DePaul University Top Questions

I believe that everyone at DePaul University is equal, and my friends would agree with me. When I look around DePaul, I do not see anyone that is ridiculed for any reasons including the following: racial, religious, LGBTQ, or socio-economic differences. In fact, DePaul encourages learning about new things. I do not think that any type of student would feel out of place at DePaul. There are so many clubs and activities to get involved with, or you could create your own. Students wear anything from sweats to heels to class; really, anything goes. Yes, different types of students do interact, wether it be in class or outside of class. There are students from Illinois and all over the world! I have met (and am friends with) people from all across the US. I also am aware of at least two students from outside the US.

Students here come from every walk of life. You'll meet big city kids, small town kids, and everything in between. They're usually quite friendly and you can always find a circle you fit in with.

As I said before, the DePaul student population is incredibly diverse. Students come from all over the world, but many come right from Illinois. DePaul has student organizations for literally any sort of race, religion, or sexual orientation. Since day one, I have felt comfortable with everyone around me, I feel like this school is a place that I truly belong. Since DePaul's tuition is pretty steep, most of the students have financial aid, but many of them also have scholarships. DePaul is really good about opportunities for earning a scholarship. Due to this, the students here represent a ton of economic backgrounds, but that never seems to be an issue, especially in socialization. The kids here all mix together, there really aren't any sort of established cliques.

Overall, DePaul students are very friendly and open. DePaul is a big school, so it is not easy to know everybody. However, there are many great student organizations, and it is easy to find a group that interests you. While DePaul is a Catholic school, the school is about embracing all faiths and backgrounds. A student of any religious (or non-religious) background can find organizations and religious services easily. The students at DePaul are VERY diverse, but that doesn't mean it is difficult to make friends!

There are tons of clubs and groups at DePaul. The school is very diverse and open. Most students dress pretty casually to class. Some get a little dressed up, some wear sweat pants. All types of students interact from jocks to goth kids. Most of the students are from Chicago and the Midwest. This means a lot of students go home and see there parents often. The school has a very strong liberal voice and a strong but weaker conservitive voice. I think that has more to do with the age group of the students. As a Jew I can sometimes feel a little out of place. Hillel does get the shaft and when school first started people tried to give me Bibles on the street.

They're young, full of energy and ready for education. Me on the other hand, is an Adult transfer student, returning to college for the first time in over a decade. I haven't got to meet most of my classmates, but I'm sure that they're very nice and not nasty and mean.

This school is racially and economically diverse. I am always surrounded by people who are different from me, which is a good experience. I know this will help me in the business world since business is all about learning how to advertise and market to different people.

It's honestly a little difficult to describe a "type" of person that goes to DePaul, because in reality it is one of the most diverse places I've ever been to. It definitely attracts a large number of wealthier kids from the suburbs of Chicago, but they are by no means the majority. There are definitely distinct groups that form, for example the athletes pretty much stick together, as do the theater kids, the music kids, and the gaming kids. But for the most part everyone mingles with each other. Greek culture is big on campus, but in no means overwhelming. Not being a huge supporter of sororities and fraternities myself, I have actually had some really nice experiences with the DePaul factions. But if Sororities aren't your thing, it doesn't matter because DePaul has a huge amount of organizations and groups. It doesn't matter if you're a film nerd, or a music enthusiast, or really into the environment, there is most likely already a group dedicated to it. Athletics are huge at DePaul, but so are its theater productions and music showcases. People are pretty supportive of one another here, which is surprising considering the hugely contrasting areas of study. Religion is always present, but not just Catholicism. Almost every faith is represented at DePaul, whether through its staff or student body, and DePaul is great about interfaith discussion and learning. Personally, when I first came to DePaul I was a little concerned about the religious aspect. I was raised Vedantist, which is a very old, eastern philosophy, and I was very wary of Catholicism. Almost immediately I felt comfortable. Faith is present, but it is not suffocating and it is not admonishing. I have taken two religion classes, each taught by one of the Fathers at DePaul, and was hugely impressed by not only their breadth of knowledge of other faiths, but also in their appreciation of those faiths. It is refreshing being around so many people that are not only different from myself, but who also appreciate those differences and learn from them.

A lot of people assume things about DePaul University's student body because it labels and promotes itself as a large Catholic school. In reality, there is a lot more religious diversity than that. There are prominent Jewish and Muslim student groups, as well as non-Catholic Christian denominations. They all receive substantial support from the school administration, and never in my time there did I run into or hear about mistreatment towards one group from another. It tends to be an open-minded student body and administration. One of the most interesting (albeit kind of trivial) aspects of DePaul's student body is the general differences between students who frequent the Lincoln Park campus versus the Loop campus. Since Lincoln Park is A) the location of most of the dorms and B) where most of the younger students have classes, you see a lot more of the typical stduents-in-their-pajamas-and-sweats fashion. Downtown - since it requires travel on the El and is where the business and broadcast classes are generally located - you see students dressed up a little bit. Not always suits and what have you, but certainly a little more effort seems to be put into the outfit. Not that

DePaul University situated itself right in the middle of Chicago. As a born and bread Chicago resident, I know what this means in terms of fashion, attitude and socializing. Here is a tale of my aunt, back when she was just a young thing frolicking around the city with her first secretary job. She had a six block walk from her apartment to the building where she worked. And of course did it in high heels every day. Some women wear comfortable shoes out and change them into the more fashionable heels once in the work place. Not my aunt. She was a trooper, cat-walking through the pain, all for the sake of looking good. This idea of looking good I feel is a city symptom. I even fall prey to it, despite my love of sweat pants. When I go to class and have to be seen by other Chicago natives, I want to look good. This isn't just because I'm a girl, men do it too. A large percentage of DePaul will also fall victim to looking city chique. Because DePaul University is so centrally located, and walking out your door is walking into Chicago, its not odd to find many girls in heels and skirts despite the weather, and guys in expensive looking shoes and fashionable jackets. That is not to say that the whole of DePaul is egocentric and posh, it just means that people tend to want to make themselves look nice. Since every night is a night out on the town, it seems only natural. We do have a variety of students however, and you'll find them expressing themselves through many different styles. We are truly a diverse university, and that is obvious when you look around campus. This applies to more than just the fashion, and extends to academics and origins. Students come to DePaul University from across the nation. I have met someone from nearly every state, and from different areas within each state. Although there is a decent amount of people from Illinois, most are not from Chicago. All of these people have made Chicago their home now, and have made great friends from far places in the process. The draw for all of these out of state students is not just the city life (though it may be for some) but the academic programs. DePaul offers a wide range of courses that are not commonly offered at other universities. Both our music and theater programs are known across the nation and are highly selective due to their expertise, as well as our game design program which features several top designers as professors. Thats not to say that or more conventional programs aren't just as renowned, as the liberal arts, science, commerce and education departments often feature famous professors who have accomplished much before turning to teaching. This wide range of major fields leads to a diverse population of students. I would say that each school has its own way of working and studying, though that might be considered stereotyping the field of study. Though from my experience it seems true. Not everyone sits at the library or in a computer lab with their faces smothered in books. You'll see people in cafe's and in our quad in study groups or on their own. No one is the same, and DePaul recognizes this not only on a surface level, but with deeper understanding, providing for these differences by means of study areas and tutors. From its fashion to its academics, DePaul proves its diversity through its students. With so many opportunities to 'find yourself' in the city different fashions and interests are formed. And from our variety of majors, new careers and study habits are apparent. Not one student is the same, nor does DePaul try to make them conform to a preconceived notion of a 'good student'. To me, this is a true form of diversity, people coming from across the country to study and be accepted. Diversity, meet DePaul.