As a national swimmer, Carol Rachmadi jokes that she’s probably spent more time in water than on land. Now, as she prepares to start her journey at SMU’s School of Accountancy, she shares how the University stood out—from its signature seminar-style classes to being the first uni to respond to her application. For Carol, SMU felt like the perfect fit from day one. 

Tell us more about yourself.  

I’m a national swimmer and I swim competitively for Singapore, and honestly, the pool has felt more like home than anywhere else for the past 14 years!  

Before SMU, I was a student-athlete at the Singapore Sports School, and later earned a diploma in Business Studies at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Balancing academics and sports has been a huge part of my life; it has taught me discipline, resilience, and how to make the most of every hour.  

I’m super excited to start this new chapter at SMU, meet awesome people, and grow!

What are some of your interests beyond academic goals?  

Swimming helps me stay active and manage stress, but I’ve got a few other interests that bring balance to my routine.  

I have three Labradors at home, and I genuinely enjoy training them and teaching them new tricks. While it’s often chaotic, I found training them to be very rewarding.  

As a foodie, I enjoy baking—sometimes it’s just simple stuff like brownies, but it always brings me joy.  

What made you decide on SMU?  

SMU was an easy choice for me, thanks to its small, seminar-style classes, prime campus location, guaranteed second major, and global exposure.  

The smaller class sizes allow for more meaningful interactions and deeper discussions, which really appealed to me. I’ve also heard many stories from seniors about the vibrant campus life, all while experiencing a holistic education.  

On top of that, SMU was the first university to respond to my application, which made the whole process feel much more encouraging. All these factors made SMU feel like the right place for me.