<p>I am looking for another college to fill out my list, and I keep coming back to DePaul; it has the programs I want (Japanese and Bio), and I love Chicago. However, the percentage of students living on campus is small, and I don't want to go to commuter school. If any one has any info (good or bad?) on DePaul or another school I should look at, I'd really appreciate it.</p>
<p>List:
UIUC
Case Western
Purdue
University of Montana</p>
<p>Quick Stats:
33 ACT, 790 WH SAT II, 770 US SAT II top 2%, 11 APs by graduation, decent ECs, etc.</p>
<p>DePaul is supposed to have AMAZING dorms. They're like integrated with other colleges in Chicago (Loyola, and maybe Columbia College? Not too sure). Anywhere, they're supposed to be fabulous. I don't know too much about the social life... but it's in the heart of Chicago. It's urban integrated. You're in the city. That's the social life. If you live in the amazing dorms (which I will if I go there- I've already applied) then there'll be a campus feel. However, I think most people live in apartments around Chicago as it can be cheaper than the dorms. Still, if you live in the dorms your first year you should meet people to live with the following years, which is what most people do.</p>
<p>As for commuting, I'm from the Chicago suburbs and I know of some people who commute to DePaul because they don't want to pay for an apartment or a dorm... but I don't think most people commute from very far... though I don't really know, to be honest.</p>
<p>DePaul's dorms are very new (only 2-3 years old?) and ideally located in the heart of Chicago's Downtown Loop. Less than a block away is Harold Washington Library and a few blocks away are places like the Art Institute, Millennium Park, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Cultural Center, among many of my other favorite places. I think half of DePaul students are commuters, but I could be wrong. A campus feel could be better sensed at the Lincoln Park campus up north (easily accessible on the CTA Red Line: get on at Harrison or Jackson and get off at Fullerton). Lincoln Park is a very vibrant area, most of whose residents are young urban professionals and college kids. I used to live around there while I attended school near DePaul's downtown campus and loved it (but I'm a city kid).</p>
<p>is that your comprehensive list of schools? with your credentials, you could get into more selective places like Northwestern, the University of Chicago, the Ivies, et al.</p>
<p>I'll second that you look at Northwestern with your credentials, they have a Japanese program aswell, in fact you can minor in Japanese Language & Culture if you want.</p>
<p>Why is everyone downgrading DePaul? I think DePaul is a good school with alot of culture (being in the heart of the city). Class size is small and both campuses are great with accessability to downtown and other great places. I went to DePaul for grad school and it was a great experience for me. There are many organizations to take part in--there are greeks and other orgs that you can participate in. </p>
<p>God I hate the bias on this website----(everyone bashes good Chicago schools like Loyola, DePaul, UIC) . I am sick of hearing about Northwestern ( I know it is a good school) .</p>
<p>Hey, I'm the last person on this site to bash DePaul, Loyola, and UIC, because I will most likely end up at one of them. I'm just saying with his credentials, he should aim higher. Ideally, a list of schools should have 2 reaches, 2 matches, and 2 safeties.</p>
<p>Schools like UIC, Loyola and DePaul are schools that are not very popular on this site, and the threads on these schools are very negative. People on these sites bash these fine schools.</p>
<p>Actually, I'm a "she." ;) I do have a reach (Case...I doubt I'll get in), and I'm happy with my list. DePaul has a ton of languages, so I'm thrilled about that. Do you know how non-Catholics (i.e., me) feel about the school? Would it be a problem?</p>
<p>I don't think the Catholic aspect is that overpowering...I didn't get that sense at all when I visited. However, the sense I did get was very...sluggish. This is solely my personal experience, but the whole student body seemed very apathetic, in many senses of the word. I visited many other schools, and while they didn't have the "feel" I was going for, the students usually seemed passionate, energized, or at like they had some shred of interest in something. DePaul was the only school I visited that had this feeling of...laziness. People shuffled around in a daze, my tour guide seemed like she didn't even know what she was talking about...it was just an all around negative experience. </p>
<p>Again, this is solely my individual perception from one day of visiting, touring, and exploring campus. I encourage anyone interested to visit it themselves, and perhaps you will detect an entirely different feeling than I did. I am not saying at all that DePaul is a "bad school". I just felt that this was worth putting out there, as something others might notice or at least something to be aware of.</p>
<p>Thanks, rocketpixy! Bad info can be more telling than good sometimes, and I want to get as much info as I can. If admitted, I plan to visit winter/spring.</p>
<p>It's not degrading DePaul to say that it is largely a commuter school. That's just a description. Even if you live in the dorms, it's a very different environment than, say, Northwestern. Not only do many students live off-campus, the percentage of students who are from the Chicago area is very high. If you don't want a commuter school, I wouldn't choose DePaul. It is changing gradually, but it's still years away from truly being a residential campus.</p>