Student Profile
Kaitlin
- Class:
- Major: Other
- Gender: F
- High School:
- Transfer Student:
Big Picture
Our student body runs the gamut where wealth is concerned. Traditionally, DePaul is a first generation school meaning many of our students are the first people in their families to go to college and sometimes to even graduate high school. Rather makes sense, then, that some of our students don't have wallets bulging. On the other hand, we do have quite a few Lincoln Park Trixies. "Trixies?" you ask. Picture a thin bleach blonde wearing high heels $200 jeans and giant sunglasses...on her way to class with a Starbucks in hand. That, my friend, is a Trixie. That isn't to say that Trixies are bad or even always living off of Daddy's credit car. I have student loans and financial aid but I still rock the giant sunglasses. They just hide a multitude of sins, you know? Believe it or not, Chicago is definitely a college town. We're just a few miles from Northwestern, Columbia College, Loyola, The Art Institute, Robert Morris, UIC, U of C, etc etc and people in the city love to hand out a college student discounts. And I am always willing to accept. DePaul also does a great job of getting its students involved in the city from day one. All students are required to take what is known as a Chicago Quarter course in one of two ways: Discover Chicago or Explore Chicago. Discover, in my humble opinion, is by far the most rewarding experience of the two. Students move in to their residence halls (if they are living in them, it's not required or available for all freshmen) a week early and spend the next five days in an immersion course based on some element of the city. Titles I can think of include The Chicago Cubs, Theater in Chicago, Chicago Jazz, and my personal favorite (because I took it and it changed my life), the Diverse Faces of AIDS. I know it sounds depressing, but believe me it's phenomenal and it lead me to become an AIDS activist in a way. The course acclimates you to the city by taking you all over - always via your own two feet and public transportation - and in the meantime you get to know your fellow terrified freshmen. Piece of advice: strangers our age always bond over classic Nickelodeon. Explore is the same concept only it doesn't start until school officially does and you don't get the same intensive opportunities to travel or get to know one another. If you're coming to DePaul and you're already familiar with the city and how to get around it, Explore could be the best option for you. If you're coming and know not a single soul nor the difference between the Green line and the #8 Bus North (my favorite bus by far), then Discover is definitely the place for you to be. We're not very into our sport spirit, though Lord knows we're trying. As a rule of thumb, the girls do better. Our Theater and Music Schools (both conservatory programs) are amazing. Our administration is great for the most part but I do have one qualm. Perhaps its the aforementioned AIDS activist in me, but I have a problem with the fact that the administration does not allow for the distribution of condoms on campus because it does not align with our Catholic values. Loyola is Catholic and historically more conservative as a campus than we are...they hand out condoms. This does lead me to an important point that needs to be made about DePaul: yes, we're associated with the Catholic Church. Yes, you'll have to take at least one religion class no matter what your major or home college. No, you don't have to be Catholic. The second highest religious population at DePaul is Muslim - not something you'd expect from a Catholic school, right? We're open to all beliefs or non-beliefs for that matter. As long as you respect others and can articulate yourself well, more power to you, your religion, or lack of it. I'm only genetically Catholic and I've done quite well here. My religion courses didn't even discuss Catholicism. One was about how Judaism came to be what we know today, the other about women's roles in five of the world's religions. The thing that surprises people the most about DePaul is how big we actually are. We're the largest Catholic university in the nation (take that Notre Dame) and the ninth largest private university in the nation. We have two urban and four suburban campuses (the suburbs are mostly for graduate and non-traditional students, I've never even seen them) but a student to teacher ratio of 16:1. Quite honestly I recognize almost everyone in my major classes if I don't already know them by name and our general education classes have almost as many familiar faces. It's a big school by numbers but the community is small. I love it.
Academic Life
Professors are a great resource not only for academic success but also for your future after your degree is completed. I've had professors send me job or internship opportunities they've heard about because they recognize my potential or interest for it. They say hi to you on the street, recognize you four years later, give you their home phone numbers, and love to have you stop by their office just to chat. I know people who have regular coffee or lunches with their professor-turned-mentor.
Student Body
The DePaul student body is incredibly diverse according to any definitions of the word. You've got girls carrying full price Chanel bags to class and guys who work two jobs in order to pay their tuition bill on time. Students come from every state but there is definitely a higher concentration of Midwest kids looking to get to the nearest hub of legitimate cultural and urban brilliance. We are a vocally left leaning campus, especially given the fiasco of the last few years, but there are notable exceptions. The same few students make up all of the conservative groups on campus and they are great at PR. Last week the girls wore aprons in the Student Center and threatened to Take Back the Kitchen. Don't let that scare you off, though. Our liberals are just as good at publicity. Every spring the LGBT group on campus, Spectrum, has its pride week and it often involves a drag performance or three. It's by far my favorite week on campus! While we have a reputation as a suitcase or commuter school, that's changing more every year and I've never felt that it was true anyway. If you look at our numbers, we are largely a commuter school but that counts anyone who does not live in DePaul residence halls. I live across the street from the Student Center (the hub of any hungry student's social life) and I am technically a commuter student. Don't believe the hype! We're a pretty left-leaning campus but we'll listen to anything you have to say. The College Republicans have a table in the Student Center promoting something almost every week. We have almost 200 student organizations on campus and on the off chance you don't find something you're looking for, just grab a few other students and a faculty sponsor and DePaul will give you start up money and legitimize your group. DePaul housing is pretty much the domain of Freshmen and a few left over Sophomores - it's not required or guaranteed - but it's by far better than my friends' dorms at other schools. There is always something going on that is free for students or so cheap it might as well be free for students. Last week Nick Swardson was here: $7 for students, $20 for the public. Since I've been here the DePaul Activities Board has brought in Dr. Drew, Dane Cook, and Louis Black. At the end of every year, the same group puts on Fest i.e. the biggest party weekend at DePaul. It's our version of Welcome Week alcohol wise if you will. The shows are for DePaul students only and cost $5 to $7 depending on the year and who is playing. There are three acts plus whoever won the DePaul Battle of the Bands. Past artists include (but are certainly not limited to): The Roots, Nas, Kill Hannah, Motion City Soundtrack, Jason Mraz, The Starting Line, Twista and that's only since I've been at DePaul (I can't even remember all of who has been here).
