With it's enormous pricetag, DU may seem rather intimidating at first, but it is worth every penny. The smaller class sizes, accessible professors, and friendly community of students make it a very welcoming place to study. When you're not studying, there is always plenty to do because there are always plenty of activities on campus, in the big city of Denver, or in the mountains that are just a short trip away.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Don't let the estimated cost of attendance scare you away! Everyone I know who is attending this school has received a large amount of financial aid. In fact, after factoring in scholarships, grants, and other financial aid, DU was actually the CHEAPEST school on my short list of colleges. If you love the variety of options DU offers in majors, activities, and fun things to do, just apply and wait for the scholarship money to start rolling in.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
Academic rigor varies widely depending on the course of study, but you can always expect it to be at least average, if not much better. Many of our professors have PhDs and many more have been recognized for outstanding work in their fields. Our business school is recognized throughout the nation, and our department of engineering is on the rise. (I may be slightly biased, however, since I'm a mechanical engineering student.) Everyone likes to complain about the homework, but really, it's not that bad. Most of it is designed to make you think, not just fill your time with busy work (although we do get a little of that sometimes). All in all, you can expect to be challenged here, but DU makes sure to emphasize the plentiful resources they give you to succeed. From the writing center in the library, to the accessible schedule of the professors, to the numerous study groups, clubs, and societies focused on developing skills in each area of study, you will have many opportunities to strengthen your skills.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
My dorm is FANTASTIC. As an introvert, I was a little worried going into DU about making new friends, so much so that I requested someone I already knew to be my roommate. I needn't have worried. Everyone was best friends with the other 65 students on my floor after the first week. We have an open-door policy in Johnson-McFarlane, the dorm I live in, so it's not uncommon to see students wandering into each other's rooms to chat, study together, or have Super Smash Bros tournaments on the N64 that someone brought. On weekends, there's always a group of people going somewhere, whether it to the top-notch campus athletic facilities for a basketball game or in Denver for a night on the town. I know we aren't the only floor that acts like this. There are many themed floors on campus, such as the Social Justice floor, the Honors floor, and the Pioneer Leadership Program floor (where I live), and from what I've experienced, these floors are usually a bit more tight-knit than non-themed floors. I would highly recommend one of these themed floors (or Living and Learning Communities, as DU calls them) if you're concerned about making friends. Trust me, boredom is not an option here.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
As it is in most colleges, students love to complain about the dining. Personally, I don't think it's too bad. They always have a variety of option for carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores alike, although many students start to get tired of the cycle of food options in a few weeks. They have a good selection of meal plans to choose from. Most people start out with the (most expensive) unlimited meal plan their first quarter at DU, which gives them unlimited access to meals in the dining halls and a hundred bucks to spend at some of the many restaurants around/on campus. However, once you figure out your eating habits, you can easily change meal plans at the end of a quarter to save you the most money. The largest downside to food and dining at DU, however, is the hours of the dining halls. The large, buffet-style cafeterias open and close at the most obscure hours on weekends (you can't get breakfast until 10:00 on Saturdays and Sundays), and they often aren't open around move-in/move-out day. I gave student government a suggestion about this, so hopefully, they'll have this problem fixed soon.
With it's enormous pricetag, DU may seem rather intimidating at first, but it is worth every penny. The smaller class sizes, accessible professors, and friendly community of students make it a very welcoming place to study. When you're not studying, there is always plenty to do because there are always plenty of activities on campus, in the big city of Denver, or in the mountains that are just a short trip away.
Don't let the estimated cost of attendance scare you away! Everyone I know who is attending this school has received a large amount of financial aid. In fact, after factoring in scholarships, grants, and other financial aid, DU was actually the CHEAPEST school on my short list of colleges. If you love the variety of options DU offers in majors, activities, and fun things to do, just apply and wait for the scholarship money to start rolling in.
Academic rigor varies widely depending on the course of study, but you can always expect it to be at least average, if not much better. Many of our professors have PhDs and many more have been recognized for outstanding work in their fields. Our business school is recognized throughout the nation, and our department of engineering is on the rise. (I may be slightly biased, however, since I'm a mechanical engineering student.) Everyone likes to complain about the homework, but really, it's not that bad. Most of it is designed to make you think, not just fill your time with busy work (although we do get a little of that sometimes). All in all, you can expect to be challenged here, but DU makes sure to emphasize the plentiful resources they give you to succeed. From the writing center in the library, to the accessible schedule of the professors, to the numerous study groups, clubs, and societies focused on developing skills in each area of study, you will have many opportunities to strengthen your skills.
My dorm is FANTASTIC. As an introvert, I was a little worried going into DU about making new friends, so much so that I requested someone I already knew to be my roommate. I needn't have worried. Everyone was best friends with the other 65 students on my floor after the first week. We have an open-door policy in Johnson-McFarlane, the dorm I live in, so it's not uncommon to see students wandering into each other's rooms to chat, study together, or have Super Smash Bros tournaments on the N64 that someone brought. On weekends, there's always a group of people going somewhere, whether it to the top-notch campus athletic facilities for a basketball game or in Denver for a night on the town. I know we aren't the only floor that acts like this. There are many themed floors on campus, such as the Social Justice floor, the Honors floor, and the Pioneer Leadership Program floor (where I live), and from what I've experienced, these floors are usually a bit more tight-knit than non-themed floors. I would highly recommend one of these themed floors (or Living and Learning Communities, as DU calls them) if you're concerned about making friends. Trust me, boredom is not an option here.
As it is in most colleges, students love to complain about the dining. Personally, I don't think it's too bad. They always have a variety of option for carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores alike, although many students start to get tired of the cycle of food options in a few weeks. They have a good selection of meal plans to choose from. Most people start out with the (most expensive) unlimited meal plan their first quarter at DU, which gives them unlimited access to meals in the dining halls and a hundred bucks to spend at some of the many restaurants around/on campus. However, once you figure out your eating habits, you can easily change meal plans at the end of a quarter to save you the most money. The largest downside to food and dining at DU, however, is the hours of the dining halls. The large, buffet-style cafeterias open and close at the most obscure hours on weekends (you can't get breakfast until 10:00 on Saturdays and Sundays), and they often aren't open around move-in/move-out day. I gave student government a suggestion about this, so hopefully, they'll have this problem fixed soon.