<p>I wasn't going to comment on this thread again - but I feel I should come to DePaul's defense (at least in the areas I can contribute to.)</p>
<p>It's true that, if you're looking for the traditional greek-oriented, big-time athletic school, then this is not the place for you. It is also true that on-campus housing is an issue once you get past freshman year. However, 50% of sophomore sudents live on campus. Of those that live off-campus, there are many local students who have always lived off-campus (long-time commuters) and there is a LARGE segment of students who actively choose to live off-campus. (In fact, most kids "assume" that everyone will move off-campus after freshman year.) DePaul is popular here in MIchigan, so I know quite a number of local kids who are upperclassmen. Of these students, I know several girls who lived on-campus all four years, but my D has already said that she WANTS to move after freshman year. She's not a big fan of dorm experience..... </p>
<p>Of course, there are also kids who lose out in the housing lottery and must move off-campus. If this situation bothers you, then don't choose DePaul.</p>
<p>Be careful with those graduation stats. DePaul markets itself to first-generation (and often lower-income) college students. By their nature, this student segment traditionally has low graduation rates. And 54% isn't as low as you might think: it's very similar to large state schools like Kansas and Arizona (60% at both). I guess I"m a little jaded: I know that my D will graduate, so I'm not quite so concerned, especially since I've seen how connected she already is with her profs and her advisor.</p>
<p>Maybe I'm just lucky - but I've never had any problem with the FinAid office. I lost my job right after my D was accepted and therefore had multiple involved phone calls with that office. Never had any problem. (... and our aid package was re-configured.) D and I have both had multiple calls with student services (D wants to take summer classes at home and transfer the credits back to DePaul) and again, no complaints. Now, I CAN complain about some of the Michigan schools about those same summer classes, but you probably don't care about that....</p>
<p>D likes her classes and loves (most of) her teachers. Even as a freshman, she has gotten to know some professors and had dinner with their families. As I said, the School of Commerce has a good reputation and a great alumni network in the city.</p>
<p>However, in some ways, my D sounds like Monty's D. She is quirky, independent-minded, and not at all preppy (think band t-shirts and Van's.) She is logical-minded, driven, very self-motivated. She does not like her dorm because of the partiers on her floor (she's also very straight-edge) - she'd much rather go to hear obscure local bands than go shopping or drinking. For her, the city itself is a huge draw. Whenever she visits friends at other schools she complains that there's nothing there to do but drink... and that's not for her.</p>
<p>At DePaul, she has found a core group of friends (mostly boys) who share her love of music and goofy movies. (.. and yes, all either live off-campus or are planning to move off-campus...) She goes to concerts and museums and the lakefront (even to Obama's rally in Grant Park on election night.) Take home message: it's the right school for the right kind of kid, but not for every kid. You need to know what you're getting into.... it's not a hand-holding kind of place.</p>
<p>Yeah, the Loop campus isn't beautiful - it's just a bunch of buildings in the Loop! But it's the business school, and if you're studying business, shouldn't you be in the heart of the city's financial district?</p>
<p>D's biggest complaints about school: Her first English class was "too much busy work"; she doesn't like the partiers on her dorm floor; the windiness of the weather (duh....). When I showed her this whole thread, she just shrugged and said "You need to know what kind of school this is." It's not a typical campus with lots of school spirit and lots of dorm space. As a parent who went to a "typical"school wieth lots of greeks, parties, and dorm space, I can't say that DePaul would b ethe first choice for ME - but it is for my D.</p>