<p>The University of Denver was an incredible experience for my son who graduated this year. DU provided multiple study abroad experiences, community engagement opportunities, easy access to internships in Denver, accessible professors who really cared (one helped my S start on nonprofit). Beautiful campus! Great city! Rocky mountains! My son emerged from his four year undergraduate experience with not only a fine education, but a genuine global perspective, a passion to serve, a respect for natural resources, strong bonds with like-minded fellow students and professors, and a great job. Thanks DU!!</p>
<p>Great to read your comments! My son will be moving in at DU as a freshman on Sept. 1. We were impressed by the DU community and campus when we visited there earlier this year. The communication from DU to our son, and us parents, has been great.</p>
<p>Where did your son live his first year? Mine is in Jmac (Johnson).</p>
<p>My son was also at JMac. Move in day will be an interesting and exciting experience.<br>
Your son has great things to look forward to!</p>
<p>I’m glad to see this too! My daughter is a rising high school senior and we visited DU a few weeks ago. She loved it! It looks like a great blend of good academics and fun recreation. My only concern is that we went in the summer and she didn’t get to see the students there. We may try to go back this fall to get a better sense. Did your son do either the honors or pioneer leader programs? I’m wondering how worthwhile those are. Also, is there a lot to do on campus on weekends? Am hoping that mountains are not so much of a draw that the campus empties out.</p>
<p>S was not in honors program. As an LD student, the regular course work was challenging enough. DU has, btw, one of the very best programs (LEP) for students with LD/ADHD. S was in PLP and loved the two professors who run the program. He found his fellow PLP’ers less than collaborative, but still was pleased with the program. PLP offers an interterm class in leadership and sustainability in Belize that my S fond very worthwhile. S was involved with the Denver TEDx lecture series through PLP. He also was involved in a mentoring program with local high schools. </p>
<p>There are certainly things to do on campus during the weekends from university sponsored conferences and performances to frat parties, to just “chill,” but it is true that many students head off campus to explore Denver or head for the mountains. S came into DU as an intermediate snowboarder and left as an expert. </p>
<p>But he managed to stay focused on his classes, most of which he enjoyed (particularly those in Korbel). He graduated a term early with a degree in international studies/development and leadership minor, interned for 9 months with a Denver-based microlending firm, spent 5 months in South Africa, started a nonprofit with one of his profs, and got hired out of college by a microlending firm in San Diego.</p>
<p>All this was facilitated by the University of Denver. Now imagine what your student can accomplish!</p>
<p>I neglected to discuss specifically what campus is like during school. From what I saw, there is a definite vibe with undergrads and grad students moving about, some on long boards, some just reading outside, multiple posters and banners advertising upcoming events, people dining outdoors outside Nagle hall, food carts, music playing…I think you get the picture. </p>
<p>Home hockey games are the big deal at DU, like football at Michigan (well, maybe not quite). But it does bring the campus together in DU attire. So there is definitely some of that school spirit.</p>
<p>Because the majority of students live on or near campus, you’ll still see plenty of people moving about on weekends, some with backpacks on the way to the library, some just hanging out or tossing a frisbee. You will also see groups heading out or coming back with recreational gear.</p>
<p>My son graduated from DU in 2011 and also had 4 extraordinary years there. He just completed his MPP degree at a program that is ranked in the top 10-15 nationally–his professors were instrumental in helping him decide where to apply given his specific interests, and in helping him hone his application. </p>
<p>My son also lived in JMAC–what a dump! I thought it was supposed to be torn down by now. I will say that my son loved every single minute of the year he lived there.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about the campus being deserted for the mountains on weekends. Very, very few kids go to the mountains every weekend–it’s expensive, and also and more importantly, they don’t want to miss too much of what’s going on on campus, and around Denver. My son would often go to the mountains for one day on the weekend (of course, with a group of friends–so it’s like taking campus with you) and spend the other on campus, perhaps going to a concert or to hear a band, or a frat party, or whatever. Just hanging was also a popular activity. Because the light rail stops right on campus, students can go all over and take advantage of all that Denver offers. And light rail is free for students.</p>
<p>As far as what he did while on campus, my son studied in the Netherlands for a semester, worked at two different internships, researched with a professor, was involved deeply in two campus organizations, and served as president of his fraternity.</p>
<p>His friends are from all over the U.S.–in fact, he frequently gets together with classmates who live in DC as he does. Recently he also had breakfast with a DU professor who was in DC to testify on the Hill.</p>
<p>I think DU’s biggest “problem” is that it is in fly-over country; if this school was located on either coast, it would be a hot commodity. Right now it’s just a well kept secret gem.</p>
<p>About how much do you think should be expected to pay for books each semester, based on your past experience?</p>
<p>The worksheet says $1,800 for the year.</p>
<p>my experience was that books would cost around $500+/-100 per term. Remember that there are three terms in the typical school year as DU is on the quarter system, with the summer quarter “optional” The required book list could be obtained from the DUbookstore website, and then the books could be purchased at a savings from online sources such as amazon</p>
<p>@boysx3: Sounds as though you also had a very positive experience with the University of Denver. Congrats on your son’s success! My son was the first kid from his high school (south suburbs of Chicago) to attend DU, but there has been at least one additional new DU student every year since. I fully agree that DU is gem, but it may not be quite so secret as word is getting out. I noted that DU is on the list of US News up and comers and rightly so.</p>
<p>I recently attended the information session and tour at DU with my son, a rising senior. I think he (at first) thought the tour was “okay” compared to a couple of other tours he had taken. But he made an appointment to meet with someone from the department he is interested in. It turned out that it was the department chair. He was gracious, helpful, and generous with his time. That meeting has moved DU much closer to the top of son’s short list. I think he can see himself being a student there and studying in that department. He was also impressed that the class sizes are small and not taught by TAs. I’m trying not to interject my opinions in the process of selection too much, but I would be happy to see him at DU. Thanks for sharing your son’s great experience!</p>
<p>We had a similar reaction to our visit, SoWest. The school arranged for a visit with a professor and then we separately arranged to meet a music studio professor. Both went out of their way to give my D a lot of their time and interest. We also liked the fact that the school tries to make study abroad possibly by paying many of the expenses like air fare, etc., and also has some program for funding undergraduate research. All in all, the school has been a pleasant surprise. I hear they are good with merit and financial aid, which we’ll see-- it’s my daughter’s top choice now and hopefully we can find a way to afford it!</p>
<p>@SoWest: It’s ok to interject your opinions, especially if you are paying :)</p>
<p>@llbrenner: I can’t say from personal experience, as we did not qualify for merit or need-based aid, but I do know that all but the lower 40% of admitted students get merit awards.
Even paying full sticker price, DU was money well spent.</p>
<p>Our D just started her sophomore year and I have been exceedingly pleased with her experience thus far. The undergrad school size is almost ideal… big enough to seem “big” but not so big you end up feeling lost. She played DI sports freshman year, but with a desire to do more experiences abroad and take advantage of the incredible internships that so many always talk about, she’s taking a break this year. It was a ton of work and a source of great pride, but it was never her intention to play DI athletics when it came to college. DU was her first choice having nothing to do with her sport, which made last year even more special. </p>
<p>All in all, she is really coming into her own as an adult and is having a ball while doing so! Bonus for us - she is doing really well in the classroom as well! It’s been a good match, and for that, we are are beyond thrilled. Plus, it’s a great place to visit and the amenities of Denver sure beats the REALLY small town of our S’s LAC, although the school was a great match for him. At the end of the day, they have to be able to “see” themselves there, and I think a lot of people put too much stock in tours. Once attending, you will likely never go to the admission’s office again. The professors, the common student spaces, etc… explore all of those with some depth outside the tour is my advice.</p>
<p>And while I haven’t seen it personally, word is the new library is truly awesome.</p>
<p>Wow – so much good information! My son is a HS senior and DU is on his list. He knows two kids from our town (1 graduated; 1 is still there) who like it. I am willing to consider it for him but here are my questions:</p>
<p>how cold does it get? S has said he wants to be in the South for college. I think he’s sold on the mountains and outdoorsy quality but if it’s bitterly cold for 2-3 months of the school year, he should factor that in</p>
<p>He has a LD and it looks like DU has a good program, so that question is answered.</p>
<p>What other schools were your kids considering before choosing DU? Right now, S’s list is heavy on small LACs. I really believe he needs a place where they’ll notice if he doesn’t show up for class. Maybe I’m assuming the school will take a greater role than is realistic, but this is a kid who could either flourish or fail depending on the environment. </p>
<p>I see the comments about light rail. So not having a car is ok?</p>
<p>And of course main question – how is the food? I started a thread on CC once: “colleges for the boy who is always hungry”. </p>
<p>Thanks all</p>
<p>It is not well known that Denver winters are mild. Average high temp is 50! But unpredictable. You may get a blizzard on Tuesday and by Wednesday complete melt-off with t shirt and shorts-type sunshine</p>
<p>Again the LD program at DU is not simply good but one of the best. My son took a summer class at Landmark college which is widely regarded at the leader in LD education.
I asked the college couselor there who advises graduates of Landmark’s 2-year program what 4 year programs he felt offered the best LD education. His response was that he had a clear favorite but he was biased because his own son went there–the University of Denver!</p>
<p>College choice for my son came down to DU vs American. S chose the former as it felt more laid-back compared to DC. DU is very much like a LAC in that classes are generally small and professors know students by name. It is common for students to have meals with their profs. DU offers more than LAC’s as a major research institution with graduate programs.</p>
<p>Having a car at DU means your son will be driving his friends to the mountains. The light rail makes downtown Denver easily accessible.</p>
<p>Food at DU is a cut above typical dorm offerings, but it doesn’t come cheap. Come to think of it, nothing did…but worth it!!!</p>
<p>^^^Badparent–my S2 went to DU for undergrad (and loved it) and recently recieved his MPP from American University (and loved it). My S3 just graduated (BSBA) from American as well, and also loved it.</p>
<p>DU had almost all small classes. If you tour the campus, you will realize that there are very, very few large classroom spaces.</p>
<p>My son did not have a car on campus. Public transit is so easy to use and went wherever he wanted to go–except the mountains–and he did not want the responsibility of a car full of students in the mountains. The few times he ever really wanted a car, he was able to use Zipcar, which is available on campus.</p>
<p>Classof2015, tell your son that Denver is one of the sunniest cities in the US. It is rarely bitterly cold and the sun makes even cold days nice. My son rarely wore more than a polarfleece jacket around campus.</p>
<p>My son at DU had no LDs so no personal experience there, but his first year roommate used their services and did well academically.</p>
<p>Just chiming in about the weather in Denver. It’s probably relative depending on where you live and what you’re used to. Even when it snows 9", it can be melted within a day or two. There’s none of the piled up snow turning brown and staying all winter. Even in the worst of blizzards (every 5-10 years), it will be gone within a week. Very sunny, very low humidity . . . I lived there for 20 years, and Denver weather is about as perfect as it gets.</p>
<p>As a parent, my only concern would be the rare times that the airport shuts down due to weather during the holidays. It can turn into a huge mess with flight delays and stranded travelers. But I worry about stuff like that, and others don’t.</p>
<p>300 = Average number of sunny days per year in Denver
20 = Average class size at DU</p>
<p>@Boysx3: I think some of the similarities between DU and American include the emphasis on service, global perspective, and the strengths of their respective programs in the related fields. For example SIS at American and Korbel at DU are both top notch, internationally recognized.</p>
<p>@Marbling: I have had the experience of flight cancellations out of Denver. At least we were put up in a nice hotel!</p>
<p>@Modadunn: nice to hear that your daughter is happy. DU is not for everyone. A student drawn to a small school wanting a purely intellectual experience, or one seeking big college football won’t find what they’re looking for at DU.</p>
<p>Badparent–</p>
<p>Actually, I am sure you are a goodparent!</p>
<p>Your son was right in his intuition that DU is more laid back than AU. S2, my son who did his undergrad at DU and his MPP at AU, lived with S3 during his junior and senior years at AU (their idea, not mine–they have always been good friends as well as brothers), and many times he commented on how S3 just seemed so much more driven and busy than he and his DU friends had been in college–and that S3 was no different than the rest of his friends.</p>
<p>There is definitely a big difference in the lifestyle of students who go to school in a big city vs. at a traditional campus, and schools in DC display that difference on steroids.</p>
<p>S3 chose AU because he had wanted a traditional college experience–frisbee on the quad, etc.–but he also wanted the experience available only in DC. On the other hand, S2 had visited both DU and AU in high school, and decided that the pace of AU was more than he wanted at that time in his life, and DU then was perfect for him.</p>
<p>S2 had the choice of doing his MPP at several schools (8 acceptances), including DU–which has a very strong MPP program, by the way–but felt that AU and DC offered more of what he wanted for his career, and he has been very happy with how his life has played out.</p>
<p>I do want to comment that DU does have faculty who go above and beyond to mentor their students. I had nothing to do with S2’s graduate plans–he got a lot of handholding and received a lot of mentoring from his DU professors, who helped him decide where to apply and helped him hone his graduate applications. He remains in regular contact with some of his professors, and has seen them when they are in DC.</p>