My S has been accepted to all three. We know they are all different sizes, but he enjoys skiing, hiking, biking and is an all around outdoor kid. We are from the Northeast so know more about SLU and UVM then DU. Any thought between the three schools?
DU is certainly the most urban if the schools. It is a few miles from downtown but on the light rail system so very easy to get anywhere, including the foothills (access to hiking and biking). Denver also has a few top D1 sports in lacrosse, hockey and skiing. Its rec center is really top notch.
Western skiing is different than eastern skiing.
DU is much easier to get to than either of the other schools, no matter where you are starting. Airport, take the light rail, and you are there.
UVM.
DU is a nice environment and has gotten a fair amount of money from generous benefactors, and it seeks to become more of a player on the national stage for high achieving kids. I grew up in Denver, and for my generation, there were far fewer kids who went there than to CU Boulder, primarily because of the perception about costs. But those who went were uniformly bright and enterprising kids. They have a leadership program that presents a nice opportunity, and a thriving study abroad program. I would say the school has suffered over time with a reputation as a school for rich white kids who were B students, and a friend who is a HS principal in town said she thinks it’s still not the best choice for students of color and first-gen students. I wrote an article for their alumni magazine a few years ago (I’m not an alum) and interviewed the Provost who I can tell you was extremely friendly, laid back, and seemed like a wonderful man – and he encouraged me to have my daughter (who was in middle school at the time) come see the school to learn more. It’s in a pleasant neighborhood of Denver and does have good accessibility to bus and light rail, and the Denver climate is really agreeable. Denver is my hometown and I love the city. People tend to be pretty loyal to it. It’s a fun sports town, still has a touch of its old western flair, and of course if your son likes skiing and the outdoors, he would be in the right place because ski weekends are definitely a part of DU culture and that of Denverites in general. Denver has chronic concerns about how too many people move there from elsewhere in the country, something that seems to be discussed ad nauseum, and it’s true that it has experienced some real urban sprawl in recent decades while the traffic has gotten noticeably bad. But it’s still a beautiful, friendly and fun city. Good for parents to discuss with teens considering CO schools: Colorado honestly seems obsessed with its pot law. Really hard not to come across references to 420, dispensaries are easy to find, there are billboards with public health reminders about smoking weed and driving, impact of edibles, etc, and teens are definitely into it, at least at the high school level. Boulder is pretty much the college epicenter of pot use, not DU, but that’s something to at least have a frank discussion about.
And and another silly note: although it’s known as DU, I don’t think anyone really calls it “Denver University.” It’s always University of Denver, but DU.
Based on your son’s interests, St. Lawrence would seem to be a great opportunity.
What major? I’d want to factor that in as well.
UVM has an active outdated its club, easy opportunities for skiing (discounted lift passes, ski bus etc, and the pass sold at orientation will be higher in the fall) and wonderful bike trail and hiking.
Agree that western skiing is quite different.
DU will be much more urban but all will have access to the activities he enjoys. I’d be comparing cost and academics.
Thank you, I realized after I posted I should have said university of Denver!
Thank you for your feedback, with cost factored in they are within $1,000 of each other thanks to merit scholarships. He is torn between business and engineering. He is in the engineering schools at DU and UVM - St. Lawrence in liberal arts so he would take the business track or maybe the 3-2 engineering program.
SLU is cooold. UVM is all around excellent and outdoorsy for sure. Burlington has a great overall vibe. Denver isn’t a school I know much about. Decent rep and obviously Colorado. Being more urban would knock it off the list for me considering what you described as his interests.
@buffalomomof4 : what did he decide in the end?