<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 which a pharm. school nearby.), 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>(I dropped Ohio from my list because it doesn't have what I wanted in terms of a city.)</p>
<p>DePaul does have a large commuter population, but I understand that for the few students who do live on campus, there are nice dorms. And the liberal arts school campus is in a great Chicago neighborhood (Lincoln Park).</p>
<p>DePaul is a wonderful school with good academics and nice sports programs. As wjb says, it is in a great Chicago neighborhood. I think that's an understatement. The DePaul neighborhood is incredible! For somebody who wants an urban environment while living in a highly desirable city neighborhood and having all of the amenities that come with this kind of setting, DePaul would be a terrific choice. And if I recall, doesn't it consistently come out in some poll as the school with the happiest students?</p>
<p>If it helps any, I know of two kids from my daughter's southern California high school who are at DePaul. One received a very sizable merit scholarship. Both are very happy and rave about life in Chicago, so I suspect that it being a "commuter" school is not too much of a problem. :)</p>
<p>Another option near Chicago you might check out is Lake Forest. It's in a beautiful suburb, very residential campus, easy train ride into Chicago. They do offer Japanese and supposedly have a decent biology program. They also can be extremely generous with merit money.</p>
<p>DePaul is really integrated into the neighborhood. Traditionally, it was an affordable place to get an education; a lot of kids managed by living at home and squeezing every nickel. You'll meet people from all sorts of backgrounds.</p>
<p>There are certainly dorms on campus, but several of the kids I know have gotten off-campus apartments and live there year-round. The area used to be a huge bargain 25 years ago, now it's one of the more expensive neighborhoods in the city, so I wouldn't be surprised if DePaul's newest building kick included more dorms.</p>
<p>Academically, DePaul attracts kids in the 1100-1300 SAT range, and a lot of talented performing artists. It is a very well-run school that does an excellent job in its mission.</p>