Written by Brad de Ramón, Social Media Director for College Nation

Think back to when you were in high school. It is the beginning of senior year, and on top of all the homework you have for classes, you have to apply to colleges. What can be a stressful process involves a lot of reading about, visiting, and selecting colleges to apply to. The process often takes months and applying to multiple can become costly and time consuming. If you are like me, you may have wondered, “Am I applying to the right places? Am I going to end up going to a school where I feel like I belong?”

These questions are often difficult to answer. College websites boast about programs, ranking statistics, and available resources. College tours get a little better, as college students often give tours of campus, but their pre-prescribed recitations might leave you wanting more. What could fill that void of “what is this college really like?” We have an answer.

What is College Nation?

Established in October 2017 by YouTuber and influencer Andy Lalwani and photographer Matt Francisco, College Nation came to fruition at the heart of American University. A member show of the American Television club (ATV), College Nation was created to provide prospective students with what it was really like to go to college as well as provide answers to new or prospective student questions. Additionally, College Nation aims to create relatable content for the college student; through informational videos like “What It’s Like to Go Home for the Holidays” to entertaining videos like “Professors Read Their Rate My Professor Reviews,” College Nation’s goal is to clarify and elevate the college experience.

Founded on an Idea

Andy Lalwani came to American University in 2014. One day, while watching videos online about American University, Lalwani noticed that most content about the University was what he would personally want to watch. As a YouTuber, Lalwani knows how to make content people enjoy and relate to. Having seen a missing piece in the University’s media image, he had an idea; why not create a larger online presence for people with similar interests? Making an organization about college from the college perspective seemed like the perfect idea.

With his experience as a YouTuber and academic training in Film & Media Arts, Lalwani approached his friend Matt Francisco, another Film & Media Arts major and talented photographer, about starting College Nation. Both Lalwani and Francisco had worked with the television club, American Television (ATV), before; however, ATV had no such show before, leaving Lalwani and Francisco with an open door to fill the college-focused niche. Unlike other shows on ATV, the pair decided to focus their uploading and social media presence on Facebook. Though Lalwani had extensive experience on the YouTube platform, he recognized the marketability of Facebook and the ways the platform allowed for widespread content sharing. (Note: Videos are uploaded to YouTube as well through American Television's channel.)

In an interview, Lalwani described what he wanted to get out of the organization and how he wanted to use it to help others:

I wanted to get people excited again about making videos. People think sometimes it's so intimidating to start some hobbies and turn them into passions. It was more about showing people that things are possible if you have the right people.

With his preview experience as an Orientation Leader, a summer position with the role of welcoming and guiding new students to the University, Lalwani realized how he fits into a group and how to lead while not trying to overpower others. He saw that a lot people have amazing ideas and believes that it is critical that all ideas are heard. This was the philosophy he took to finding his crew.

After getting the greenlight for their show, Lalwani and Francisco began recruiting. Because the show was started so late in the semester (after midterms in late October), recruiting posed a challenge. Despite this, both founders had extensive networks in the AU community and reached out to everyone they could. Lalwani says that he reached out to a lot of friends with similar interests who he trusted, and that everyone came together to support his idea. At their first official video shoot at an ATV show, Lalwani and Francisco had gathered roughly 30 students to participate, immediately outnumbering most established ATV shows. Though the team would not stay this size, it was a harbinger to the size and scope of the organization as a force on American University’s campus.

What We've Done

Since its conception, College Nation has made 16 videos over 2 seasons that range from information to entertainment-focused content. In its first year as an organization, College Nation averaged between 18 and two dozen consistent members, some with experience in film making, graphic design, and audio production. Many other members had no prior video production experience; it was Lalwani and Francisco’s jobs to educate. Averaging one video every two weeks, the organization put out 11 episodes ranging 2 – 6.5 minutes in length. This first season amassed a total about 22.9k video views and over 400 Facebook page likes.

In its second year at an organization, College Nation continues to deliver content that helps inquisitive young people and earns a few laughs along the way. Membership is smaller (about a dozen members), but the team is composed of dedicated, experienced members who know what needs to be done and how to help others learn. Though Andy Lalwani graduated and is now living and working in Los Angeles, Matt Francisco continued on the productions team as Associate Productions Producer. Joined by Alexis Arnold (Logistics Producer), a Journalism student and Editor-and-Chief of the campus publication The Blackprint; Zach Vallese (Productions Producer), a Journalism student and podcast producer for the campus publication AWOL; Taylor Whittington (Associated Logistic Producer), a Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies and History student minoring in Communications who works to run on-campus period product drives for homeless DC women; and Brad de Ramón (Social Media Director), a Public Relations student minoring in Graphic Design and the Outreach Director for the campus political commentary publication The American Agora.