University of New Mexico: UP
Went on campus tour and housing tour this morning.
Let’s talk money:
- we are from AZ so their AZ reciprocal scholarship is very attractive. It gets you in state tuition. Which is $2340/yr cheaper than UofA.
- room and board also cheaper. $10,916 compared to $14,400 at U of A (Arizona, not Alabama or Alaska or Arkansas). So that’s $3484/yr cheaper for R&B.
- AZ Reciprocal scholarship doesn’t require test scores. That’s a plus.
- WUE Plus scholarship also gets you in state tuition rate but requires test scores.
- so in total, it’s $5808/yr cheaper than UofA. That’s about $23,000 lower cost for the 4 yr.
Housing:
Went on housing tour right after the reg campus tour.
- got to see inside of Hokona Hall. Liked how cozy it felt.
- the basement of Hokona has a cool game room with pool tables and foosball. Tour guide said students LOVE hanging out there in the evenings.
- you can see the UNM hospital from Hokona hall.
- 2nd floor of Hokona hall has this very open and bright study lounge. Lots of natural light.
- dorm room we got to see has lots of built in storage. Smaller room than U of A honors dorm. Doesn’t have ceiling fan.
- Laguna Devargas is the suite style dorm. $5750/yr for a double room. Traditional dorms (ie not suite style) are $100 cheaper per year.
- Coronado Hall has a sink in each room.
- Casas del Rio is another on campus housing option but is run by a non-UNM company. Price for double occupancy room is comparable to the suite style or traditional style dorms. Casas del Rio has suite-style bathroom set up.
- all freshmen who do not live within 30 mi radius of UNM must live on campus.
- housing tour guide was from Chicago. She said that she came here for college because of the warmer weather and because it was a lot cheaper than going anywhere in state in Illinois.
- use of washers and dryers is free.
Misc tour stuff:
- D24 was given a free tshirt.
- also was given small backpack thingy with a UNM pen and some brochures and printed material.
- tour started with info session in the student union.
- campus was quiet because we were here during UNM’s spring break.
- duck pond is cool. Apparently is popular hang out spot.
- almost all the people in the info session and tour were from out of state. One I think even from Alaska. Some from TX. One family from Nevada.
- there’s one dining hall on campus. But you can use your dining card $$ at all the other eateries on campus, too. We did not eat in the dining hall, opted to eat lunch in the student union instead.
- D24 liked the fried rice at the Asian eatery in the student union.
- campus is way more attractive than ASU.
- we really like all the adobe SW architecture on campus.
- the VP of the Division of Enrollment Management kicked off the info session. He even knew which city in AZ we were from.
Campus safety:
- tour guide said that campus police heavily patrol the area around the dorms to the dining hall and library a lot.
- lots of campus police around campus at night too.
- anybody on campus can call campus police to request an escort to wherever they’re headed on campus.
- campus police very quick to respond. Tour guide gave an example of one time there was a campus alert about a guy who stole a bike. Tour guide saw the suspect and called campus police to report the guy, a min or 2 later, cops showed up.
- we did NOT see a lot of homeless on campus. Saw a couple on Central Ave on our way to Frontier Restaurant when we ate there last night for dinner.
Other details:
- DH is ready to send D24 here now.
- like other schools, honors college requires separate app than regular app.
- regular admissions app fee is $25.
- lots of college-y eateries along Central Ave right across from the southern end of campus.
- the green chile stew at Frontier Restaurant on Central Ave is SO GOOD. And OMG their tortillas there are AMAZING. About $4.25 I think for a dozen. There was a sign in the window for no student study groups Sat and Sun 9am-1pm. So that tells me it’s a popular student hang out.
- if you’re a film student this is probably a decent school to consider. UNM’s film Dept is located across street from the Netflix main location in ABQ.
- students get free admission to all sports games.
- UNM provides free shuttles from main campus to the sporting events (football, basketball for example) that are I think in the south campus.
- electric scooters are allowed on campus.
It’s definitely going to stay on D24’s list.
The library has this really cool “no talking” study space. Am including some photos below. Library was built in the 1930s. You can rent laptops in the library. There’s a printing station there too…have to pay to print.
UNM has a big performing arts building that brings in all the same Broadway style shows that U of A Presents does. In that same building is this huge long art mural done by UNM students with a design theme of the heart of New Mexico. These 2 photos are of about a third of the mural…it’s huge.