Top Five Outdoor Education Programs in Colorado

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1 Colorado College Touring If you don t like the weather in Colorado, stick around 15 more minutes because it will change. Many locals call it the bipolar state of sunshine and snow. I was pleasantly surprised at CU Boulder and Colorado School of Mines. Denver University is also a great option. With a short travel time to Denver, Colorado provides some great options for west coast students. University of Colorado, Boulder College Undergrad Under +Grad Retention 4 grad 6 year grad Boulder % 40% 68% 87% $50k Boulder has always been a popular campus for West Coast students, it has all the outdoor activities, many majors to select from and a combination of sunshine and snow days. CU Boulder is the flag ship University of Colorado. Freshman select from four colleges (1) Art & Sciences, (2) Architecture & Planning, (3) Music, Engineering and Applied Sciences and (4) Business. Transfer and upperclassman can also select from (1) Journalism and (2) Education. The music school is audition based. CU Boulder is the second largest producer of astronauts. This is a beautiful campus in a great city with so many opportunities for students to excel. The student government organization manages one of the largest budgets of all colleges, $36 Million. All students are given transportation passes that can be used with all buses and metro trains throughout Boulder. There are 11 ski resorts within the three hour drive from Boulder. 14% of males and 16% of females are involved with Greek Life. According to PayScale.com, the median starting salary of recent graduates is $45,000. University of Denver, Denver College Undergrad Under +Grad Retention 4 grad 6 year grad DU % 60% 87% 77% $57k Denver University is a residential campus in an urban setting. Students like the location, eight miles from downtown Denver and one hour from major ski areas. Known for the Business School, they have focus areas including hotel, restaurant and tourism programs. They also have a very strong Political Science department. DU has an integd undergraduate/graduate program allowing students to complete both a bachelor s and master s degree in five years or less. A six-year Bachelor/JD program is offered through the Sturm College of Law. LEP, Learning Effectiveness Program, is a nationally recognized support program serving students with learning challenges. LEP has a demonstd track record of student retention, academic success and persistence towards

2 graduation. Services include academic counseling, tutoring, organizational management assistance, writing development and development of self-advocacy and confidence. Students must live on campus the first two years. Colorado State, Fort Collins College Undergrad Under +Grad Retention 4 grad 6 year grad Fort Collins % 35% 64% 77% $40k The mission statement is to serve society through teaching, research, and outreach. They have over 60 majors, the most popular include health and exercise science. They also are known for the pre-vet program. 77% are local students from Colorado- this may pose a problem for out of state students on long weekends. The have a strong hospitality and restaurant management major and they have an on campus restaurant to gain valuable hands on experience. The construction management graduates had 100% placement in either full time jobs or graduate school. The Greek life is very small, 5% men and 8% woman. Fort Collins has more of a STEM focus and graduates more STEM students than other Colorado University and Colleges. This campus reminds me of a typical California State school with better outdoor options in Colorado. They claim to have the best sunshine in Colorado, often a sunny day when other parts of the state are having a snow storm. University of Colorado, Colorado Springs College Undergrad Under +Grad Retention 4 grad 6 year grad Col Springs % 22% 41% 91% $33k Originally, this school was started with programs in Business and Engineering. Now with many options for college major, the goal is to move towards a research based education. There are new buildings in progress and many more planned for the next few years. With 7400 undergrads today, they plan to grow to approximately students by I consider this school a commuter school today, there are 792 freshman that live in dorms compared to the 1700 attending. 45% of all students come from the local area. Nursing is one of the most popular majors (enter as pre-nursing) along with Biology, Business, Engineering and Psychology. The town of Colorado Springs used to be heavy military, now they are thriving on the growing college students, the Olympic Training facility and the business that brings in. Admissions mentioned wanting to move to Olympic Specialty focus- training and rehabilitation for injuries and helping the future of modern medicine. They have already built the LANE Center, this is a

3 specialized clinic facility to build the medical focus. LANE will also allow medical students from University of Colorado Denver Medical School to get the residential experience in Colorado Springs (and guarantees spots in med school for some Colorado Spring students). The cost is wonderful, the WUE (Western University Exchange) applies to all California students accepted and brings the total cost down to almost $25 k per year. In my opinion, 5 or 8 years down the road this will be a great place to attend. For now, it remains a local or commuter school with great options. Colorado School of Mines, Golden College Undergrad Under +Grad Retention 4 grad 6 year grad Mines % 40% 70% 45% $47k This school is known for the strong technical programs including mining related fields and engineering. The academics are known for being tough, and you select from geophysics, geological, petroleum, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering. CSM requires a six-week summer field session, providing a great hands on learning environment for students. 64% of the students are from Colorado, it is a state school so a wonderful financial price point for locals. There is currently a $12 k scholarship for all out of state students admitted. I was very impressed with the programs and the students. The most popular major is Chemical/Petroleum Engineering. The most lucrative major is Petroleum and Geophysical Engineering. The Biology track is also used for a pre-med track. Admission statistics include and average un-weighted GPA of 3.75/3.8, SAT math scores average , the ACT average composite of Applicants will be evaluated on GPA and course rigor, students should have completed Calculus and Physics. CMU works closely with renewable energy companies and space & aerospace companies. I always enjoy hearing about local traditions. As a freshman, you are requested to bring a 10 pound rock from home. During the orientation, all freshman have to weigh the rocks and only 10 pound rocks are passed, they then carry the rock up the local hillside to place near the M at the top. A ceremony is performed and you walk back to campus. At graduation, four years later, you join the group for one more walk up the hill to claim a 10 pound rock to bring back down. Make sure to check out this quaint town. It is small but charming. Grab a meal at the Cantina located in the Table Mountain Inn, the locals, college kids and everyone else in town seems to eat there. Regis University, Denver College Undergrad Under +Grad Retention 4 grad 6 year grad Regis % 55% 63% 70% $46k Regis is among the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, which share the Jesuit vision of a valuescentered education that shapes intelligent decision-making and strengthens commitment to community service.

4 This is a nice campus for a student that is looking for a small and supportive learning environment. There is no Greek life on campus, the students are actively involved with clubs and community service. Colorado College, Colorado Springs College Undergrad Under +Grad Retention 4 grad 6 year grad Colorado C % 82% 88% 22% $58k The Block Plan is the differentiator at Colorado College. Block refers to students taking one class at a time- over a three week period. The year is broken into 8 sessions. This is a great way to have in-depth study allowing for field trips and even class trips overnight. Some courses, such as a neuroscience class, are two blocks long. Each break between classes is 4 ½ days. Students are very bright and independent. They are also often described as laid-back, nature loving hippies. CC has a strong Biology and Geology program, they are also known for their English program. The faculty are very involved with students and will phone you when you miss a class! The alumni network provides internship and job placements. Air Force Academy, Colorado College Undergrad Under + Grad Retention 4 grad 6 year grad AFA % 78% 80% 15% $ 0 The cadet honor code is, "We will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tole among us anyone who does". There are three pillars to the academy, Academics, Athletics and Application. Academics: 31 majors, 4 areas (1) Science, (2) Engineering, (3) Humanities and (4) Social Sciences Athletics: 27 Division-1 teams Military: All students have military and leadership training throughout the 4 years of education. Upon graduation, you are an officer rank and expected to serve in the military for 5 years of service. As a pilot, you will serve in military for 10 years of service. I questioned the decrease in military spending and the impact on the academies, this year s freshman class has 1016 recruits. Last year the class was reduced to 800, 23% are females, they are always looking for great female recruits. The application period begins in March of the Junior year. Steps to the process: 1. Fitness assessment 2. Medical evaluation -DODMERB 3. Demonstd character and leadership traits 4. Apply and receive nomination from US Senators, US Representatives or the Vice President 5. Direct appointment

5 University of Colorado, Denver College Undergrad Grad Retention 4 grad 6 year grad UC Denver % 14% 40% 76% $40k University of Colorado Denver was the most urban setting on this trip. Located downtown, nestled into business buildings and sharing campus space with the Community College and Metropolitan State University. 80% of the students are from the local area, I would consider this a commuter school. The campus has a very good music program, known for majors including Singer/Songwriting, Music Business, and Recording Arts. They also have a 3-D Graphic & Animation, and Game & Digital Design. Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design College Undergrad Under +Grad Retention 4 grad 6 year grad RMAD % 44% 56% Not avail $35k Art colleges are always a fascinating place to me. I am not artistic, I admire these students for their creativity and their talents. I had a tour of the campus and learned that the Illustration major is most popular. The fine art major is the most difficult choice when considering long term career potential, many students must plan for alternative jobs to finance life as jobs may not be consistent. The majority of students are from the Colorado area, they have an average age of 24.