<p>I can think of several things, as a parent of a new graduate. Here are 3:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The curriculum. Look up Rochester Curriculum. Rather than core requirements, you take clusters of related courses in a field. These can count toward a minor or second major and that means a very large number of kids double major, have multiple minors, etc. The idea is also, in part, to make it so students take classes they want to take and professors have students who want to be in that class. This is generally true, though of course every major has its specific pre-reqs. </p></li>
<li><p>The extent of club involvement. According to the school, almost all the kids get involved in at least one campus club. These clubs are activities or interests and range from dance or juggling to politics. Clubs allow people to cross lines that would otherwise divide them.</p></li>
<li><p>Involvement in class / research. My kid is not unique in this. There are lots of opportunities for research. My kid and many others also acted as TA’s for intro courses, which meant running study sessions, preparing notes and a bunch of other things. By research, I mean stuff that can be meaningful. Again, my kid is not unique but had research presented at a major conference and ended up with a name plate on a cubicle in a research building. A researcher in my kid’s field spent hours editing the kid’s resume.</p></li>
</ol>