I am having a difficult time deciding on where to go for my undergraduate. I have been accepted to all 3. I live in Colorado and CO Mines is 25 minutes away and Boulder is another 20 minutes from there. I think CO mines is really good school as far as selectivity, dorms, and campus, but I am worried that CO Mines is too “career - focused” meaning I’ve heard the school is basically a pipeline to engineering. Right now, I want to go into science or math, but I want have options if I change my mind and I actually really want to go into medicine and medical research right now, but as I said I might change my mind and I change my mind about things all the time. Also, Mines’ social sphere sucks. A lot of white guys and little interaction, but Denver is really close and I’ll have a good amount friends at CU Boulder and CSU I can go to on the weekends. With Gonzaga, I really like the school and campus. I think the school is well-rounded and I like Gonzaga’s social aspect much better than Mines. However, I do not like Spokane at all. I visited the town, and it seems like there is nothing to do at all outside of campus, and on campus all they seem to do is play intramural baseball. Plus, there is little to no diversity at Gonzaga or Spokane, which I really want in my college experience. Plus Gonzaga’s selectivity/prestige isn’t that great, especially compared to Mines, so I’m worried I might regret going to a less selective school for something small. And then CU Boulder is there as a safety, safety school. I would be In the honors program, but it’s huge and a party school, which is really discouraging. And finally (if your still with me) I’m really disappointed on how my final college list turned out, and I’ve been thinking how much I want to go out west to schools like Santa Clara, Pepperdine, or USan Diego where I didn’t apply, but I have lots of family out there close by and I’m OG from there, so I’m disappointed in myself for not applying to those schools. I think those schools (from what I researched) have the best balance as far as selectivity, location, and diversity. That being said, I’ve looked up taking a gap year or semester, and it seems plausible if I work and apply as a freshman again, so I don’t get screwed for financial aid. Any help and advice is appreciated. Thanks for all of your help!
OK. my advice here is limited as I don’t know much about CO mines or CU Boulder. I’m not a fan of the gap year, as I think the possibilities might still not work out the way you hope, and then you’ve lost a year. My view is, start school and then transfer if it is a problem.
So, while I’m not helping you choose, I do want to say that you may be underestimating Gonzaga. A lot of talented smart kids we know go to or graduated from Gonzaga. From what I understand, people think they’ve gotten a great education, and have a lot of terrific opportunities from Gonzaga. A couple kids I know had other options elsewhere but chose Gonzaga to be closer to home. From what I know, everyone has loved their experience there.
As far as Spokane is concerned, well, my opinion may not be helpful to you. I’m a mom, not a college student. But I’ve gone to Spokane many times in the last few years for some events that I attend. I love Spokane. Plus I used to live a couple of hours North when I was a kid. I think there is lots to do. If you are outdoorsy, there’s tons of hiking, fishing, water activities (Coeur d’Alene is close by) . I think there’s skiing within a reasonable distance too. Downtown is within walking distance, and so there’s the movie theatre and many restaurants there. However, as far as getting involved with the University, contact someone in admissions and ask about student life. Most schools have clubs and activities for students, and you might find some things you care about. In fact, you should do that for CO mines too. I think Spokane is very safe clean city, and a great place to be a student.
Really, you have great choices. It is just that reality is setting in. Good luck!!
You point out legit things not to like about Gonzaga and CO School of Mines but don’t have as much negative to say about CU Boulder. Yes, there’s partying, but where isn’t there? It’s gorgeous too, although being from CO you might be used to that. Based on what you’ve said I would go with CU Boulder.
I can’t imagine two schools more different from each other than Pepperdine and Boulder. Yikes. Just having these two on the list makes me think you’re a bit confused about what you want in a college experience. I think you have this idea that the grass is greener at Santa Clara, USD, etc., but have you spent any time on those campuses? What makes you think they’d be a better fit than Boulder?
I agree that Mines wouldn’t be a good option if you’re unsure about your direction.
But your concerns about Boulder are a bit shallow. Whether or not it’s your safety, Boulder is still a school with 5 Nobel Prize winners. With incredible connections to the aerospace industry. Among the top schools for federal science and technology research funding.
There are varying degrees of partying at all schools, and yes, there are plenty of partiers at Boulder. But the school is big enough for you to find “your own people.” That’s the beauty of large universities. They give you social options you’re less likely to find in the smaller settings. Plus, the partying among science, engineering and pre-med honors program students will be more limited than among the general CU population.