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Just returned from campus tours at Colorado College in the Springs and UC-Boulder? My jr liked UC-Boulder but didn't like the block plan at Colo College- 1 course at at a time for 3 11/2 weeks. Any comments from current students or
recent grads?

By Dadster on Friday, March 22, 2002 - 01:35 pm: Edit

Hi, Senioruncle, I hadn't heard of the block plan before. For others like me, check it out at The Colorado College Block Plan.

The block plan seems like a pretty intense way to learn. If it's a subject you hate, you have month of agony, but then it's over. It seems like it might be rough for students who don't absorb new material rapidly - if you get behind at all, there's limited time to catch up.

Apparently at Colorado College they DO offer some extended classes for subjects that can't be compressed very well, like musical performance and foreign language practice.

By Collegeapplier (Collegeapplier) on Monday, November 03, 2003 - 03:19 pm: Edit

I've heard that colorado springs isn't a very nice town- is it?

By Zlovesta1 (Zlovesta1) on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 11:15 pm: Edit

Colorado Springs is a very large town that is not very nice. For the most part it is more of an army base then a city.
However the CC campus is in a very nice part of town that is very college like. Also it is 90 min from denver and 2 hours from boulder. Do you have any info about the competiveness of admission becasue if either of us can get it is not a bad part of town to spend four years in I know this cause I live about an hour away.

By Nicholebowers (Nicholebowers) on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 01:28 am: Edit

I desperately wanted to attend CC, but couldn't go because I didn't get enough financial aid. However I am at a school I love, so check out Rhodes College if you have time...

I have relatives in Denver, and have always loved Colorado Springs. Additionally, I think CC is in a great area of town, very "college-y."

As far as I know CC is fairly competitive among Liberal Arts schools, it's no Carnegie Mellon, but it's up there.

By Leftyleftist (Leftyleftist) on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 - 12:42 pm: Edit

Hey! I just finished my junior year and I'm trying to figure out where to apply to college this fall. What do you think my chances are here? Any other college recommendations? Thanks!

Entering senior at a top 10 public high school in California
GPA: 3.55 UW/ 3.67 W (upward trend)
SATII Writing: 800
SATII Literature: 690
I'm taking the SATI in October after I do test prep this summer
By the end of senior year, I will have taken 8 APs and 1 honors class (AP Music Theory, AP Psych, AP Euro, AP US History, Hon. English, AP English, AP Gov/Econ, AP Stat, AP Calc AB)

-Member of Junior Statesmen of America
-Mock Trial- 2 years
-Vice President of Philosophy Club
-Staff writer on school newspaper
-Member of Amnesty International- 3 yrs
-Member of History Club
-Member of the school district's Diversity Committee, which works to combat such issues as homophobia in the school environment
-I'm starting a book club and a Democratic club next year, both of which I'll obviously be president of
-Member/Volunteer at Feminist Majority Foundation
-Volunteer/Organizer for John Kerry for President/ Kerry Campaign Writers Bureau/ Students for Kerry (about 15 hours a week)
-Participated in National Youth Leadership Forum for Law in Washington DC this spring
-Won the underclassman award at my school 2 years in a row, once for English, once for Precalculus (each teacher picks one student from years frosh-junior to give an award to for academic excellence)
- I'm in the Gifted and Talented Education Program (GATE) at my school
-Took classes at UC Berkeley every summer I've been in high school (got straight A's in them)
-Taking classes at local community college as well
-During budget cuts, I led a letter-writing campaign among the students to protect the teachers and programs that had been put in jeopardy
-Wrote a novel (unpublished) and 2 plays, one of which was performed at UC Berkeley
-I don't know if this will factor in at all in assessing my grades, but my mom has been unemployed for a year, on top of which there was a death in the family, the combination of which made for a stressful junior year to say the least. :-( However, my grades have definitely rebounded significantly.
-I'm a very strong writer and will be able to get good recommendations.

If someone could let me know what you think my chances are, that would be great!!

By Bettina (Bettina) on Monday, August 02, 2004 - 05:38 pm: Edit

Looks like the Col College board is dead, huh? I've heard very good things about this college. But how do you feel about living in conservative Colorado? I was just reading the 2003 Fiske Guide and here are some things that you might think of.

-Accepted rate is 57%, so with your good grades and scores you have a very good chance. You didn't list your SATI scores tho; range is V590-660 M580-660, so not super tough.

-they guarantee to meet demonstrated need, so you might get a good package. They offer merit aid in the Natural Sciences and Math so think what you can do to qualify. You don't have any AP science, tho. Also they give athletic scolarships to male ice hockey players and female soccer stars.

-Overlaps: Fiske lists Middlebury, U of Puget Sound and Colby (also UofC,U of Denver), so check those out. Since you're a writer look at Middlebury with it's great rep in that area (but a more selective college 25% admit rate and higher SAT's), I'm hearing great things about Puget Sound (74% accept rate and a friend got a very nice merit--they offer in music and other) and Colby (36% accepted, no merit).

FWIW, my dd's GC says that a Foreign Lang or Sci AP is more valuable than a social sci AP, assuming you are doing an Eng AP, which is the most valuable.