Adventures in Admission

Availability & Adaptability

 

Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science

Today’s realities of COVID-19 has required our staff to be adaptable and find new ways to connect with students that are interested in DU! Within a short period of time, our staff has created new ways for students to experience DU from home. With live admitted student sessions, 360 virtual tours, and YouTube video tours, there are many ways for you to have a virtual visit experience with the University of Denver.

Many of our current DU students and numerous high school students may be taking online courses for the first time, which can present unique challenges. Fortunately, Nicole Militello, Senior Media Relations Specialist at DU, has helpful tips for online learners. These tips include planning ahead, seeking feedback from your instructor, and enjoying the flexibility of online learning.

To learn more about Denver from the comfort of your home, artists can enjoy learning about Denver street art, adventurers can learn about the best urban hikes around town, and sports enthusiasts can stay connected to DU’s hockey and gymnastics programs. 

If you need to connect with a DU student or staff member, we are available. You can still count on the University of Denver to survive and advance through the storm.

Be well!

Roderick Rose - Associate Director, Undergraduate Admission

Community, Campus, and COVID-19

As a child, I moved a lot. From different continents, states, cities and schools, I became familiar with the routine of saying goodbye. Picking up all of my belongings and recognizing I would never see certain friends again. So why at this moment, why did leaving DU feel so impossible?

I have a feeling you’ve already heard enough about COVID-19. It’s terrifying. So while I write you this blog, I will try not to ramble about the fear of it all, but rather how lucky I feel to have found my friends. It all started after our chancellor, Jeremy Haefner, carefully decided to shut down our campus for Spring Quarter of 2020. As heartbreaking as this news was, it made me realize how much I utterly cherished the community I had found at DU.

It’s bittersweet when you establish such strong connections and then are told, in order to keep them safe, you’ll have to leave them. Many tears were shed during a week that seemed to mentally span a month. In the end, I said goodbye. I said goodbye to the campus that always radiated warmth and sunshine. I said goodbye to the job that made me a better public speaker and a passionate problem solver. And I said goodbye to my people.

Tons of goodbyes in my life and this one, this temporary goodbye, was one of the most difficult moments to have. I tried to find some way to ignore what I felt. I came up short. All I could think of was how incredibly lucky I had been to end up in Denver. How lucky I had been to find this beautiful place to study. How insanely grateful I was to have found my friends. This is one of the amazing gifts of college, you are given the space and time to meet some of the most inspiring and genuine people. If you are as lucky as I am, they’ll adventure with you, support you and challenge you. They’ll bring you immeasurable happiness, and they’ll make you realize that goodbyes can really suck sometimes. And they’ll teach you that it’s difficult, it’s almost impossible to leave when you’ve found your family.

Antonia Petschen - Class of 2022; Majors - International Studies and Spanish; Minors - Sustainability and Leadership Studies

Where it all happened…Ghana

I am a homebody. I love being surrounded by something that makes me comfortable. I love the fact that home is familiar, and I can navigate my house without ever opening my eyes because I know it that well. Being at home, I’ve discovered so much about myself and things that I love and things that I would want to change. Sometimes I wonder why people are so eager to travel and experience the world when all you need can be found in your house. However, there is just something unique about traveling that puts life in a different perspective.

A new geography can really create a new man. That geography was Ghana for me. I can never leave home for more than a month. To be quite honest with you, even a month is pushing it. That is why I love the fact that the University of Denver offers interterm courses. Within the interterm course, you get to go to a different country for about two weeks and experience life there. For people like me who don’t want to commit months to study abroad, this is perfect. So, my freshman year of college, I went to Ghana. It was one of the most incredible and life-changing experiences of my life. I got to see some of the most incredible places on earth. Let me show you a few of the things I did.

We went to the castles where the Europeans were holding Ghanaian people as slaves. We got to be in one of those holding cells for a brief moment and experience what it was like to live in darkness. After that, I became so grateful for life. After seeing that, I knew what I wanted to study and what I wanted to do in life. It made me want to pursue a career in making sure that we never repeated something as horrific as that.

We also went to the University of Ghana in Accra. I saw the power of knowledge and how universal education is. No matter the language of culture, there are some things that bind us all together. For example, physics. No matter where in the world, the laws of physics are constant and we can always rely on that being a link in this world for all humankind.

On this trip, I found a little bit of home. We were at the beach and there were some street vendors selling jewelry. One of the guys came up to me and started talking to me in Amharic and asked me if I was Ethiopian. I said yes and he immediately pulled out a 5birr (Ethiopian Currency). My heart was so full in that moment.

Eden Gebru - College Access & Group Visit Fellow

Coffee, please!

It’s Week 10 of Winter Quarter, which means that students are deep in the midst of finals! The end of the quarter is always a busy time, and for many students, that means more coffee or tea is in order, and STAT! Here is a list of some of my favorite coffee houses that are conveniently close to the DU campus for all of your caffeine and studying needs:

La Belle Rosette Espresso & Wine Bar – This cute spot is just two blocks south of campus on University Boulevard and makes a great place to study individually or with friends. They open at 6am so you can get an early start. After a full day of prepping for finals here, you can even transition your coffee-fueled study time into a relaxing happy hour in the afternoon (for those over 21!).

Kaladi Coffee Roasters – An Admission staff favorite, Kaladi is a great place for delicious, super dark roast espresso drinks and tasty locally-made pastries. This is the hip place to study nearby, although the music is a little loud here, so bring your noise-cancelling headphones. When I was a graduate student at DU, I loved grabbing coffee from Kaladi and then getting a breakfast burrito next door at Illegal Pete’s and heading to the Anderson Academic Commons on campus for an all-day study session.

Keith’s Coffee Bar – This is a newer addition to the DU-area coffee scene, and it’s a cozy place that even has live music on Saturdays and Sundays! Keith’s is a few blocks west of campus on Downing Street.

Stella’s Gourmet Coffee & Such – This is THE benchmark coffee house in this part of town, and they’ve been in the neighborhood for many years. Bring your dog and hang out on the patio, enjoy live music from time to time, or grab coffee to-go and take a break from studying by checking out the South Pearl Street Farmers Market (from May – November).

Steam Espresso Bar – This is my personal favorite. Steam opened up during my second year of graduate school at DU, and is owned by a DU alumni! This place is constantly busy and serves up incredible sweet and savory bites along with fantastic coffee and espresso drinks. If you stop by on a weekend, get there early! This is the place to be, especially when the weather is nice and you can sit on the patio or enjoy a cool breeze inside when they open up the windows and the big garage-style door. From design to ambiance to quality food and coffee, Steam is awesome.

Looking for something convenient and right on the DU campus? Head to Beans Café! Located inside the Knoebel School of Hospitality Management, Beans is a student-run café where you can sit and study or grab coffee and food to-go between classes. It makes a convenient spot to work on group projects, catch up with your freshman year roommate, or plug in and finish up that paper or presentation at any time in the quarter.

Finals week can be intense, but we’ve got lots of resources on campus to keep you on track, lots of coffee in the area to keep you going, and remember that finals week means Spring Break is just around the corner!!

Afton Kortz - Associate Director of Admission & Communication

Dear Freshman Me

Sitting in my off-campus house nearly four months away from graduating, freshman year seems like it was a century ago. Yet, when I take a moment to reflect, I can still feel the early morning sun streaming through my 3rd floor JMAC dorm room window and smell the late night cookies at Nelson Dining Hall-- and it suddenly feels like yesterday. My first year at the University of Denver was groundbreaking, and looking back I sometimes wish I could give advice to that 18-year-old girl embarking on one of the most transformative journeys in her entire life. If she were listening, here is what I’d say:

1. It’s okay to be undeclared! Up until my sophomore year, I was taking core classes and experimenting with what graduation plan I would eventually take. I felt stressed and embarrassed that I did not have a major in place, and I wish I had taken more classes across different departments. DU’s quarter system allows so much freedom and flexibility, and I would have wanted to take advantage of this unique opportunity.
2. Get involved with more clubs! As a freshman I often felt overwhelmed by pretty much everything, but I wish I had stepped out of my comfort zone and joined more clubs that interested me (and DU has so many cool campus organizations to get involved in).
3. Make sure to rest and eat your vegetables! Self care never goes out of style.
4. Go to as many campus events as you can! Hockey games, Winter Carnival, and so many of the other events on DU’s campus have given me some of my best college experiences. If I were to do it all over again, I would make sure to attend as many as I possibly could.
5. Soak up every moment! The four years go by so fast, and I can’t stress enough how important it is to slow down and enjoy the moment any chance that you can. 

Being a senior is a bittersweet sensation, because before I know it I will be dawning my cap and entering into the next chapter of my life... leaving DU and all of the amazing memories I have made here behind. The University of Denver has been my home for four amazing years, and I hope that every student takes full advantage of everything this institution has to offer. One day we will all feel like the tailgates, the first-year seminars, and the late night Illegal Pete’s runs were centuries ago, and I hope we all look back knowing we achieved everything that we set out to accomplish.

Maddie Greene - Class of 2020; Majors: Psychology and Communication Studies; Minor: French

My Time Abroad

Attending the University of Denver has afforded me some incredible opportunities, although I have by no means made the most of all of them. Every day students on this campus have the ability to not only discover their academic and professional goals, but to also explore themselves, the city of Denver, the state of Colorado, and even the world as a whole. The international exploration, in particular, left a massive impression on me, and it honestly changed my life forever. Writing about my experience is a little bittersweet because with the memories comes the nostalgia; sometimes I honestly wish I could have studied abroad forever. With three quarters of Denver’s undergrads studying abroad during their four years, many of my peers share my feelings of nostalgia and gratitude toward the study abroad experience, and I can confidently say, it was better than I ever anticipated.

I chose to spend my semester abroad in Prague, Czech Republic, which is the most beautiful city, and the atmosphere is perfect for being a student.

Waking up, every morning, in this place was such a privilege, and I will never forget how easy it was to get there. Applying to study abroad at DU involved nothing more than three small essays and one individual meeting with an Office of International Education advisor, and the logistics were so simple. As part of the Cherrington Global Scholars program, my normal cost per quarter at DU—including all of the scholarships and financial aid—was the exact same price as my semester abroad, and I even had my plane tickets from Denver to Prague and back covered by the CGS fund. The University made this process as easy as possible, so the only thing I had to worry about was making the absolute most of my European adventure.

Not only were my classes engaging and interesting, but the staff members of the program were incredible, and everyone was warm and welcoming. Some of my best memories are of exploring Prague and finding the spots off the beaten path, like on Thanksgiving Day—the day I missed home more than any other—my friends and I took a lengthy walk through one of Prague’s most famous parks.    

I will never forget that day. I could never anticipate moments like these, and my semester abroad was chalk full of them. Yes, I took some grand adventures all throughout Central Europe, and yes, I had my tourist moments, but the little memories will always be my favorite.

I can’t help but think that had I attended a different college, I would have never had this experience, and, even though I know it sounds super cheesy, I will forever be grateful to the University of Denver and the process that allowed me to have the time of my life.

Adrian Kley - Class of 2021; Majors: International Studies and Economics; Minor: Math

So What is So Great About Life in Colorado?

As a Colorado native, location was a huge deal for me when making my college decision. Colorado is famous for having over 300 days of sunshine every year, and what’s better than having a great place to go out and enjoy the nice weather?

Colorado caters to people of all different lifestyles. For me, I am a mix of everything. I love exploring the art scene in downtown Denver, especially when it means I get to exercise my own creativity! I am also a huge ski bum, so living close to the mountains is a huge deal to me. Not only is Denver a great spot for a ski bum, but DU is awesome about getting students up to the mountains!

On Saturdays throughout the winter, you can partner with DU’s Alpine Club to take a ski bus up to a different ski resort each weekend and have a great day skiing with your friends! And if you’re not the skiing type, Colorado is still an amazing state to explore, whether you want to challenge yourself by summiting one of our many 14ers or just spend a day exploring all of Denver’s parks. Boulder is one of my favorite outdoor spots in the state, and it’s only a 30-minute drive from campus! Even better, you can get there via public transport, that DU pays for! From hiking to biking to having a picnic with your friends, Boulder has it all.

I still believe that it is important to get outside every day, and being a busy student, I don’t always have the time to go all the way to Boulder or the mountains. But, spending time at parks around DU is just as much fun. My personal favorite routine is going for a run to Wash Park! It’s less than a mile away from campus, and has some of the best spots in the city for a fun picnic or hammock session with friends. As a bonus, I am an avid dog spotter, and Wash Park is always guaranteed to have plenty of furry friends running around :) 

Summiting Mt. Princeton with my friends from DU!

Sarah McClain - Major: Mechanical Engineering; Minors: Mathematics, Medical Physics, and Leadership Studies

Study Abroad at the University of Denver

I highly recommend taking advantage of study abroad at the University of Denver. The university offers incredible resources and benefits for students that are looking to study abroad during their college careers. There are dozens of programs to choose from and advisors to help you every step of the way. No matter what kind of experience you are looking to get out of your study abroad experience DU has something for you. Whether that be cultural, educational, working, or transformative, DU has options for everyone.

This past quarter I studied abroad in Prague, Czech Republic. Study abroad at the University of Denver is literally a life-changing experience. I know it sounds cliché when you hear someone say I studied abroad in x and it completely changed my life, but it really does, unlike anything you could imagine. Through my study abroad experience with DU, I was given the tools, experiences, and resources I needed to thrive and grow abroad. Prior to going abroad, I was scared of the new experience and couldn’t even imagine living among local Czech people and being mostly cut off from my family and friends back at home. While I was abroad, I was able to befriend locals, other study abroad students, and enhance the relationships I already had with some of my other DU peers that partook in the same program. Through the Cherrington Global Scholars Program with DU, I was able to go abroad at a reasonable cost and was able to get more out of my study abroad experience because I wasn’t worried about cost and finances and was able to live more in the moment/get the most out of my experiences and time abroad.

I can easily say that my time abroad changed my life. This time spent out of the DU bubble expanded my horizons and helped me able to come into myself in ways I had never imagined before. I now can say I have lived and grown in another culture and found more of myself because of it. Living and studying abroad has helped me find skills, knowledge, and parts of me that I never saw before and helped me grow into the best possible version of myself.

Amity Christie - Class of 2021; Marketing and Management Majors, Entrepreneurship Minor

 

The Perks of Living Close to Wash Park

As graduation is approaching, I find myself starting to feel like I’m getting bogged down by the grind of assignments, finding a job, finishing grad school applications, and still trying to balance time for my family, my friends, and for myself. While things can get stressful when you’re a senior in the last two quarters of your undergrad education, there are so many great opportunities to unplug, relax, recharge and reconnect with the people that matter most to me. Wash Park is one of my favorite places to go whenever I feel like life is getting too hectic, and with Week 8 coming around the corner, my friends and I decided to take a break from our busy schedules and have a picnic while watching the sunset.

We went to Trader Joe's to grab a bunch of snacks, and we all met up on Saturday afternoon in our favorite section of Wash Park, right next to the lake. My friend Maddy brought her dog, Hadley, and we spent the entire afternoon catching up, eating cheese and crackers, and watching the most incredible sunset I’ve ever seen.

This time with my friends was such a valuable reminder that despite how crazy things can get while in the midst of the undergrad grind, living in a vibrant city - with a beautiful park and incredible friends - makes it all worthwhile.

Lara Doyne - Class of 2020; Major: Business Management; Minors: Sociology and Leadership Studies

Interterm Courses

I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it before, but DU offers interterm courses both on campus, around the U.S. and abroad during our crazy long fall break as well as spring and summer break! This past fall I got to go to beautiful Belize and study Leadership and Sustainability. This course was truly amazing!!!!

We spent 6 days living in huts in the middle of the rainforest, and then took a 3-hour boat ride to a tiny island off the coast where we spent our last 4 days of the trip….how lucky were we! This class was incredible and I learned so much by just being there. Belize, being a country so small and it’s location, it was very evident how climate change has negatively affected their ecosystem and their economy. We had the opportunity to talk to the Prime minister, ecologists, professors, the owner of the island, and more where we could really understand how their country runs, what changes they are trying to make to protect the ecosystem, but also how countries like the U.S. and other surrounding countries are having a large impact on this devastation.

On the island each morning there was trash covering the beach, so we would go around and collect all that we could to clean it up! But it was so sad and shocking to see how much washed up from the ocean each day. While Belize is in the process of banning single use plastic (YAYAYA), it won’t have a huge impact because it is so small! We need countries like the U.S. to do the same!! So if you wanna help our planet….don’t use plastic and spread the word that we need change! AND if you wanna go on really cool trips, learn a lot, and make incredible friends while getting 4 credits in, check out the various options for interterm courses!! I highly recommend it :)