In taking a weekend trip to the mountainous state of Colorado, we toured three different universities in the general vicinity of Denver: Colorado University in Denver, Colorado University in Boulder and finally Colorado State University. The three campuses all engulfed the beauty of Colorado, but some were better than others. 

The first university we attended was Colorado University in Denver. I had very high expectations for this school, but unfortunately they were not met to the extent I had wished. CU Denver’s campus, also known as “Auraria Campus,” is in the heart of downtown Denver, and it is just a few blocks away from the Ball Arena where the Denver Nuggets play. Prior to our tour, we were welcomed in the admissions office with an “informational” presentation, but I truly did not retain any of the information given, which most likely indicates its importance. The student who guided our tour spoke rapidly and did not allow time for further questions, which additionally had some impact on our attitude toward the school itself. As our first impression of CU Denver, the guide did not provide us meaningful information and it felt as if the tour was rushed and incomplete due to the lack of knowledge we had after the tour was finished. Although the campus was located in an ideal part of Denver for convenience and entertainment purposes, the school did not feel like it had a strong community. The campus seemed quiet and lacked the presence of students and activity. CU Denver overall had nice accommodations; it had a decent tuition cost for South Dakota residents and seemed like a well-rounded campus, but there were definitely missing components that are on my list of priorities when looking for a school.

The second stop on our trip was at the beautiful campus at Colorado University in Boulder. Only a 35 minute drive from Denver. CU Boulder was by far our favorite. The area was enclosed by beautiful scenery and many great views of the Flatirons, a popular hiking spot. Our tour guide was very personable and provided us with very valuable information, a positive change in pace in comparison to our CU Denver experience. The CU Boulder campus had a more safe and relaxed atmosphere that encompassed a strong friendly community, which is a top priority of mine when searching for a school. The guide presented not only the accommodations of the university, but also the wide variety of academic options available. Overall, CU Boulder had a great environment and had a vast selection of academic assets. The tour itself was very informative, very enjoyable and gave a positive outlook of the university as a whole. The tour at CU Boulder was definitely the most in-depth tour received out of the three.

Our third and final university on our list had a unique tour structure, as it was self guided. Colorado State University’s campus, located in Fort Collins was a decently large campus covered in large trees and fallen colored leaves and a beautiful view of the mountains in the distance, already bringing a sense of appeal. As for the tour itself, we used the CSU app as a tour guide which led us on a hike across campus leading us to 12 different locations and providing information about each of the stops. Initially, I thought this concept would be efficient in the sense that we could make the tour more personalized and on our own time, but it was quite different than my expectation. A downside of the tour was the organization of the different stations. Instead of going to the different locations in order and giving explanations as we passed, the app had us skip around to different places and walk longer distances than necessary (in not-so-great weather either!) The personal interaction that comes with an in-person tour was another aspect that was missed as we missed out on the ability to ask questions and hear personal thoughts of the university.There were great views of the mountains and it was only about an hour drive to Estes Park, a popular tourist destination in the Rocky Mountains. The location of the campus and the same welcoming community at CSU were definitely appealing factors in the overall experience of CSU. As for the self-guided tour, it was much more difficult to understand the entirety of the school in relation to a traditional in-person tour.

Traveling to Colorado to see these schools was most definitely worth the trip! If beautiful scenery and high altitudes are right up your alley, Colorado Universities are definitely worth checking out!