, it goes down to 50k years. 

Evan Franulovich  32:45  
Oh, okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  32:45  
Yes, but we have a special scholarship for international transfers for spring 25 so we have a cost matching scholarship. Now there's no specific number, because what we're going to do is we are going to price match whatever you're paying at your current college. 

Evan Franulovich  33:02  
Oh. 

Paolo Nogoy1  33:02  
So we're gonna take your cost of attendance, and based off your cost of attendance, we're gonna determine what type of scholarship we're gonna give you, so that your cost of attendance will be the same.

Evan Franulovich  33:13  
I've never heard that exactly, so it's really interesting.

Paolo Nogoy1  33:15  
Yeah, so you're technically getting a bachelor's degree at a price of a community college, and this is only for international students who are transfers and who wants to transfer for the spring. 

Evan Franulovich  33:27  
Well, that's really compelling. 

Paolo Nogoy1  33:29  
Yep. 

Evan Franulovich  33:30  
Check it out. What about if they come for fall? Is this just something you guys come up with each quarter or?

Paolo Nogoy1  33:37  
For fall, it's possible. So now I can't speak for Fall 2025, because our scholarship gets updated. But I have seen some people who did receive the same scholarship in Fall 2024 at least for Fall 25 we're not sure if it's going to be there. 

Evan Franulovich  33:53  
Okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  33:55  
Hopefully, knock on wood, is still there, but as of now, we don't know. 

Evan Franulovich  33:59  
Interesting, wow. Okay, so now we know how much it costs, and you said that all in includes food and housing. So when students come over to Menlo, where do they live? What kind of housing situation you have? 

Paolo Nogoy1  34:13  
Yeah, good question. So 90% of our students live on campus. 

Evan Franulovich  34:16  
Okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  34:17  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  34:18  
Are they required? 

Paolo Nogoy1  34:20  
They're not required, but it's highly recommended, and there is probably the best option for them. 

Evan Franulovich  34:25  
Wow, okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  34:26  
Because first off, like I said, 90% of our students are on campus. Food is already included. You don't need to pay separately for food, cafeteria it's a buffet type of cafeteria, laundry, utilities all included. So there's no more headaches, and it's a 52 second walk to campus.

Evan Franulovich  34:48  
It's really close. 

Paolo Nogoy1  34:49  
So there's really they're not required, but if you think about it, there's no reason for them to live off campus because of the convenience. 

Evan Franulovich  34:58  
Sure, yeah. 

Paolo Nogoy1  34:58  
And the price as well. 

Evan Franulovich  34:59  
Right, right. Huh? You said buffet style. I'm curious, do they cater to halal? Do they have vegetarian options? I mean, this is California, so I'm guessing they do. 

Paolo Nogoy1  35:11  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  35:12  
Yeah. 

Paolo Nogoy1  35:12  
That is correct. We have a big Islamic population too from Central Asia, and we want to make sure we cater to those students, right? 

Evan Franulovich  35:22  
Yeah, absolutely. 

Paolo Nogoy1  35:22  
So we do have a lot of options. 

Evan Franulovich  35:25  
Cool.

Paolo Nogoy1  35:25  
Dietary options.

Evan Franulovich  35:27  
So, housing, so we talked about scholarships and tuition. That's always the big thing. We're getting close to the end of our time together, so I want to make sure you have time to convey something I haven't covered, like, what is meant, I mean, your business psychology focused. What would be some examples of things that they would be especially interesting for students that are thinking about coming there, I don't know, maybe specific programs that are especially unique or like, for example, at North Seattle College, we have a watch technology program. It's only one of two in all of North America. 

Paolo Nogoy1  36:07  
Watch Technology? 

Evan Franulovich  36:08  
Yeah. 

Paolo Nogoy1  36:09  
Oh, wow.

Evan Franulovich  36:09  
It's crazy, right? And we're the only one that accepts international students. So do you guys have anything unique like that, or something that you guys are really well known for. 

Paolo Nogoy1  36:17  
Well, no, oh, yes, definitely our big three. Or I liked I named it myself, Accounting. 

Evan Franulovich  36:24  
Oh, yeah. 

Paolo Nogoy1  36:24  
Finance and Business Analytics. Those are probably the best majors you can pursue if you're an international student and if you're in the Bay Area. Okay, so I want to dive into our accounting and finance graduates, because majority of our students who major in those two studies, they get into the big four accounting firms. Oh, that's almost a culture at our school, just because we have so many alums and those firms directly recruit from our school. So we've had a lot of students get their OPT and their CPT as well in those companies. And a lot of our students get into those companies in their junior year as an intern, and even before they graduate, they get a job offer already.

Evan Franulovich  37:08  
So as a junior, that would be CPT. 

Paolo Nogoy1  37:10  
CPT, yes.

Evan Franulovich  37:10  
And maybe you can explain to people what CPT stands for, because maybe some people don't. 

Paolo Nogoy1  37:15  
Oh, yeah. So CPT is Curricular Practical Training, so it allows you to work off campus, maybe for an organization, a company, nonprofit, or whatever, for a period of two months, three to three months in the summer.

Evan Franulovich  37:30  
Yes, you get paid and you get credit.

Paolo Nogoy1  37:33  
And get credit, yes. Oh, yeah. I also wanted to dive into that. So our internship program is mandatory for all our juniors. 

Evan Franulovich  37:41  
Oh, it is? 

Paolo Nogoy1  37:42  
Yes. Oh, okay. And on top of that, they're not only getting their work experience in a salary, they're also getting six class credits on top of it. 

Evan Franulovich  37:51  
That's really great, actually. 

Paolo Nogoy1  37:52  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  37:54  
But here's the question I have, is it real work? Are they just photocopying things, or do they actually get to put to work what they're studying?

Paolo Nogoy1  38:02  
Yes, 100% that's awesome. So while they're in their internship program, they're technically enrolled in the class as well, but that class they're enrolled in is only once a week. 

Evan Franulovich  38:13  
Okay.

Paolo Nogoy1  38:13  
Yeah, and I believe, from what I remember when I did it, it was only an hour to two hours every Friday. 

Evan Franulovich  38:19  
Oh, that's good.

Paolo Nogoy1  38:20  
But if you think about it, that's six class credits. That's technically two classes you're finishing.

Evan Franulovich  38:27  
So that's CPT going to work. Going back to money actually makes me think a lot of our international students find jobs on our campus to help pay for their schooling. Do you guys allow international students to work on your campus?

Paolo Nogoy1  38:41  
Yes, we do. So it's actually a lot easier in our college to find jobs for international students. 

Evan Franulovich  38:48  
Gotcha. 

Paolo Nogoy1  38:48  
And that's because we have an app called handshake. 

Evan Franulovich  38:51  
Oh. I think we do too. I just don't know much about it. 

Paolo Nogoy1  38:54  
Okay, because I know some colleges for international students to work, they have to be a lot more proactive. They have to walk into the departments, ask if they're hiring, look at bulletins, see if there's any postings, right? 

Evan Franulovich  39:10  
Talk to their buddies. 

Paolo Nogoy1  39:11  
Talk to their buddies. But in our college, it's a little bit more easier, because if there's a big hiring that's going on, they send out emails to students. 

Evan Franulovich  39:21  
Gotcha. 

Paolo Nogoy1  39:22  
And we have an app called handshake, where you literally, you're gonna see all the job openings on campus. So you can apply for. 

Evan Franulovich  39:28  
Oh, that's cool. 

Paolo Nogoy1  39:29  
You can have one resume and apply to like, 10 jobs.

Evan Franulovich  39:32  
Oh, there you go. That's really good to know. Okay, so going back to OPT, CPT, you did it, then you did this. Where did you do your CPT at? 

Paolo Nogoy1  39:40  
I did my CPT at a sales firm. 

Evan Franulovich  39:42  
Oh, cool. 

Paolo Nogoy1  39:42  
Yeah. So I did sales. It was B2B sales, I was selling Wi-Fi and internet. 

Evan Franulovich  39:48  
Was it hard? 

Paolo Nogoy1  39:49  
It was hard. 

Evan Franulovich  39:50  
Was it?

Paolo Nogoy1  39:51  
Yeah, sales is one of those jobs that are very hard but very rewarding. And I do think it's also one of the best skills you can learn, especially in the workplace. 

Evan Franulovich  39:59  
So when they paid you for CPT? Do they pay you hourly wage, or do they do commissions? 

Paolo Nogoy1  40:05  
Both of them. 

Evan Franulovich  40:06  
Oh, you got both. 

Paolo Nogoy1  40:07  
I got both. 

Evan Franulovich  40:07  
Sweet! 

Paolo Nogoy1  40:08  
Yeah, I did. That's probably the most amount of money I made when I was a student. 

Evan Franulovich  40:13  
That's awesome. 

Paolo Nogoy1  40:14  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  40:15  
Wow. All right, well, so let's get to the more fun stuff. Like, if I live at Menlo College and I go to school there, what am I going to be able to do for fun? Like, if I want to go downtown, I want to go to San Francisco, maybe go catch a 40 Niners game, or, you know, see the Giants play. Is it easy to get around? 

Paolo Nogoy1  40:40  
Oh yeah. I'm gonna talk to this based on my experience. So from what I've done when I was a student, and from what I've observed, there's multiple places people go to based on the time of the week. So during the weekdays, we're very close to downtown Redwood City and downtown Palo Alto. It's about a, I want to say, a five to 10 minute drive. 

Evan Franulovich  41:05  
Oh, that's really close. 

Paolo Nogoy1  41:06  
During the week nights, that's where students go if they want to go off campus. And then once Friday night hits, or the weekends, that's when they go to San Francisco. 

Evan Franulovich  41:16  
Okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  41:16  
It's a little bit further, it's a 40 minute drive. And usually they go into car or they take the Caltrain. Now, Caltrain is 10 minutes away from campus, and it's can literally take you from the most northern part of the Bay Area, all the way down south. 

Evan Franulovich  41:34  
Oh, yeah. 

Paolo Nogoy1  41:35  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  41:35  
That's different than, what do they call it, Bay Area Transit? 

Paolo Nogoy1  41:40  
BART.

Evan Franulovich  41:40  
BART. 

Paolo Nogoy1  41:41  
Yes, Bart. I'm familiar on the I'm quite unfamiliar on the routes. 

Evan Franulovich  41:46  
Okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  41:47  
But, I know you can go to San Jose, Milpitas, Berkeley, Livermore, but I'm very unfamiliar because I've never been.

Evan Franulovich  41:58  
Gotcha, gotcha. 

Paolo Nogoy1  41:59  
But Caltrain is a lot better, I would say, because it hits up all the major spots in the Bay Area. 

Evan Franulovich  42:04  
I don't even know this. 

Paolo Nogoy1  42:05  
Yeah, yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  42:06  
I lived in Monterey for a while. Went to school there. So we would sometimes come up to Palo Alto. We'd go to on the weekend we were military, so we wanted to go find parties. And we would go up to like Stanford University, go on campus and look for parties. I didn't even know Menlo College was there? 

Paolo Nogoy1  42:23  
Patio in Paul Alto. The Patio, have you went there? 

Evan Franulovich  42:29  
The Patio? What's that?

Paolo Nogoy1  42:30  
The Patio. It's a place where a lot of the students go to.

Evan Franulovich  42:33  
Oh, okay. This was back in the 80s. 

Paolo Nogoy1  42:35  
Oh okay. 

Evan Franulovich  42:36  
It dates me a little bit. Okay. Yeah, so I don't know what was there. We usually would try to jump through windows at frat parties or whatever.

Paolo Nogoy1  42:43  
That still happens till this day.

Evan Franulovich  42:46  
Yeah, it's a great way to go. But we also would go to San Francisco as well. We wanted to go. I was a Chinese linguist in the military, so we would go up to Chinatown. And it was always a really good time.

Paolo Nogoy1  42:57  
That's most of the time for the weekends. 

Evan Franulovich  43:00  
Yes, for sure. 

Paolo Nogoy1  43:01  
Weekends, and Friday nights, I would say.

Evan Franulovich  43:03  
How many acres on your campus? 

Paolo Nogoy1  43:05  
Oh, I actually do not know. We're a very small campus, but I don't know. 

Evan Franulovich  43:09  
But I mean, you have sports teams, so it must be big enough to accommodate fields. 

Paolo Nogoy1  43:14  
Yes, we have a baseball field, trigon field, tennis course, and a basketball court. 

Evan Franulovich  43:18  
Okay. Well, let me ask you this If, if you were to walk from one end of your campus to the other, how long would it take? 

Paolo Nogoy1  43:23  
Oh, that's a good question. I want to say a good 10 minutes. 

Evan Franulovich  43:31  
Okay. So it's pretty good size then. 

Paolo Nogoy1  43:33  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  43:34  
All right, great. Well, anything else you want to convey before we go? I mean, we could talk for hours, yeah, but we have to cut it off at some point. What you have a website? Let's give the listeners your website so they can at least do their own research. 

Paolo Nogoy1  43:50  
Yep, you can just type in Menlo College on Google or www.menlo.edu

Evan Franulovich  43:55  
Cool, and then contact you directly and get information. 

Paolo Nogoy1  43:59  
Yep, Are you able to put my email down on this video? 

Evan Franulovich  44:02  
Yeah, sure. I can do that. 

Paolo Nogoy1  44:04  
So here's my email. 

Evan Franulovich  44:05  
Read the description area.

Paolo Nogoy1  44:06  
Read the description, yeah. So like I said, since we're a private college, our admissions process is very personalized. 

Evan Franulovich  44:14  
I was amazed. 

Paolo Nogoy1  44:14  
The first step you can take is literally, either submit an application form on our website, which is free, or literally just email me. Once I get your message, I'll walk you through the entire admissions process from A to Z the moment you send email or text message until you arrive on campus, I will help you out along the way. 

Evan Franulovich  44:33  
Right. So kind of a breakdown of the international students you have currently, do they tend to mostly come from a certain part of the world, or are they from all over? 

Paolo Nogoy1  44:42  
All over. So right now, we're representing 41 different countries. 

Evan Franulovich  44:45  
Oh, wow. 

Paolo Nogoy1  44:46  
And our top six countries are China, Japan, France, Italy, Germany and Spain. 

Evan Franulovich  44:53  
Oh, these are athletes. 

Paolo Nogoy1  44:56  
A lot of athletes, yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  44:58  
Wow. Cool.

Paolo Nogoy1  44:59  
And our Central Asia has been growing. 

Evan Franulovich  45:03  
Yeah, it sounds like it. 

Paolo Nogoy1  45:04  
Post 2021, we've had a lot of central Asians too. Usually it happened through word of mouth. I remember recruiting this kid from Uzbekistan, and because of him, we had an extra like eight.

Evan Franulovich  45:18  
Right on. 

Paolo Nogoy1  45:18  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  45:19  
Well, it helps that you have a medalist there. That's that's really unique. It's very cool. Wow. Well, so glad you're here. Thanks for coming to the transfer fair. Thanks for agreeing to do the podcast. It's been great meeting you both online and in person even better. Can a student... It's easy, you know, I've interviewed regional schools like Bellingham as Western Washington, University of Oregon's down in Eugene, but like on a weekend, these guys can just cruise up to Bellingham to go look at the campus. If they wanted to go out of their way to drive all the way to San Francisco or take Amtrak or whatever. Can they tour the campus? Are there tours that they can take?

Paolo Nogoy1  46:03  
Oh, yes, 100%. 

Evan Franulovich  46:04  
Okay. 

Paolo Nogoy1  46:04  
So there's actually a tab on the website where you can schedule a campus tour. 

Evan Franulovich  46:10  
Oh, there you go. 

Paolo Nogoy1  46:10  
And not only a physical campus or would do online campus tours. 

Evan Franulovich  46:14  
Oh, that's good to know. 

Paolo Nogoy1  46:15  
So yes, if you cannot drive to California, if you're somewhere around the world, you can schedule a zoom campustour, and it will be hosted by one of our student ambassadors. 

Evan Franulovich  46:25  
Oh, right on. 

Paolo Nogoy1  46:26  
So not only you gonna get a tour, you can also have a conversation one on one with a current student.

Evan Franulovich  46:31  
That's really cool. Alright, guys. Well, thanks again. Good to meet you in person. Guys thanks for tuning in. Check out Menlo College. Consider community college transfer down to Menlo. San Francisco is wonderful part of the world. I mean, I love Seattle, but if I didn't live here, I might consider that part of the world, It's really great. Check us out every Wednesday right here, Seattle Colleges 'Conversations with' Don't forget to like and subscribe. Have a great weekend.

Evan Franulovich  47:04  
'Conversations with' is painstakingly crafted for you by the Seattle Colleges International Programs department and supported by the lovely folks here on our campus. This show is produced and edited by me Evan Franulovich. We welcome your emails and questions about coming to Seattle Colleges. Please reach out to us via our website or just give us a rating and a review on Apple podcasts as this helps others discover the show. Also, don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or YouTube at Seattle Colleges Intl, that's Seattle Colleges Intl. And be sure to check out all of the shows here on 'Conversations with' Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next week.