<p>I am a student who could probably get into some schools elsewhere that are 'better', but I am a realistic person and someone who absolutely loves the North Side of Chicago. I'm definitely not a UChicago person, and Northwestern is a reach but a possibility. However, in my visits to DePaul it has seemed wonderful and people seem so happy, interesting, and satisfied with their experience.</p>
<p>A) I'm mostly Catholic, but I have some Jewish relatives on my father's father's side, so my last name is pretty Jewish. In reality, I have been raised more Catholic than anything, but I wanted to check in on how serious religion is on campus. Thoughts?</p>
<p>B) Does the school have a good reputation within Chicagoland? I know its national reputation is not so strong, but growing quickly.</p>
<p>C) How does it fare in the Political Science world? Will there be opportunities to work in politics via DePaul? I've done some extensive work for local races and I worked as an intern on the Obama campaign so I really love politics and hope that it will be at least available on campus.</p>
<p>In the end, is it better to choose the school in the location and with the vibe that you like that might be less 'prestigious'?</p>
<p>Any experiences you can share about the University would be great. Thanks.</p>
<p>Our family is from the Chicago area and my husband and niece attended DePaul. DePaul is quite well respected in the Midwestern area. They are especially strong in business and music. My niece had no difficulty finding employment in Chicago with a degree in business before the economy went south. The Lincoln Park neighborhood is very vibrant and the rest of Chicago is easily accessed. Many of the students commute from the area so make sure you find out what percentage are living on or near campus. The campus is pretty safe but you have to have common city sense. Mostly crimes of opportunity-if you leave your laptop on the front seat of your car, it’s going to attract unwanted attention. My niece never had any problems.
I can’t say enough about Chicago. If you’re interested in Political Science, Chicago, and Illinois for that matter, are usually right in the thick of things.Our mayor bulldozed an airport while the opposition was asleep. Literally! Politics here is like a professional sport. I’m not sure how strong the political leanings of a Catholic University are expressed. My guess is that they’re pretty conservative but Chicago is quite a Democratic city. Could be a fun place for lively political discourse. Chicago is cold-and I mean cold-in winter and hot-and I mean hot-in summer. We have everything but earthquakes. That could change at any time-we do have a major fault south of here. I think actual religious activities at DePaul are offered and encouraged but not forced down your throat. We used to have quite a Basketball program with “da Coach”-Ray Meyer. Now DePaul struggles. Games are no longer played at Alumni Hall. They’re played at the Rosemont-quite a distance away. Not good. Best of luck in your search.</p>
<p>I visited it and simply loved it. I was ready to go there, even though they didn’t have the major I really wanted (in the end I decided that aspect was too important). I was told that religion wasn’t a big deal at all on campus. </p>
<p>It seemed so great. I can’t tell you a whole bunch more than that, but the area and the “vibe” was just fabulous. Everyone seemed so happy!</p>
<p>I visited and was also told that religion isn’t too major on campus. There is a slightly higher percentage of Catholics compared to a completely secular school, but it doesn’t seem to have a strong impact on the campus culture. The only religion requirement that I’m aware of is that you have to take one class related to religion, but it doesn’t even have to be Catholic and as somebody interested in political science, that shouldn’t be a problem for you.</p>