<p>To any students or future students... how do you feel about the academics and opportunities presented to you at CU? Do grads tend to be successful and/or go to grad school?
Life seems awesome out there, but Im trying to gauge whether or not the school is as good. I mean, its no scrub school, but is it on par with a Wisconsin, Illinois, or Georgia Tech?</p>
<p>I graduated from CU a couple of decades ago, so my info is a tad out of date. However, I can say I then entered a very top B-school, and have since enjoyed a rewarding career, and am currently a senior executive.</p>
<p>But I will also say that I - like most people I know - could have done this pretty much regardless of where we did our undergrad education. The trick is to find a place that fits you, and extract as much out of the experience as you can. </p>
<p>All that said, Boulder is a great place to go to school (the campus is stunning), and it is not just a college town - it is big enough that some residents never interact with students, yet small enough that you can find student dominated sections (the 'Hill'). Personally, I lived, sequentially, on-campus, in a frat, in an apartment close by and then way off campus.</p>
<p>Finally, a lot depends on what you're planning to major in - for astrophysics it ranks with anyone and ahead of most, and its business school is climbing the ranks. </p>
<p>But the real question is what fits. Not something any of us can answer but you.</p>
<p>How is the Economics and/or Poli Sci program at CU?</p>
<p>My D is an economics major (along with journalism-advertising emphasis) and speaks very highly of her economics professors and the classes themselves. She's a former high school valedictorian (class size 450+) and is a VERY driven person. She's been very academically challenged by her classes at CU. </p>
<p>My S is a high school senior and will attend CU this fall as an Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major.</p>
<p>I think that CT2010Dad accurately described the campus and the Boulder community. He also was correct - at ANY school, it's what you put into it that makes the difference. Plus, no matter what the "prestige snobs" will tell you, there are smart and talented people EVERYWHERE. They don't just go to the Ivies, and they work in every field of employment when they graduate.</p>
<p>Good luck in your decision.</p>
<p>Make sure you do a visit, I did a campus visit at CU and thought the campus was beautiful but the atmosphere just wasn't my cup of tea.. it was a little too laid back for me. It is a wonderful school, but you have to make sure the college is the right fit for you, that is one of the most important things of choosing an undergraduate university.</p>
<p>CU is considered a public ivy and is arguably the top public school in the state (v. CSU depending on what field you're interested in).</p>
<p>However, the city of Boulder isn't for everyone--expensive cost of living, very liberal...</p>
<p>But if you enjoy the atmosphere, then CU would be a great choice for you.</p>
<p>CU has a fantastic campus. The environment is beautiful; the flatirons are stunning. Yes, the campus is very liberal.</p>
<p>However, no, its academics do not stack up against top-tier publics such as Wisconsin, Illinois, or Georgia Tech. </p>
<p>Also, the notion that any motivated student can obtain the same degree of success no matter where he or she goes is an absolute myth. It should be obvious. Consider the case of an incredibly bright student who could either go to a community college or a top-ranked college. Should he go to the community college, his potential would be hampered; his genius would not be fully realized, nor appreciated. Should he go to the top-ranked college, he would have access to the finest scholarly resources, which would propel him farther than any community college could. </p>
<p>Not convinced? Look at the mean salaries after graduation of students from top-ranked schools compared to those from low-ranked schools. True, the students at top-ranked schools are smarter and more motivated than the students at low-ranked schools, and this is one reason why the salaries are higher. But also, top-ranked schools almost always have better recruitment, career services, and facilities.</p>
<p>Yes, there are exceptions, but if you're an average student, then expect to earn the average salary that graduates from your college earn.</p>
<p>Oh, and as for the Business School supposition, here are the top undergrad b-schools according to U.S.News and BusinessWeek:</p>
<p>(1) Undergrad</a> - BSchools</p>
<p>CU is ranked 83rd on BusinessWeek and 41st on USNews. The mean salary after graduation is $41,000. For a point of reference, Wisconsin is ranked 37th and 12th, Illinois is ranked 18th and 12th, and GATech is ranked 55th and 33rd (not known for business). According to the BusinessWeek table, graduates from the top-20 B-Schools can expect to make from $50-60,000 immediately following graduation.</p>
<p>Remember, you should never limit your potential because people tell you that well is good enough. Follow the statistics.</p>
<p>"Also, the notion that any motivated student can obtain the same degree of success no matter where he or she goes is an absolute myth."</p>
<p>On that we will have to disagree. Smart people ARE everywhere. Some don't have the good fortune to be able to pay for a top-tier school. Or, in my case, I grew up in a rural area where leaving the state for college was almost unheard of (back in the stone ages when I started college 30 years ago).</p>
<p>Going to a "good" school will help you get your first job, but it will do nothing to help you KEEP it, or to advance you in your chosen career. That's where innate talent makes the difference down the road.</p>
<p>I've seen it all the time, in both the legal field (H and I are attorneys) and out of it. H and I went to a "decent" law school, not top 20. I don't practice anymore, but H routinely kicks the a**es of those who went to Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Duke, Michigan, and the like.</p>
<p>By the way, I'm glad you're enjoying the University of Illinois.</p>
<p>First of all, I never said that I went to the University of Illinois, nor that I was enjoying it. </p>
<p>I appreciate the sentiment that it doesn't matter where one goes to college, because it suggests that one's ability to thrive all on his or her own is all that matters. But I think that's neglecting the effect that being surrounded by similarly-minded peers has on someone. When you're surrounded by kids who like to study and work hard, it makes you want to study and work hard. </p>
<p>I went to a high school where my counselors and even the assistant principal fervently encouraged me to stay in-state, and mocked the idea that my friends and I were going to out-of-state schools. I can't suitably put in words how bitter I am that the staff at my high school, none of which actually attended an out-of-state school, pretended as if they had the authority of dismissing doing so. (On a side note, my assistant principal tried to convince me that UPenn was a public school, but that's another issue).</p>
<p>All I have left to say, is look at the figures. If you think that $50,000>$41,000 is a myth, or is somehow corrupt in one way or another, then consider sticking in-state; you'll be better off for it. However, if you believe in this, and in what the media and general public seem to agree on about prestigious schools, then consider expanding your boundaries.</p>
<p>By the way, CU has a great campus, and I was pleased to see the dozens of photos of the student body smoking pot in the middle of the campus on 4/20. Truly, not all schools are created equal.</p>
<p>Hint: By looking at your prior posts, I can READ that you're a first year student at Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Why so defensive? I really DO hope you're having a great year there, no snarkiness intended and olive branch extended.</p>
<p>I'm also sorry that your teachers and administration tried so hard to keep you in state and put down your choice to go out of state. That was wrong. Fortunately, that was not the case for my kids at their Colorado high school. D was accepted to both Georgetown and UCLA; S never wanted to go anywhere but CU-Boulder. Both made the right choice for them, as did you.</p>
<p>I do think, however, that you're painting the CU students with a broad brush if you're implying that there are no like-minded students who are high-achieving and study hard. Apparently they only go to schools out of state? (Not putting down your choice nor that of others.) Believe me, my D studies PLENTY. And this is a very driven kid who finished #1 in a class of 450+ students.</p>
<p>April 20th? Yes, it happens. It's Boulder. If that's what you think CU is all about, there's nothing I can say that would possibly change your mind. I'm sorry that you dislike CU or what you perceive it stands for to the degree that you appear to do so.</p>
<p>As a final comment, I DO know people who went to CU and did well. I know someone who went to CU's undergrad B-School and is now attending Grad at Chapel Hill. I am not trying to disparage the merits of CU as a decent school. Moreover, I don't dislike CU, and there's no need to superimpose that on me, which is unfair and totally uncalled for. I am trying to honestly answer the original poster's question. </p>
<p>To the above mom who is dogging me: I am an actual CO high school graduate who is attending school out-of-state; you are not. I'm going to be brash; your vicarious sense of what your children are experiencing cannot accurately match the advice that I have to offer.</p>
<p>Original poster, I encourage you to talk to people who actually left the state of CO rather than people who have never left, and are merely assuming what the difference is between in-state and out-of-state. </p>
<p>Stats can't lie. </p>
<p>No more back-and-forth, please, this is something we will fundamentally disagree about.</p>
<p>Sorry you think you're being "dogged". I thought we were having a pretty good discussion and sharing differences of opinion. My goodness, sorry you got offended! You obviously have much better "expert advice" than I could ever hope to give (considering you know very little about me, and NOTHING about where I went to college - no it was not in Colorado. Nor did I grow up here). Backing away now before I hurt your feelings any more.</p>
<p>Sorry to hijack the original thread. Back to your originally scheduled programming . . .</p>
<p>You didn't hurt my feelings, but you did make me feel bad for wanting to help someone out with reason and statistics, rather than anecdotes and hearsay.</p>
<p>Also, I think that I do offer "expert advice". I'm a recent high-school graduate who turned down a scholarship to the B-School at CU in favor of something out-of-state (which turned out to be just as cheap as CU; attending a high-ranked school SHOULDN'T be expensive, unless you barely got in). Many of my friends go to CU. Some of my friends go to CSU. My closest friends went to out-of-state schools. My brother went to CU, and didn't like it, and my girlfriend went to CU but transferred out because she didn't like it. I've visited CU every year since I was about 7-years-old for various piano competitions, and thereafter, because my friends went there. I have been to Boulder dozens of times, and I know the town like the back of my hand. </p>
<p>I can't stress this enough; I'm a student. On this site, that makes for "expert advice". I know what it feels like to leave your state and live in a totally different environment, where you aren't around your friends and parents all the time. Unfortunately, your daughter cannot say the same.</p>
<p>Oh, and the OP wanted to know about CU compared to say, Illinois. I would personally know a lot about that, CU-mom, I don't think you would. Unless you're in the same boat I am. Have you even been to Illinois' campus? Do you even know where it is? </p>
<p>Is that "expert advice" enough for you?</p>
<p>The OP wanted to know about CU compared to Wisc., IL, and GaTech. You come in with a one-sided account of CU and then blast me when I try to present two-sides to the coin. Yes, the topic was hijacked. Also, yes, I don't know what school you went to (which you brought up for some reason; no, I don't go looking through people's post histories), but I'm sure the experience is all but obsolete now, considering that your daughter is already in college.</p>
<p>To answer the OP's question, and I may be the only person to answer his specific question, life is awesome at CU, but it's not on par w/ Wisc., IL, or GaTech, especially in terms of the rate of students who go on to elite Grad schools or in terms of post-graduation salaries. Moreover, the Grad schools at CU are lacking, at the post-graduation recruitment tends to be limited to the Denver-metro area. In terms of almost every program, Wisc., IL, and GaTech ranks higher. There it is.</p>
<p>Honestly Paerra, calm down! ColoradoMom obviously didn't mean anything insulting, and she was just having a discussion about the OP like you were. Hoping you enjoy your college certainly isn't a reason to attack her. Don't take out your frustration with whatever's bugging you on someone who's just trying to answer someone else's question.</p>
<p>CU is a great campus location and the administration is blatantly anti-greek, although the system thrives regardless of the admin bigotry. It is a wonderful college experience. Yes, I transfered from UT Austin, and joined a sorority, and enjoyed all my years. A lot of CA, IL, TX, and NY students. The change of seasons, activities, architecture and setting creates a magical experience that stays with you for life. Skiing Aspen, hiking, visiting friends all over the US in the summers. The connections stay with you for life.</p>
<p>Better yet, express your support for a logical step towards making the campus safer. Visit SCCC to read the facts. Do not be swayed by emotion or demagogues. Human life is precious, protect it.</p>
<p>Anyway...</p>
<p>can anyone give some info about their experience with CU's journalism school?</p>