“The students are so interconnected at Drew, that’s something I would miss if I went to a bigger school”
March 2023 – When Hayden Mattson C’24 was applying to colleges, he knew he wanted a small, liberal arts college.
Enter Drew University in Madison, New Jersey.
Mattson, originally from Massachusetts, was no stranger to Drew. Both his parents, Lauren Mattson (Orsini) C’95, P’24 and Gregory Mattson C’96, P’24, are alums.
“I wasn’t looking for a school with a huge sports culture, I was looking for something quieter,” he said. “I chose to come to Drew largely in part because it’s close to New York City and its small, beautiful campus.”
Further, Mattson’s high school guidance counselor in Massachusetts has a nephew who graduated from Drew and suggested it for Mattson as it matched his college search criteria.
“The fact that my guidance counselor also recommended Drew was kind of a strange coincidence, which definitely helped me make my decision,” he said.
A psychology major, Mattson is glad he chose a small school. “The students are so interconnected at Drew, that’s something I would miss if I went to a bigger school,” he said.
“My parents were pretty excited,” said Mattson of his decision to continue the Drew legacy. “I like being a legacy student, it makes for a really interesting story.”
