My D20 is interested in 2 schools there (Butler & Depauw) and I know nothing about that part of the country or the city of Indianapolis. Is it a good college city? Is it safe? Is there much there for college kids to do? Are the people generally friendly or reserved? We are coming from the Boston area so I’m assuming weather will be similar. I also realize Depauw is about 40 minutes outside the city.
Butler is very well respected in Indy. If kids don’t want the big University experience of IU or Purdue, they’re usually leaning toward Butler as their top choice. Campus is in the middle of the Kessler/Meridian area. Very nice area with big historic homes. The school sits b/w 42nd St and 52nd St. I can’t remember the exact street, but there’s a light… I want to say it’s around like 25th St… anyway, that light marks the nice from the not so nice. I wouldn’t necessarily call it unsafe, but I wouldn’t be down there by myself either.
The immediate downtown area around Circle Monument is also very nice… I just wouldn’t go alone late at night.
Lockerbie area is astoundingly cool and used to (I don’t know if they still do) have a home tour every spring. Lots of cool architectural homes.
Broad Ripple is SO much fun! Lots of cool hang outs and places to eat and shop. Very hip, very young.
There’s actually quite alot to do in Indy. If you’re into sports there’s the Indy 500, the Colts, the Pacers, and the Indianapolis Indians. They are a (I think) AAA team and ahve one of the nicest stadiums for a minor league team in the country. Plus b/c they’re minor league, tix are super cheap. The NCAA is also HQd here and has a museum. Actually there are a ton of museums of every sort. The Medal of Honor monument should not be missed!
There’s also a zoo w/ butterfly gardens. The White River State Park is a nice place to take a walk when the weather is nice. The Monon Trail is another very nice way to get some exercise.
Weather… I’d say it’s probably a little better than Boston’s. You’re definitely going to need warm clothes though. Falls tend to be lovely & winters don’t come quite as early as Ohio or Illinois. Springs tend to be very wet & seem to come later and later every year. B/c Indy is quite flat spring and summer thunderstorms can come up quickly and be pretty intense.
It’s the midwest, people are midwest nice. LOL
Once you get outside of the major metro-suburbs area (Carmel/Fishers/Zionsville/Brownsburg/Plainfield) you’re getting a little less cosmopolitan, more rural. The only thing I know about Greencastle is they had a team win the Little League World series not too long ago. LOL Sorry.
@ChaosParent23 Thank you so much for your very detailed response. So helpful. Would love to hear from any others as well on what to expect. We are heading out for a visit in a few weeks.
Was in Indy decades ago for residency- the city has vastly improved since then.
Do rememeber that your student will be spending most of the spare time on/near campus- not going to pro sports events et al. Consider the campus culture more than that of the overall city. Look at what students do with their time. A good campus can be anywhere. Consider the student mix- the campus visit will help in deciding if your kid’s peer group would be compatible. Geography and weather- winters and no huge body of water is not a deal breaker.
When looking at colleges out of your area remember that every area is provincal- and even large cities including NYC and Chicago. The Midwest is not the Northeast and there are pros and cons for each area. Aside from the academic fit the college visits will help determinig if the campus life feels good. Getting away from the home region can be an excellent thing.
I’ve lived in Indiana all my life and am very familiar with both schools. (My wife is DePauw Class of 1990. We met in law school in Indy.) Two very different campuses… Butler is urban, and frankly not in a great part of town. (Although the campus is generally safe.) On the other hand, there is a lot more to do in Indy for sure. DePauw, by contrast, is in a small town, and is more self-contained. DePauw is an excellent liberal arts school with a fantastic local alumni base, if your daughter plans to stay in Indiana after college (and especially if she intends to go to graduate school here). Both schools have strong Greek systems, if your daughter is interested in joining a sorority.
Enjoy your visit… We’re nearing the peak fall colors here within the next couple weeks, and I suspect both campuses will look very appealing.
@MAmom111 They are both great schools, each with very different pros and cons. The most important question to differentiate the two is, what does your daughter want to study?
@Momofmanytoo she is undecided at this point. Possibly Psychology or English but I definitely think those could change along the way.
I have two Butler grads and both could not have been happier with their choices. Neither one ever felt unsafe but used common sense in some of the areas around campus . They always found things to do on or near campus and did manage to get to some of the Pacers and Indian games . One was part of Greek life and the other one had no interest but never felt excluded on campus . Hope your visits to both schools go well.