Colorado College Top Questions

It's a small school of about 2000 students with students from almost every state and some International Students; Most students are focussed and know how to exert their time management skills. My best place to pass my time is the Olin fishbowl, which is a study facility located in the Science building. It is quite comfortable and in sense, away from the school, because not many people go there. My best experience was my first day in College. It was exciting meeting new people and just exploring the place.

The best thing about Colorado College is the location. We have a spectacular view of the mountains and I spend all of my free time in the mountains. The school is not too small, it is a perfect size. There is no college town, but there is the "CC Bubble" and most people make fun on campus instead of the town. The bars are less than impressive. Colorado College is cool because you can go to a D1 Hockey game and then have class with the hockey players.

okay so Colorado College has the block plan. I don't really have a good idea about how many people at CC really love the block plan but i have talked to quite a few myself included who dont like the block plan. a couple of things you may want to consider about the block plan before you dive in: three and a half weeks really isn't enough time to cover some topics so when you finish the class your knowledge of that subject may not be complete. the block plan requires a certain way of thinking. if you are a slow learner this is not the place for you. in any given class you move from topic to topic so quickly that maybe one topic didn't sink in the first time around. on the block plan you just have to move on with out a concrete understanding of that topic. the block plan isn't all its set out to be.

the best thing about CC is probably the block plan and the location. i would probably make more classes available more often--sometimes it's difficult to get the class you want. people don't really react to CC, it's not super well known and it is often confused with UC Boulder. i spend most of my time on campus in the dorms, outside if its nice, in the climbing gym, and with friends (at off campus houses). not a very good college town, Colorado Springs is definetly big and has everything you need but the school doesn't really interact with it very much. the administration is pretty fair but they've been cracking down more lately on drinking policies. the block plan is the most unusual thing about CC--we get four days off every three and a half weeks and only take one class at a time! TONS of school pride--people who go to CC LOVE CC.

Nobody knows about CC. If you tell someone that you go to Colorado College they think its a community college or something. People dont know about us.

CC is a really intimate place, which can be both a downer and an upper. There are no secrets unless you don't talk to anyone here about anything about you, and if you say something at all, it will get to everyone in about 3 days. Many people don't know what CC is, but those that do recognize it as a top school that is both challenging and rewarding. I find it challenging, but I am ready to move on. Colorado Springs isn't exactly CC-friendly, as there's a big military and Christian right influence in the city, but the few blocks of downtown that CC is near is quite great, with some cute shops, great bookstores, and fun bars. Jack Quinn's is probably the best place to go, and Shuga's has great food and delicious cocktails. This year there has been several incidents of intolerance on campus. We had a blackface incident, a homophobic incident, an anti-Semitic incident, and an extremely sexist incident, not to mention several instances of sexual misconduct. Something is going on here at CC, and I'm not sure what, but I am glad to leave this changing climate of seeming intolerance. The administration seems unwilling to take a firm stance on any of the issues, and makes blanket statements that attempt to please everyone but end up exacerbating the issues. It's very frustrating to try to act and realize anything you do will be forgotten in a few months.

CC has a lot of great experiences to offer. Warm afternoons filled with frisbee playing, campus golfing, and just about any other sport you might be into. Great block-break trips. And an academic experience like no other.

Colorado College is all about the block plan. It is what makes it unique and interesting, as well as what makes it a particularly challenging academic environment, its understood that only certain people do well on the block plan...its sort of a self selective program. I think the size of the school was great up untill senior year when you run out of new people to meet other than the freshmen (not always the most desirable friends for a senior), so it could probably go a little bigger, but I wouldn't want the size of the classes to increase.

I love this school with all my heart. I transferred here sophomore year from Duke, fleeing the university's large classes and research-minded professors and bad location. At CC, I've found people who are passionate about everything, who love to discuss classes outside of the classroom, who are driven and intelligent but so down to earth. The size has never been a problem for me because you feel safe when you go out and see a party full of people you know. Every party at CC is a theme party. A party without costumes and 80's music is no party at all here. Although Colorado Springs is a pretty sketchy location, (meth labs, military presence, the extreme religious right of Focus on the Family and the New Life Church), our school is a haven of sanity and safety. Our relationship with the community is an interesting one. Yes, there is a "CC Bubble," where few people venture off campus and we believe that everything in the world is as good as it is at our school. Those who are 21 rarely go to bars because campus weekends are so much fun. The school organizes so many events for us like Llampalooza, the big concert festival, bagels and brewfest for seniors, hundreds of speakers, comedians, winterball and homecoming, etc. The professors here really care about their students and many of them become our friends. It is rare to find a professor who won't have you over to his or her house for coffee and conversation. Few go by anything other than their first name and laugh when you call them "Professor __." They are always eager to help and know everything about you, from your hometown to your particular style of writing to what you are doing for block break. Many help you find jobs. Classes are rarely lecture based and you spend as much time learning from your fellow students as you do from your professors. CC is unique in that it doesn't require it's professors to "publish or perish," so unlike Duke, where professors are researchers first and teachers second, CC profs live for their students. Of course of the most unique things about our school is the block system. It allows you to get completely immersed in a subject to the point of an obsession for some classes. It also allows you to get all your credits taken care of pretty easily. You actually retain the information you learn because you think of nothing else for three and a half weeks. You never have homework on breaks because each block ends in a break, so you take your final for that class and that's it. The block plan also enables students to take blocks abroad or time off for skiing. I went to Ireland for a whole month to research and write poetry. Yes, it is a stressful system if you are taking science classes or if you are a procrastinator. You simply have to do your work when it's assigned or you are screwed. Missing class is not an option because one day is like a week on the semester plan. However, if you're sick, you only have to make it until noon and then you can go sleep for the rest of the day. Everyone here is involved in something. There's always some student activity going on and most students juggle multiple commitments with ease. It doesn't matter what your parents do, it matters what you do. These aren't the kids with 800 SAT scores and a house in the Hamptons. They are the kids who spent a year doing a Knolls trip, volunteered in Africa, researched Chilean weaving practices, wrote poetry books, worked with some White House senator, and somehow managed to get great grades at the same time. Block breaks are times when students volunteer or go backpacking. When the temperature gets above 50, every grassy space is filled with people playing frisbee, slacklining, reading, or just hanging out.

CC is pretty amazing. i really appreciate the block plan, and we have outstanding professors. it's in a decent town, gorgeous campus

CC is awesome, that's all there is to it. The block plan, though it can be rough, is the best way to learn- Whenever I visit my friends at other schools and remind them about the block plan and the style of learning at CC, they all wish they went here.

CC is an excellent school for someone who wants to learn, enjoys class discussion, enjoys taking one subject at a time, and who enjoys having a good time as well.

Colorado College is a great, social school that allows almost any niche group to flourish. Students find things that they already loved and things that they never knew existed. This creates a vibrant community of outdoors folks, artists, musicians, athletes and so on. The school is expensive and in a Colorado, which cuts out a lot of socio-economic and ethnic diversity. The administration is currently fighting to clime the hierarchical ladder that is US News college rankings which draws mixed feelings between the students and the powers that be. Overall growth and change but some feel that the school is currently losing some of its once distinguishing characteristics that allowed to be seen differently than some of its counterparts: Whitman, Middlebury, Vassar etc. Overall this Colorado College is engaged in a multitude of ways which in turn makes it very exciting to be in and a part of.

There are things to do in Colorado Springs; plenty of places to eat, karaoke bars...mega churches... The general liberal view of the college and the very conservative view of the city are somewhat at odds. The downtown is close to campus and pretty nice. I think the administration does a great job. Some people complain that the president is too much of a businessman, but I have a lot of respect for what he does, how much gets done, and the amount of feedback the administration wants from the students.

The professors are the best thing. I would change the lack of minorities and racial/socioeconomic diversity. School is just the right size, but I'd be ok with it being bigger. Most people think I go to a community college or a Colorado State school, never having heard of CC. I spend most of my time in Palmer, or in my dorm. The town is pretty boring and most people spend most time on campus I feel. I don't know enough about the administration to have an opinion. The recent controversy has been derogatory graffiti directed at our gay/lesbian population. There is a fair amount of school pride, especially against DU. The unusual thing about the college is the block plan. I don't have an experience I'll remember. Cafeteria food is a big complaint, although my biggest complaint is the lack of diversity.

the block plan kicks butt.... a good class is a sick 3.5 weeks of a cool class... if its impossible and you hate it before you know it your half way through and you only have another week and a half so its pretty mucha a win win. I think it could be a bit bigger but nott to much maybe another 50-100 kids a class... Most people dont really not much about cc but the people who know who know think that its pretty sweet.

The best thing about Colorado College is the block plan. I would change our dining services. My school is just right. People often think Colorado College is some random state school or community college in Colorado, which is quite annoying. I spend most of my time either in my dorm, the student center, in class, or in the Music building. The CC administration is kind and respectful, but I wish they were more lenient with respect to underage drinking and use of un-harmful illegal drugs. The biggest recent controversy is an anonymous paper placed in several bathroom stalls, called "The Monthly Bag;" it is a paper made with the focus being to debunk perceived myths on racial and gender issues, and providing "manly"-type information. There is a lot of school pride, especially in the hockey team. The block plan is quite unusual about CC, and the student body is more liberal than most college campuses, especially with reference to environmental issues. I will remember forever the experience of prospie weekend my senior year of high school, and smoking weed on top of Honnen ice rink. The most frequent student complaints are over acts of perceived discrimination and environmental issues.

The block plan is a godsend for those that can handle it. The beauty of the block plan is that with no other classes to worry about, a geology course might go backpacking in the San Juans for two weeks to learn about volcanic rocks, or a world music class may go to an Indian reservation in Oklahoma to see traditional powwow music in practice. If you have a hard or boring class, it is over in one month. It isn't for everyone though, because we are essentially compacting a semester' worth of course material into one month, so students often find themselves unable to plan anything outside of the one month timeframe. Block breaks are about the best thing on the planet; every month we have four days off to ski, hike, travel, hang on campus. First block break this year I went backpacking near Aspen, second block break I went to Boulder for three days, and fifth block break went skiing for four days straight at Vail and Beaver creek. Colorado Springs gets 300 days of sunshine a year, so all year long you can look at Pikes peak, and even in the dead of winter it will be bright and sunny out. The weather just rocks, period. There isn't much I would change about CC. The food is decent, but can get repetitive, and I would prefer a bigger focus on the performing art, especially music, in the course offerings. CC is a good size for me, but if you want to be able to meet new faces all the time, it's going to be small. If you are social and proactive about meeting people, you will know your entire year by face or name by winter break. One thing about the school that you will notice is its relative obscurity for being such a high ranking institution; it gets mistaken for other Colorado schools quite often. I would say three out of four people that I tell I go to CC ask "oh, and how do you like Boulder?" The few who know CC are always impressed by the name drop though. CC has a wealth of things to do. I usually find myself spending time in the freshman dorms, which are always beehives of every activity imaginable, or down by Herb N Farm, our organic food place which has a terrace that overlooks Pikes Peak and the front range over the athletic fields. When the weather is warm the quad is awesome. Campus does a great job of bringing in bands and speakers, and you can always find a pickup game of soccer or ultimate, or maybe a drum circle. Colorado Springs is unfortunately no great shakes. It is a typical largely blue collar town with a small downtown and lots of sprawl. The downtown is becoming significantly more trendy recently, however, and cool towns and things to do are right outside of the city. Manitou Springs and Pike National Forest come to mind. College administration is friendly and efficient. The block plan creates difficulties for them, but they handle everything superbly. Discipline-wise, they are not quick to judge and are very willing to give second third and fourth chances, to an extent. They deal seriously with serious issues, however, as does the rest of campus. Recently homophobic messages were written on a gay RA's door, and the entire campus justfiably went into an uproar for weeks following the event, as it goes so strongly against CC's accepting and socially aware nature. The biggest complaints I hear on campus are about the rigor of the block plan and the cold of the winters. Colorado Springs is quite windy so when November hits, the temperature drops and everyone bundles up. Colorado weather is fickle though, so right after dumping six inches of snow on campus you can have a week straight of 60-degree sun in the middle of January.

the school is a little bit too small. People don't generally know about colorado college, but that doesn't bother most of the people who go here. In recent years, the schools has become more "prep" or "ivy" like and less original and unique. The town sucks, a lot. There isn't a ton to do (unless you REALLY like the outdoors) and the city is so ridiculously conservative that it makes it hard for the college and the town to coexist. However, with the "northeastification" of the school in recent years, the student body is slowly becoming more conservative. The biggest recent controversy on campus is now crystallized as the "black face incident". While I won't go into too many details, a bunch of hockey players dressed up in "black face" and didn't really understand why everyone got so upset. The most frequent complaints are about food service, but that is being reviewed this year.

The best thing about CC is, without a doubt, the block plan. It truly is an incredible way to learn, and it affords CC students with so many opportunities that would be lost at any other school. The campus feels a bit small sometimes, but people rarely complain because the walk from your dorm to class always is a bit longer than you would think. Colorado Springs takes a lot of flak from the CC community (and, in turn, CC takes a lot of flak from the C. Springs community). And while Colorado Springs is definitely a less-than-ideal city, I have come to appreciate a lot of aspects about it. And there is never an absence of interesting people that one can meet downtown.

As a freshman, I'm a relatively new addition to the CC community but I've quickly developed a love for this school! Not to be cheesy, but I adore it. CC met my wildest expectations and made coming to college a smooth transition from high school. I was considering other small liberal arts colleges such as Whitman College and University of Puget Sound but certain things set CC apart from its competitors. For instance the students here are very welcoming and I think its a great size, though it could be too small for some people. I spend a lot of time on the quad when its sunny, which is often. Coming from overcast Oregon I'm very impressed with how even if its cold outside, for the most part we're graced with clear blue skies. One of the frustrating parts of the CC experience is the somewhat dull town of Colorado Springs. Its kind of a small city surrounded by suburban barf, a result of lack of urban planning. Although C Springs is disappointing, there are so many activities provided on campus that it usually makes up for not having a good metropolis nearby. Although its important to remember that Denver is only about an hour away so if you become desperate for a concert or event to go to, thats the best spot. Also amazing ski spots, Keystone, Breckenridge, etc. are a mere 2-3 hours away. As soon as ski season starts, tons of CC students go up to the mountains on the weekends.

Best thing: discussion based, small classes. Change: I'd like it if adjuncts could be worth more credits. Size: could afford to be a little bigger, but i like the size. Outsider's reaction: "Oh, CU-Boulder?" College town?: The area of CO springs directly off campus (aka wooglins deli) is nice, but once you actually get into Colorado Springs, there's a huge disconnect between the citizens and the students. We're all "liberal hippies" and they're all "Right wing, religious militarists..." or so it would seem. Administration: not enough financial aid--70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of my class pays full tuition. They've been recruiting students from much richer areas...it's like they look at our wallets first before accepting us. Controversy: Homophobic slurs written on the sophmore dorm RLC's door. Pride: Especially at hockey games, yeah. Unusual: The block plan, how we're very much a bubble within the completely opposite urban sprawl of CO springs, everyone is extremely extremely nice Experience: My FOOT trip organized by the ORC--It was my first time above 14000 ft and it was with really encouraging and inspiring peers that made me realize that college is completely different from HS. Complaints: Rastall--The food in the main dining hall is pretty bad: many students have an almost immediate reaction to the food in their bowels, yayyy!

Colorado weather is amazing, as is Colorado in general. You just can't beat it. We have the most sun of any state - yes, including Hawaii - averaging at about 300 days a year. When it's not sunny, it's snowing. However, mountain weather can be crazy. Just this past week it was sunny 60 degrees one day and dumped three inches of snow the next. However, temperature stays pretty mild and I'm not trudging to class in four feet of snow. I see it as the best of all possible worlds: balmy temperatures, seasons, constant sun, and a good amount of snow. The best way to describe Colorado is a playground. If you're into the outdoors, Pikes Peak literally looms over the campus and Garden of the Gods is 15 minutes down the road. Outside of Colorado Springs, all the major ski resorts (read: best skiing in the country) are 1 to 4 hours away. Skiing is extraordinarily affordable and accessible for students; I got a season pass to four major mountains for only $260 and $10 buses go to various mountains every weekend. There is also the mind-blowing geological phenomenon of the Great Sand Dunes in southern Colorado, a visit which is a rite of passage for many students. Not into the great outdoors? No big deal, a $7 bus ride gets you to Denver and another short one right to Boulder. In general, there's endless opportunities during the all-important Block Breaks. CC is a small school, approximately 2000 students. The campus, thus, is also very small. This can be an advantage and a disadvantage. From walking out of my dorm, it takes me - at most - two minutes to get to any class and there's always someone around to hang out with. But there is the running joke of the "CC bubble". This is because CC is a haven of liberalism in the ultra-conservative Colorado Springs. The city is the evangelical center of America, home to Focus on the Family, Young Life, and countless other megachurches. It's also proudly the home of the Air Force Academy. Needless to say, Colorado Springs is not the most welcoming of CC's liberal mentality and there is a strained town-gown relationship. Furthermore, aside from a few restaurants, movie theaters, and any super-store you can think of, Colorado Springs doesn't have a lot to offer. Because of this, many students prefer to stay on campus, which can make one feel pretty claustrophobic sometimes. School pride is pretty much reserved for the hockey team, which is one of the best in the nation. Even Colorado Springs supports the team. But even then, it's a certain group of kids who go to every home game (aside from the big DU rival game) and it isn't a huge deal among the student population as a whole. For all the stereotypes, CC isn't really a campus of controversy or politics. There aren't protests being held, they're aren't rallies, and even the presidential hopefuls - though a common conversation topic - aren't publicly supported. However, there was a recent occurrence of racism and bigotry in one of the big dorms on campus, which led to a hugely supported sit-in. People here are more than happy to just go with the flow, but are still willing to support a cause and make a change when needed.

Best thing: Block plan creates strong academic and personal bonds with other students. One thing I'd change: more organization within organizations on campus. CC is the perfect size. Reactions: Very positive, or they have never heard of it. Most of my time is spent in the lounge of my dorm building, or in Herb 'N' Farm, an organic restaurant on campus. Down town definitely has a college-town feel, but it is just a small part of CO Springs. The rest of it is not a college town at all. The administration is very helpful, but, from what I've heard, the president is a little crazy and not that helpful; dean of students is very supportive. Recently, homophobic and anti-semetic grafitti was found in one of the dorm buildings. There is school pride, especially concerning the girls' soccer team and the hockey team. Unusual: