Today is the first of a very long few days. I've arrived in Denver for the NACAC conference and look forward to tomorrow when the first sessions begin. Today, after landing in Denver I headed over to Boulder to visit University of Colorado, Boulder (aka CU Boulder - yes, I realize your gut says it should be UC, but it isn't).
The Director of Admissions presented to us and I learned a lot about what this campus has to offer and what makes it unique. The campus is sandwiched between two opposite settings, the city of Denver with 2.5 million people forty minutes in one direction and 100% pure unadulterated nature with a population of zero the other direction. Since 1917, the buildings have all been constructed in the same architectural style (see photo above) with stones that really tie the entire campus together in a cohesive way. 42% of students come from out of state and all 50 states are represented. There are a wide variety of majors to choose from in Arts and Sciences, Business and Engineering. Aerospace Engineering is a flagship program, a huge percentage of astronauts went to CU Boulder. Mechanical Engineering is one of the most selective programs (the average SAT score on the first two sections is a 1500). Only one other school in the country sends more students abroad than CU Boulder. Only one other school in the country has graduates who have a higher average starting salary ($48,000, in case you were wondering).
The most exciting part of the day though was that I got to meet up with three very special freshman, Morgan, Briana, and Nicole - ElRo Class of 2012! The overwhelming response was that they LOVE school so far. We ate lunch in the dining hall and I have to be honest in saying I'm not sure I've seen a dining hall at a large public university with anything even close to the quality and options that CU Boulder has. With Denver being a city known for its healthy lifestyle, I shouldn't have been surprised. I also made sure to ask about class size and our ElRo alum confirmed for me that while they may have a few large lectures they also have many smaller classes. The freshman RAP classes help students make a living learning community where they take a course in their dorm that is capped at about 20 students. That is how you make a big school personal. I also have to give a special shout out to Briana - she is the first girl in the history of CU Boulder to have tried out for and made the MEN'S ice hockey team!
For any student looking to be at a large school, with a high quality of life, beautiful facilities, and a national reputation, check out CU Boulder. The direct flight for me from LaGuardia was under 4 hours and cost only about $250. Today was a great day, I can't wait for the conference to officially kick off tomorrow!
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