<p>Can anyone tell me about the block schedule cc uses, the surrounding area, the professors, dorms, basically anything anyone knows about the school?</p>
<p>I happen to live in Colorado (Denver), and am interested in mostly east coast liberal arts schools but recently CC has interested me. As far as I know the block plan is that you take one class and only one class for, I think, two weeks at a time. The surrounding area is Colorado Springs...not a great place to be if I were to be honest (conservative military town, very strained relations with the college), but great access to wordclass skiing and the Colorado outdoors is a plus, but not really for me as I have been spoiled and grown up here. As far as reputation, CC is EXTREMELY well regarded in this region and considered to be the top school between California and the Mississippi. It was recently ranked the 20 best Overall Academic Expierence (whatever that means) by Princeton Review. One more thing, not a positive or a negative, but it is very small. Hope that helps....Oh and one more thing, almost nobody has heard of it outside of Colorado, if that matters to you.</p>
<p>The most influential prof. I ever studied under went to Colorado College--the head of theater dept. at Northwestern University, Rives Collins... He loves Colorado Coll--and to me, that speaks volumes about it.</p>
<p>abank exaggerates. Colorado Springs is great. Very scenic. But skiing is a long way off - 2 hours drive each way.</p>
<p>Blocks are three and a half weeks long. Many include a field trip to someplace related to course. Great faculty involvement. Military is primarily AF Academy, so more open-minded than might be otherwise. School is in older part of town, so some semi-funky shopping and eating close by. Daughter on wait list. Anybody else? Any calls yet?</p>
<p>I live one block from CC, my son has worked for a prof there, attended several classes and participates in many of the clubs and activities (and I have spent the past few days picking up cups in my yard from the end of school parties!)</p>
<p>The block schedule is unique -- you take classes for 3 1/2 weeks (class ends on a Wednesday). You only take one class at a time. Some classes are two blocks long. foreign languages are offered continuously -- you might take a block class in French for 3.5 weeks and then enroll in a maintenance class in French that meets twice a week every week (at the same time you take another block class).</p>
<p>The school has tons of stuff going on -- lectures, activities -- very active student body.</p>
<p>The block system allows very unique experiences -- travel related to the subject is common because you don't have any other classes that you would miss.</p>
<p>Also -- most classes start around 9am (no super early classes) and some start even later -- it is up to the professor of the class.</p>
<p>Faculty is great and they have attended top schools -- Yale, Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, University of Chicago, Amherst, etc.... </p>
<p>Kids routinely place in excellent schools for graduate work.</p>
<p>Colorado Springs is military and highly conservative -- but not around CC. The downtown and Colorado College area (called the Old North End) is pretty darn liberal -- including protesters getting hauled off to jail. Whether you are liberal or conservative, you will find your niche.</p>
<p>Dorms -- I have heard they are nice and there are many options -- including an interfaith house, asian house, etc. They certainly seem nice from the outside.</p>
<p>food -- they offer vegetarian options, the food is pretty decent and some options are open late for late night studiers.</p>
<p>Hiking is big, as is rock-climbing. Skiing isn't right out yout back door -- but the school organizes frequent trips if you want to ski.</p>
<p>One thing I will say is that both colorado springs and colorado college are predominantly white. The college tries to recruit minorities and internationals -- so that could be a plus for you if you are a minority. Even ORM -- they wouldn't be overrepresented at CC. The city isn't racist or anything -- but if you are coming from an area of the country, it might seem a little different (it did to us). </p>
<p>feel free to PM me with any particular questions and I will check back on the thread.</p>
<p>jjaneway -- good luck to your daughter -- CC is getting more competitive (like all the colleges, it seems)</p>
<p>Well I was saying skiing is close by in comparison (most likely) to where she is coming from...</p>
<p>The views of Pike's Peak from the campus are unbelievable. Once you are accepted, they send some great posters of the view.</p>
<p>The admissions/financial aid people were very helpful. The website contains very complete statistical disclosures. There are some merit scholarships. </p>
<p>There are tours of the dorm rooms on the website. </p>
<p>There is a Phi Beta Kappa chapter which indicates something about the faculty since there are criteria to have a chapter. </p>
<p>The airport is "just right," not too small, not too large. </p>
<p>You can get the average temperatures, etc off the National Weather Service website.</p>
<p>Just FYI, Colorado Springs is probably one of the top 5 most gorgeous places i've ever been.</p>
<p>Also, the school is very keen on venture grants to help fund student designed projects/travel during the summer.</p>
<p>As a parent, Colorado Springs is a great place to visit. There are unbelievable bed and breakfast available.</p>
<p>I love Colorado Springs. Garden of the Gods, Pike's Peak, The Broadmoor- what more could you want? CC is a wonderful school and greatly overlooked. It isn't easy. A really smart young man I know was an athlete there and slacked off a lot and bombed out. He had one too many alcohol violations and got booted.</p>
<p>Broadmoor is the greatest hotel i've ever stayed at. <3</p>