<p>My daughter has narrowed her decision down to CU and IU. We have visited both and she "loves" both. She is majoring in Speech and Hearning Science. They are both oos for us, so tuition is not a deciding factor. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Which one is easier to get to from your home? Personally I like Colorado, the state, better than IN and if all else is equal, I would pick Colorado.</p>
<p>I think Indiana is stronger academically all the way around. I, too, love Colorado and Boulder is about the greatest place to be in the world. I am an IU grad and both of my kids applied to IU (went elsewhere). I think IU is a real gem and has a gorgeous campus. Both are state schools and will have a weak bottom third or so, but IU is stronger.</p>
<p>I consider them both highly desirable peer schools in great college towns. Is she likely to take advantage of the outdoor opportunities at Colorado? Does she want to join a sorority? IU presents unique challenges for female students who want to join, so that’s something to be aware of.</p>
<p>What’s so challenging about pledging at IU? I haven’t heard of any “unique challenges”.</p>
<p>Momof WC - see below --not nearly enough spots for women in sororities. </p>
<p>[Sorority</a> Recruitment at Indiana University ? Bloomington | Sorority Parents](<a href=“HugeDomains.com”>HugeDomains.com)</p>
<p>IMVHO, this has lead to an unhealthy off campus situation for women.</p>
<p>Interesting. I didn’t know that about sororities at IU. Definitely something to consider if that is in the student’s possible plans. However, if student is not planning to go Greek, I have to say my D has been happy at IU in every way. </p>
<p>Sororities were never on her radar, though. She does have friends in sororities, but most of her social circle is not Greek. kayf, do you mean the thwarted sorority women have an unhealthy off campus situation (as in, they are unhappy because they didn’t get in a sorority?)</p>
<p>Just curious what you meant b/c my D is off campus, as are the majority of her women friends, and it seems a very good situation all around for her & friends anyway.</p>
<p>Wow – I read that thread and it sounds like an awful situation. I wonder what some of those current sorority women are going to think when it comes time for their daughters to go to college?</p>
<p>Yes, it is considered be the worst system in the US.</p>
<p>I have freinds who went to IU, who have daughters who want to be in a sorrority (it’s very popular with this generation, for some reason), and they didn’t even have their daughter’s apply to IU. </p>
<p>Just FYI. For some girls, of course, it really doesn’t matter. For some, it really does.</p>
<p>I went to CU undergrad. It’s a great place to go and live for four years and I had a great time but it would be the last school on earth I would want my child to go to. Very easy to get distracted from going to to class, plus they do everything to make it virtually impossible to graduate in four years. Now, I was there many years ago but I’ve heard it hasn’t changed much from friends who kids have gone there.</p>
<p>Well, I guess there are plenty of other state schools if you want to pick based on the sorority system. Sure didn’t seem to be a problem for the peers of my kids who attended.</p>
<p>I agree about Colorado, though. Seems like more students DON’T make it through it 4 years- or at all- than what I hear from students at most other places. I guess they just want to spend more time in Boulder, which I can see.</p>
<p>It may be a different population – but most of D’s friends who did AP or IB work in high school are on-track for on-time graduation from CU. The social butterflies could indeed get derailed pretty easily, but I’m not hearing about problems with more focused kids. </p>
<p>OTOH, friends who teach at CU have commented that a disproportionate number of the California kids (of whom there are a whole bunch at CU) seem to be at school to “party hearty” rather than to complete a degree. I guess it would depend on which group your kid was more likely to be in. (Given the OOS tuition costs at CU, I find that a bit scary, but seeing the SUVs many of these kids are driving around I gather finances are not too big a hurdle. A Colorado kid driving a car at CU is way more likely to have a beat-up Subaru, not a hunking big, new SUV.)</p>
<p>You might want to compare specific features such as honor’s college offerings, internship opportunities in the departments or study abroad opportunities. My oldest son is a 1st year at IU, living on an honor’s floor and taking one or two honor’s sections of his major courses per semester. He is perfectly happy but I don’t feel like IU has the kind of honor’s college that exists in some other schools. I wish he had more small classes and was in a school within a school. He does find that the honor’s floors in his dorm are pleasant and the students are not the typical partying students.</p>
<p>MomofWildChild, a big reason why kids don’t graduate in 4 years from Boulder is the drastic cuts that the school experienced in the past decade. (Not unlike what’s currently going on in California.) Colorado’s always been stingy with money for its colleges. It ranks 48th-49th out of 50 in per student spending on the college level. </p>
<p>And yes, there are a lot of kids - rich kids - from California who didn’t have the stats for UCs but do have the money for OOS tuition plus all the fun stuff Boulder offers (skiing, eating out, living in beautiful but pricy homes with views.) The school is also bizarrely white. Those looking for diversity will feel weird. Both my kids (we live in Denver) went to urban schools with significant black/Latino populations and they just can’t believe schools in this century can be this white. Neither kiddo chose Boulder when it came time for college - and that’s among the reasons. </p>
<p>Still, it’s a big school. You can and will find your own niche. And if you’re smart about putting together your class schedule, and are willing to take extra classes over the summer if necessary, you CAN graduate in 4 years. Many of my kids’ friends are proof of that.</p>
<p>Kathlia, I was there in the 70’s and it was no different. I had to wait two semesters to take a course I needed for my major to graduate and I wasn’t able to get into the prereq for that class until 2nd semester my jr. yr. </p>
<p>And I can’t begin to tell you how difficult it was figuring out when one would be able to take the courses needed and how whole semesters were wasted taking courses I didn’t need or want to take because I had to fill my schedule with something. </p>
<p>Academic advising was minimal at best and if a kid didn’t seek the adviser out it was nearly impossible to map out a plan. Not good for a kid who isn’t proactive. </p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong, I loved Boulder, my friends and I remain close to this day. We even had our own ReU with “our gang” in Cabo a few years. And we were lucky. Most of us came from wealthy families who had connections or a family business to go into when/if we graduated.</p>
<p>CU being underfunded & students paying the price: your anecdote emilybee just goes to prove that old French saying - the more things change the more they remain the same :(</p>
<p>Very true Katlia, down to the pricey homes with a view. I haven’t lived in a house so beautiful (or expensive) since I left Boulder.</p>