DePaul University

DePaul is a decent school- I can't give it too much more credit than that. The Theatre School has it's own thing going on, so I feel like I'm rating TTS more than DePaul in general, although lately I have branched out and taken some reg. DePaul courses in a variety of fields. DePaul University is a big school, although it doesn't look that big when you walk around the campus. We have so many commuter students that it's possible to never see the same person more than once a quarter even if you go to the same school. But if you want to get involved, there are plenty of student-run extracurriculars where you can meet people at and-- see them more than once a quarter. Chicago and Licoln Park are great- if you want to go to college in a major city but don't like living in a super congested (ala NYC) type of area, DePaul is a school I suggest you look at. --Also, although this school is "the largest catholic university in the country," don't let that scare you-- I'm an agnostic Jew and I'm doing fine. As for getting into the school, it really depends on what you're trying to get into. I came in for costume design and showed a bunch of paintings for my interview. My HS GPA was not impressive, my SAT scores were only slightly above average, so I figure basically anyone can get into DePaul as long as they weren't total flunkies in HS. However, one thing I have found is that while getting in is easy, there are plenty of challenging classes here, esp 300 level academics, that kick some major butt in terms of workload and studying. We have some crappy teachers and some good ones, which I guess is the case at every school. The one really great thing about DePaul is the small class sizes. I don't think I've ever been in a class with more than 55 people in it-- and I can't believe when my friends tell me they take classes in lecture halls with hundreds or thousands of students. Now, it was a bit sad that the rumor spread in HS that you could "miss as much class as you want" in college and still get an A isn't true here, but in the end, going to class every day is worth it-- as long as you have a good teacher.

4th Year Female -- Class 2005

Surrounding City: A+, Collaboration/Competitive: B-

DePaul University was an excellent place for me. I grew up on Chicago's North Shore and all my good friends were going out east or to Big Ten schools. I was accepted to MSU and visited East Lansing, only to conclude that the number of distractions (10,000 more babes than DePaul ever had when I was there) would cause me to flunk out within one semester due to my lack of discipline at the time.I went to DePaul with one purpose in mind- to study extremely hard and work my way through school. I did both. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and I did it. I made some great friends, many with whom I still communicate, and could not have found a more perfect institution. My cousin and I lived off campus in a pit of an apartment and had a great time finding out about Chicago's northwest side. I met my lovely wife because she was an alumnae of Notre Dame and this gave us some common ground and shared values. Thank God for DePaul. It is not for everybody but I do not believe it tries to be. It is what it is, and what you make of it. I hope to send my sons either to DePaul or Notre Dame. I've been saving since the day I was circumcised and not a minute too soon, I might add.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000