Chris
It's very difficult to come up with a list of good things about DU. A few areas of the campus are aesthetically enjoyable, as are many of the girls...but not much else.
Natasha
To be perfectly honest I rather dislike DU. The students are judgmental and extremely clicky, you have to fit a certain persona in order to fit in. When I tell people I go to DU the normal response is "Oh your one of those kids..." Not a very nice response to say the least. I do however think the education is rather sound, the professors for the most part are extremely personable. Most people wonder why not transfer if I dislike my school so much? It's little late in the game to do so, I would lose half, if not more, of my hard earned credits. Not to mention I would have to completely start over again, friend wise. Overall if I could back three years ago I would chosen a different college, perhaps USC or University of Santa Barbra. I would completely change my actions if I had known what DU was really like, I was hoping the stereotypical thoughts on DU were wrong... They aren't...
Tiffany
I love the campus (it's sooo beautiful, every time I walk to class I'm so thankful to go to this school), and I think the size is PERFECT, it is not huge, but it is not teeny. I am always meeting new people but I don't feel like I'm just a number in a massive research university.
School pride isn't the best, probably because it's not a huge school and no one gets too pumped about any sport besides hockey--but people get so excited about that! Probably because we're the best :)
Alexandria
Honestly, I couldn't see myself anywhere else but DU. I feel like the class sizes are just right and there is always something to be involved in. I spend most of my time around campus, usually studying, playing sports or hanging out with my friends. There are lots of great places to go that are really accessible from campus. Some of my favorite times have been at the varsity hockey games. Everyone gets rowdy and it's a great time!
Robin
My experience at DU has been entirely lacking of the academic atmosphere you would expect to find at a University. Everything revolves around the business school. Most classes have felt like a big joke. The one haven for academic passion was the honors department which the school effectively did away with this year. The social atmosphere is very narrow. There is very little to do on campus and very few different people to do it with. Diversity of ideas and backgrounds is not DU's stength. Above all DU is way too expensive for what it offers. I'm still not sure where the money is going.
The two good things that have kept me at DU are the accounting program which is exceptional and the ability to study abroad. I must admit my abroad experience was the most valuable three months of my life but I must wonder whether it would have been cheaper to support myself instead of paying DU tuition to go. The honors program was incredible but it has been completely destroyed.
Becca
DU is a fairly prestigious school, whenever I tell people I go there they say something like, "oh wow! That's a great school", and I agree to a certain extent. One thing that I wish I could change is where all of the money goes. It seems as though most of the money and attention are directed towards the business school. I have friends who are studying engineering and they said the engineering building wasn't even shown on the tour because it is that ugly. However, I do hear that they enjoy what they study. I also sometimes feel as though there isn't a lot of school pride and that not everyone feels connected as a community. It is great living in Denver-there are so many little food places to go to, parks, and the light rail is walking distance away to go into the city. Oh, one more thing--I wish the library would be remodeled-it is hideous, and as a major place where students study, I think DU can do a lot better.
Ali
If I could change anything about DU, it would be the social scene. Due to its size, I feel like it is totally NOT a college town, yes "what college town." What if we put some cool vintage stores around campus? Make it more like Peral Street Boulder. To go along with our high class reputation, we have all chain restaurants around campus. Why can't we get some cool stores!! Make it not just DU students stuck in this 3block by 3 block jail cell. I felt inclosed without a car. And it did not help that we have NO school spirit. Let's get a band at our hockey games, and some signs and a group of loyal fans who bring signs, and some SCHOOL cheers that everyone knows.
The administration was great.
Meagan
I love the size of the school. It is just right for me - not too small, not too big. I came out of a graduating high school class of 97 so I feel like if I had joined a freshman class of thousands I would have gotten lost in the crowd. Everyone is really friendly around campus, people are always waving and saying hi and meeting new people is way easier than I thought it would be.
The campus is great because not only is it gorgeous, but the location is great as well. There is a definite college atmosphere in the blocks surrounding the campus, but it is easy to go downtown as well. The lightrail, which is free for students, has a stop right at the edge of campus, so getting around is really easy even if you don't have a car.
I wish there was more school pride. Everyone goes to the hockey games, and a lot of people will paint their faces and everyone wears DU colors, but compared to other schools it doesn't really measure up.
They are working on a new student life building which I think will be a great addition because that is one of the things that I found the school lacking.
It is really easy to get involved in activities here.
Cam
DU is the "Ivy" of the west. When people hear I go to DU they usually say "Wow thats a great school!" As a student that commutes to campus I try to take full advantage of the resources that are offered at DU. We have a great library with an excellent online research program. Our athletic facilities are top tier and the gym is great. DU is not a college town it is a college community. Denver is a college town with the great rivalry between CU and CSU football programs. We have a great rivalry with the Colorado College hockey team. There is a lot of pride being a student at DU. We have a lot to be proud of... from our great hockey team to our 2008 champion ski team... our athletic programs are great and our academics are superior. The Danial's College of Business is ranked nationally in the top 10. Our Graduate School of International Studies is making a difference at home and around the globe. The Sturm College of Law is a destination school with its great faculty and its beautiful LEEDS Certified Eco-Friendly building. One experience that I will never forget is my first day as a student. I have always wanted to go to DU. Growing up playing Ice Hockey I wanted to play for the Pioneers. Although I did not end up playing hockey for DU the first day I stepped foot on campus I knew that I had found the right place for me and my time here was going to shape the rest of my life.
Amanda
DU is situated in the southern parker of Denver proper. Denver, is a somewhat modern town. There are certainly city-like activities available. But, what makes Denver amazing is that it is so close to the mountains and provides tons of outdoor activities. Skiiing, snowboarding, hiking, kyaking, running, mountain biking, climbing...
Quinn
DU is small, which makes it either easy to network and make strong connections, or burn out your connections and leave with very few avenues after school is out. I spent most of my time involved with and on campus my first three years, and then got tired of the small circles and administration and started seeking out a network in Denver proper. DU's plenty close and connected to downtown and all the of the clubs, museums, etc. which makes getting off campus very easy.
Mediocre resources for students as far a career help and connections (definitely so in the music school) when compared to similar colleges (that share a close price tag). If you're a musician, I would absolutely recommend another school - unless you already have a heap of connections and a VERY strong sense of your purpose within music.
Ashley
i love du. i had an amazing experience at the school. the location is great. it is very close to downtown but the area surrounding the school is like a college town and is very confortable and inviting. the school is pretty small but i like that. it was the perfect size for me, as i went to a small private school for high school. it is nice to walk around and recognize people from you classes. the class sizes are perfect. some classes are larger than others. many of my classes were quite small but it was great cause it allowed us students to learn from one another and work together instead of just listening to a lecture for two hours. furthermore, though it is small, it has amazing ammenities that i never expected from a small school. my only complaint about the school is that theiur advising is a little weak. i had a senior thesis to complete my senior year and i got very little advising and could not find a professor who was willing to guide me. additionally, throughout my time, i got very little class advising.
Adrienne
I like DU's size because it has all the benefits of being at a small school, like small class sizes with professors who actually know your name, ample resources for every student, and being able to see someone you know everywhere you go. But we also have some larger school benefits like D1 sports, Greek Life, hundreds of student organizations including thirty club sports, and, of course, good parties!
Jess
The Best thing about DU is that it has everything. The City is great, the school is great. The city the country, the parties, the school work. It was a great choice for me because I didn't want to be "pushed" into sacrificing one thing for the other. When I want to study I do, when I wan to ski I do, and you don't stand out if you choose one over the other, this school is what you want it to be! The downside is the price and the image. DU is constantly trying to have a reputation like Harvard, prestigious and pricey.
Chris
The size is just right. There is a weak student life-center on campus, but that is most likely going to change in the coming years. There is somewhat a sense of school pride, but only during the hockey season. The DU surrounding community can feel like a college town, but then again Denver is a big city, so you have both the city life and the college town feel.
Torry
If you are going into business then they are going to push you to go corporate. The college focuses on real world experience as a learning tool. Expect to write a lot of business plans and wear a suit a ton. Daniels makes up about 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of campus but the law program as well as their international studies.
Charlie
I really love DU. I feel like I fit in very well and love being in a private school environment. Students get to take a lot of free trips depending on their major (as an HRTM major I have gone to New York, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Vail and Chicago all free of charge this year).
Daniel
DU has an awesome study abroad program (Cherrington). They smooth out the application process and take care of transfer credits, payments, etc. In many cases, it ends up costing more than the actual program, since you pay normal DU tuition for the time that you are abroad, but all of the help that they give you is definitely worth it.
DU exists in a bubble. It is sort of isolated from the city, while still being in it...definitely not integrated into the area. It's located in Denver, but not downtown. Although the light-rail will take you downtown in about 15 minutes. There are a lot of cool spots around DU, coffee shops and whatnot, but you have to make the effort to get out to them.
It's too small for me, making the stereotype seem inescapable.
I'm not so sure that school pride is all that important to DU students. We have/had? and awesome hockey team that attracts a decent number of fans.
Alex
I know a lot of people who LOVE it and some that cant wait to transfer. If you are really artsy, you will probably hate it (my roomie that I love). Also, if you don't ski or snowboard at at least an intermediate level, you will be bored and ostracized (unless you are a girl, but it still plays in!)
Liz
DU is the perfect school! great size, great sports programs, smart kids. One thing I would change is the length of winter break... six weeks seems too long. People are generally very impressed when I tell them I go here. I spend most of my time in the dorm room or outside, however classes and the library are important too. This is definately a small college town - everything you need is close by, or you can go downtown or to the mountains anytime with ease to get away. I love the administration here, they are very smart and take time to get to know their students. The biggest controversy has been the Norovirus. There is alot of school pride - especially for hockey!!! Something I will always remember is camping out for hockey tickets and rush. Most frequent complaints are probably the bipolar weather and and the size of the dorms.