University of Colorado Boulder

My nephew go there.
It is a great college.

S U M M A R Y:
Finding the right words to describe my college experience is near impossible. Epic parties– check. Friends that last a lifetime — check. Incredible food — check. Beautiful campus — absofreakinglutely. School spirit — you bet! This university has it all, and I wouldn’t trade the memories for anything. Picking the right school is a HUGE decision. The college you choose will mold who you are as you’re lead into your future path. While there’s many great universities out there, it’s important to understand what you’re looking for. The University of Colorado in Boulder gave me the best moments of my life, and provided the perfect college experience.
E D U C A T I O N:
While CU is no ivy league, my professors expanded my horizons and opened my mind in ways I never thought were possible. During freshman year, your classes will most likely be huge and can have hundreds of students. You’ll have to work extra hard to have a relationship with your professors, but if you go to office hours it’s very possible. As your reach sophomore, junior, and senior year, your classes will get smaller and smaller. I’ve had classes with only 10 students, and an average class size of 30. The more specialized your class is, the smaller it will be. If you show up to class, you will learn A LOT. You really get what you give. As far as professors go, I highly recommend checking the website ratemyprofessors to learn specifics about your professors in advance. Oh ya, and Norlin Library has amazing resources.
D O R M S:
There are 23 residence halls at CU, and these halls are known for being large with big closet spaces. Each building has its own pros and cons, but my personal favorites in order include Farrand, Libby, Baker, and Cheyanne Arapahoe. These dorms are in the best locations for freshman. Sewall Hall is also one of the nicer dorms, and is close to The Hill which has many popular shops and restaurants. Almost all dorms have perks, but some are in quieter locations. Williams Village is the farthest from campus.
C A M P U S:
This stunning campus was established in 1876. Brick buildings with sandstone walls, collegiate gothic style architecture, tall trees, green friendly, and commonly ranked as one of the most beautiful campuses in the U.S. Students are commonly found playing frisbee on Farrand Field, exercising at the Rec Center, enjoying Fiske Planetarium, or utilizing other facilities.
G R E E K L I F E:
Rushing is a fantastic way to meet others and network. Most houses (aka mansions) are beautiful, and they require you to live in your sophomore year. They even have a private chef! If you’re a guy that’s into partying, then I’d recommend rushing. Frat parties are very exclusive to members and girls only. Each sorority and fraternity has its own reputation, and recruits all kinds of individuals. With that said, while Greek Life is popular, it’s not a deal breaker if you skip it.
S O C I A L S C E N E:
Pearl Street! Denver! House Parties! Bars! Movies! Stargazing! Camping! Skiing! Snowboarding! Rock climbing! Tubing in the creek! Concerts! Estes Park! There’s so much to do here literally every night you may not get any sleep. Let’s just put it this way, no matter who you are or what you’re into, there’s something here for everyone. In Colorado, the possibilities are endless.
D I N I N G:
I personally think this university may just have the best food in the world. Is that awesome? Yes. Will you gain weight? 100%. But don’t worry, we also have the most amazing gym so it’s okay! The main campus dining is called the C4C. This building offers stations with different genres of food, and is buffet style. It changes on a daily basis, for every meal. Some dorms (Libby & Sewall) also have dining but C4C is the most popular spot. My personal favorites for off campus restaurants are The Med, and Pizzeria Locale.
A T H L E T I C S:
We may not be known for winning our games, but we have the best spirit! Football is popular and a huge part of CU. Basketball games are also a blast! I recommend getting the CU Sports Pass. Many weekends consist of tailgate parties, cheering loudly, and after parties whether we win or lose. I’m not a big sports fan, but dressing up and cheering with peers is a college must. Go Buffs!
T R A N S P O R T A T I O N:
All CU students are given a bus pass which takes you to all major nearby areas for free, including the airport for a cheap price. You can easily walk from one side of the campus to the other in about 15 minutes. Most freshman walk, and starting sophomore year many students have their cars on campus.
S A F E T Y:
I felt very safe walking alone on and off campus. There’s a free car service called «Night Ride» that will pick you up anywhere on campus and bring you to your dorm/​home. Only other concern is you may see some cute bears digging through your trash at night. Other than that, you’re solid :)
Have more questions or concerns? Feel free to message me and I’ll be happy to help.

CU Boulder is beautiful. I didn’t attend as an undergrad, but I have visited the campus numerous times. It is kept clean, staff and students are friendly, and it’s in Colorado. Let’s be honest: that makes it a winner, hands down.

I lived in Sewall Hall freshman year, and some of the college and campus townhouses after that. I was a hardcore partier, & I attended fraternity parties on a regular basis, not to mention going to downtown Boulder to drink at the 2 for 1 bars. Vodka sodas were $ 2 when I was a student there. Eighties music was in full swing on the Hill, Tulagis was a great hang out.. . 24-​ounce beers for a dollar. Dominos would deliver a pizzas for 10 bucks, including tip, and I’ll never forget playing quarters at Round the Corner. There really should have been some way to curb all that partying among students, such as not allowing fraternities to serve alcohol, or being stricter with IDs. I’m sure it hasn’t changed much since then. But I could be wrong.
Despite CU’s reputation for being a party school, those who have praised the beauty of the area are correct. You cannot beat the majestic views of the foothills, Chataugua, and the Flatirons, and the beautiful campus, with its amazing architecture and wide expanses of greenery. Folsom Stadium is one of the best. I opted to stay in Boulder over two out of four of the summers because I was having so much fun there. And the seasons are awesome, especially coming from Southern California, where we have no seasons, really.
The only real complaint that I had as a graduate was that there wasn’t a lot of follow through with students, counseling, or preparing a student to go into the real world. After I graduated from the School of Journalism (Adv. ’85), I had a difficult time finding a job in an ad agency. I ended up becoming an insurance adjuster, then a salesperson for Arrowhead Water Company, and finally, a school teacher. So the training I received in journalism didn’t prepare me for what I was going to face in real life.
Overall, I think I made the best decision to attend University of Colorado, Boulder, rather than a California campus.

With my CU Freshman daughter we took the campus tour. I had no clue what to expect and was caught a little off guard I hope that this review will help future parents prepare for this tour.
1. Wear comfortable shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking and lot’s of stairs.
2. Bring a bottle of water. They don’t stop for breaks.
3. Dress in layers.
4. It’s 2:30 hours long tour, most of it walking.
5. When you pay for parking pay for 5 – 6 hours otherwise you will have to walk all the way back to the parking lot to add more time.
It’s a beautiful campus with the high altitude unless you work out daily you will feel it the next day. I know I am! LOL

The «other side» of campus has convenient parking, close accessibility to lots of food choices, the Boulder Creek path, and Scott Carpenter Park. What is a bit challenging is that it can be very difficult to navigate people to particular buildings and rooms within the buildings (I have helped, or tried to help many a lost person).
The Stampede bus runs frequently between here and the main campus and since we are near the first stop you can be guaranteed to get a seat.
There are picnic tables near many of the buildings on the East Campus and the Facilities Management team does a great job keeping our sidewalks clean and our grass shorn. The only complaint I would have is that the shorning tends to often take place during my sprawled out lawn lunch or hula hoop fiesta.
Overall I think it’s a great area of campus to work at, particularly since it isn’t as busy or congested as the main campus.

This is a review for the kids summer camp ONLY. It pains me to write this review as this is my husband’s alma mater. We are faithful season ticket holders for a losing football team that can’t seem to get it together no matter what they do. We are also season ticket holders for the basketball team which is a bit better. But really you can’t be too hard on the players. They’re only kids.
As avid fans and my young son being a budding basketball enthusiast, I thought signing him up for the summer one week basketball camp was a win. He also suffers some food allergies which is considered a disability by the federal government.
A week before camp I speak to an unruly woman. I ask if they can accommodate my son with his issues. Basically, all I wanted was to provide hand wipes to the camp. Either his group if not the entire basketball camp. I tried asking whether I could speak to a counselor but she said that was impossible as she doesn’t know where they are and can’t get a hold of them. She also spoke over me very rudely, and said «in the 5 years I’ve been doing this I’ve never seen this level like yours». I’m guessing she meant my level of concern. I wasn’t asking for them to go nut free. I was just wanting to provide wipes and wanted to speak to a counselor. She acted as though I asked for her to streak naked on Pearl Street after I take all her money. She yelled and spoke over me clearly very irritated at my simple request.
She said, I could come to camp with my son on Mon. morning to see if it was a good fit. Was she kidding? No. She wanted me to drag my child out at 7am (be there at 7am) then to possibly disappoint him. At that point I said I wanted my money back. She refused and said she can give me partial. I told her I’d think about it and give her a call back. I called her back and said «no worries, I will just file a complaint with the ADA. Then she went ballistic and said, I had no idea what I was talking about and insulted me more. Long story, I got my full refund and an email from the new ADA coordinator at CU.
I just can’t believe they hire someone who can’t speak professionally to the public. She sounded either drunk or someone you’d expect to meet getting arrested on the show Cops. Terrible manners and no class.
We will never be going to a camp at CU ever after that incident.

Beautiful campus. Brick buildings is the theme and it looks gorgeous. I feel smart just being there. So much greenery and walking paths.
The library is well equipped for students.
Outdoor amphitheater area for shows and concerts.
I enjoyed my visit to this college campus and would definitely like to come again.
I came on a holiday weekend so a lot of stuff was closed including the campus bookstore. Would’ve been fun to get some swag.

Katy Herbert Kotlarczyk, Director of Development, Leeds School of Business
more like director of her own self development. Appears she has a hidden agenda that the directors and Vice chancellors would I’m certain just love to hear about. You see you make the bed you lay in, you made the bed Katy Herbert Kotlarczyk now you can lay in it! No one wants bad plublicity representing such a prestigious school now do they… What a shame you made this all about you and that’ in it’s self is a bad experience about going to UC at Boulder and in Denver too. Too bad too too too bad :(

Beautiful campus but quite expensive, I wish the students here would take school more seriously. Yet, I don’t regret picking this school! :)

Expensive University. The students that matriculate here are no doubt intelligent, but there are many that consider themselves elite. Please use the crosswalks when crossing Broadway, that’s why we put them there.

Racist school. I never felt so low in my life. If you are black, the whites at the school will look down on you. Their are also skinheads on the campus. I feel for my life, some days. One of the racist schools I ever been to. Terrible. Just terrible. Im shocked, never in my wildest dreams, would I expect Colorado to be racist. Also the migration of California students hasn’t helped either. They have made the school worse. They’re a bunch of stuck up, racist, two-​faced rich kids, who only think about themselves. Imagine going to school hearing, «Like oh my God,» every 5 minutes, walking around campus. so fucking annoying and old.

I run a small insurance agency in Denver. One of our clients is Kelly Fox, the Chief Financial Officer of the University. Kelly is #3 in command behind the President, Bruce Benson. Kelly and her husband, John Bratton, suffered flood damage to their basement and «thought they were covered.» Among Kelly’s responsibilities is to supervise the insurance activities of the University (called risk management in corporate speak). She is an expert on matters financial and, since she supervises it at the University, also insurance. Kelly is one of the most sophisticated and highly paid financial professionals in the State of Colorado. I find it amazing that she can make the case that she did not know whether she had flood insurance! I am very sorry about the losses suffered by the people of Boulder and northern Colorado but to attack the messenger is simply uncalled for.
Kelly’s husband was extremely angry and accused me of being rude on the phone but in an edited version of their post, he said :
«Kelly (Jerry Kelly) later claimed, in a conversation with my wife, that I was the one who was rude on the phone, and that his manner was only in response to mine. That may well be…»
The original version of the article accused me of just being rude. In the edited version (after I complained about it being unfair and untrue) John admits that he was the one that was rude.
The University is also a big supporter of Entrepreneurship through the Leeds School of Business yet Kelly and her husband have chosen to write posts on Unilocal that mischaracterize conversations and unfairly attack my small business in efforts to destroy it. When public officials act in this vindictive and highly unprofessional manner I think the citizens should stand up and demand that these people be removed. To think that Kelly Fox is in a senior management position at the largest public institution in Colorado is scary. Maybe this is why the University of Colorado has had so many problems over the years. I call upon Chancellor Destafano and the Board of Regents to have a discussion with Ms Fox about her unprofessional behavior.
Both of my daughters graduated from the University of Colorado with distinction. My younger daughter graduated from the Leeds School of Business and was on the dean’s list every semester. I think that it is a shame that the leadership of CU allows this type of unprofessional, even childish, behavior by a senior manager and that we as citizens of Colorado allow one of our finest institutions to be drug down by the actions of a few.

Red bricks. Beautiful campus.

I am sorry for every dollar I paid as tuition for this useless university. The advisor of my daughter was more successful to make influence on choice of the major than me. As a result 4and half wasted years, no job with CU degree and great suggestion to spend another 3 years to get proper education and pay, pay and pay for useless classes. Rooms in the dormitory are horrible and living conditions are really bad. Waste of time and money.

I’m lucky I transfered to CU!!! The professors here are awesome! I love being so close to the mountains for running & biking. People say it’s a party school but it depends on who you hang out with. My friends & I are all serious about our classes, we get the most out of it. CU Rocks!

I attended CU business school 25 years ago and received a quality education in an amazingly beautiful environment. Then, as now, many of the students are from privileged backgrounds but they have the most choices.
Despite its party school reputation, the business school was not easy and the many temptations to party and enjoy the extensive outdoor activities helps build self discipline. The majority of my professors had high standards and the workload was intense. It is difficult to live there after graduation because employment opportunities, outside of the university, are limited.
That said, CU is well above average (especially in business and engineering) and a beautiful place to live for four years.

2012 Review #177:
Although I wasn’t able to change the name of this quite yet, this review is specifically for the Regent Administrative Office. Basically, CU students paid who-​knows-​how-​many millions of dollars to build this super-​fancy building. It is somewhat labyrinthian and confusine, but it is new and shiny. All the boring aspects of college life are here, like the registrar, financial aid, bursar, etc.
I spent a long, long time in this office one day because I entered in the spring semester and apparently this has never been done before. So, all of the automated systems basically didn’t think I existed. I traipsed all around this building trying to get my graduate schedule worked out; in the end, I did, and it was thanks to some really helpful employees. I was stuck in a major catch-​22; the deadline for adding or changing classes was on Monday, it was Friday afternoon and I had yet to get any online sign-​in info so I couldn’t sign up because apparently I wasn’t a real person. I went to the registrar and got a very nice woman who basically told me she really wasn’t supposed to sign me up because I wasn’t technically a student yet, but she did it anyway and was nice about it.
This summer, I was signed up for summer intensive courses, and ended up having to drop 2 of them. Because the online CU billing system is terrible, it cannot recognize the drop dates for intensive classes, so my bill went un-​adjusted, to the tune of $ 1000+ dollars. I called the bursar’s office and once again had a pretty great experience, all things considered. The women who helped me (Laura and Patricia) kept me extremely well-​informed, told me to call back by certain times if I hadn’t heard anything, and followed through. It took several days, which I didn’t like, but it did get done and I wasn’t charged a late fee. I checked my bill several days ago and saw it was correct, and then today Laura called me just to let me know she had checked herself, made sure it was correct, and wanted to make sure I was informed. It’s really rare that an institution that seeks to take as much money from you as possible actually has people who care about student needs. Although there are lots of aspects of CU I do not like, thankfully the financial part of it is in very responsible hands.

Where to begin… I spent 4 years of my life going to undergrad here and graduated with a Business Major in 2010. My experience at CU Boulder was definitely not like that of most, but academically speaking I think it is a great institution to attend… You get what you put into it.
SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT
Most people here seemed concerned with parties, frats, sex and fitting in. This school also prides themselves in being diverse when in actuality is not too fond of difference, majority of people who go here are extremely ignorant and come from very privileged backgrounds. I experienced racism both from students as well as staff but through it all I was able to find great on campus resources such as: SORCE, Center for Multicultural Affairs, The GLBT Resource center, McNeill Program, Diverse Scholars Program in the B-​School. If it wasn’t for all these resources I don’t know how I would’ve survived college in Boulder.
LOCATION
This campus is beautiful and was always well maintained. I always enjoyed my walks from one end to the other. Boulder is a clean/​hippy/​granola bar city that offers a variety of activities to enjoy.
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
I was able to find organizations where I felt comfortable and safe. I was part of UMAS y MEChA and QPOC, my two most favorite orgs they helped me keep sane at this school. They have numerous student orgs:

ACADEMICS/​MAJORS
Thinking about what would be financially beneficial in life, I picked Business Management, now I wish I would’ve picked something that would’ve lead me to a more specific job career such as Business-​Accounting/​Marketing or Mechanical/​Civil Engineering. When picking your major I would really think about the career you want to pursue when you graduate. I would also recommend majoring in Ethnic Studies (has incredible professors)/Sociology/Women Studies these majors will stimulate your mind and make you questions things you wouldn’t have before.
TUITION/​SCHOLARSHIPS
The tuition here varies depending on your residency and major. Out of State tuition is ridiculously expensive compared to in-​state tuition. The Business School is the most expensive with the Engineering school being second most expensive and majors in the Arts & Sciences and Architecture schools are the cheapest. If you are qualified for the scholarships CU has to offer, apply for them. CU Boulder is supper rich and has plenty of scholarships to offer but only if you truly need them.

I had long been contemplating which business to write about for my 100^th review… and then I realized… what better place than the university that changed my life?
When I began my journey I was just a naïve teenager, fresh out of high school. After all the hard work, dedication, heartache, and PARTYING, I was shaped into the mature young woman I am today – yes, mature, although it took many hard lessons. Responsible for this evolution were a multitude of factors, from the exceptional faculty and staff, to the challenging curricula, the awe-​inspiring architecture and the pride of being a Buff… even the city of Boulder itself.
CU is nestled in Boulder valley, with a backdrop of the most spectacular mountains you will EVER see – the Flatirons. You want world class hiking, camping, skiing, snowboarding (or any outdoor activity)? Go to CU.
There are INFINITE places to chill on campus, from Norlin Quad to the revamped Farrand Field… in this setting you will have the best time of your life, and you will meet people that become your life-​long friends. It is true, what they say: Work Hard, Party Hard.
Norlin Library was voted #1 place to have sex by Playboy many years ago… when you go there you’ll see what I mean. Many, many nooks and crannies to seclude oneself… It’s also a great place to study. Very few distractions.
At CU, you are treated as an adult so you are prepared for the ‘real world.’ When I was an undergrad, I couldn’t believe how much effort went in to being successful. The day I graduated with degrees in Political Science and Art & Art History was the best day of my life. I was absolutely SPENT; I could not believe how difficult it had been to get to graduation. And yet, the campus, the people, the education, and many, many other things kept me going.
Stick it out, and this place will change your life in countless ways. Ways that words cannot describe.
Going to CU as an undergrad was HANDS DOWN the BEST decision I’ve ever made in my entire life. I’m a Buff for life, and I’ll represent CU no matter where I live and no matter what happens. I desperately want to come back for a Masters program so I can relive my life as a CU student. Once a Buffalo, always a Buffalo.
GO BUFFS!!!

Best university in America??? I think so!

When I first stepped on campus I fell in love with the architecture and green space. The archways and lanterns, the ponds and foot paths, the red brick and water fountains. There is a lot of care taken to keep this place beautiful. And I sure do appreciate it.
Once the athletics improve, you can have five stars.

If you didn’t attend CU Boulder like «Vishnu J.“‘s bad review, then you can’t be one to say that it’s a bad school. You’re probably just mad they didn’t accept you.
I’ve been to many college campuses and CU Boulder is by far the nicest one. It’s one of few that kept its architecture theme throughout the entire campus, which by the way is from Tuscany.
It was the best years of my life and would do it again in a heart beat. Great student government, great programs, great classes, and a few weird professors here and there.