CU Boulder vs. Purdue AROTC

[capitalizer1212]

Hello Service Academy Forums! I have just received a three year Army ROTC scholarship to both CU Boulder and Purdue. Unfortunately I am having some trouble deciding between the two and was wondering if anyone here could help. I have visited both universities and loved both of them. I live in NJ currently and even though both universities are relatively far, travel shouldn't be a problem and I have family near both locations. (Further information if it helps: I plan to major in political science and I have contacted the AROTC reps at both colleges.)

Also, if any of you attended these universities, I would love to hear your experiences or opinions.

(And just to add, I have gotten accepted to both universities)

 

[tjb1975]

Congratulations on your scholarship and on your admissions! Purdue and Boulder could not be more different in terms of culture. I think you'll have to do a real gut-check on which campus will provide you the type of college experience you're longing for.

 

[k2rider]

I will say that being a Political Science major at CU could be rather interesting with all the whack-job students they have on that "wanna-be Berkeley" campus. That being said, if you're into doing anything outdoors such as skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, etc...I'd star you to CU.

 

[Jcleppe]

Try and do some research on a few things you may not have thought about when looking at the two schools.

1. Availability of classes (How hard is it to get the classes you need)
2. Will any of your MS Classes count toward requirements for your major
3. How many credits from MS classes count toward the total needed for graduation.
4. Class sizes
5. Access to advisors
6. Greek system (If you're interested in that)
7. Will language classes you took in high school allow you to skip the college requirements or will you still need to take a language in college.
8. Since your a Poly Sci major look at the student government opportunities at each school.
9. First year expenses (Which I'm sure you've already considered)
10. Size of ROTC Battalion (Bigger is not always better)
11. Possibilities of Minors or Dual Majors

As K2rider said, look at the surrounding area, what do you like to do, CU would have some great outdoor opportunities.

The student body at each school is something to look at as well like K2 mentioned. My sons are in no way hard core conservatives, but there were a few colleges where they would have felt like a fish out of water.

It's a hard decision, sometimes you just have to go with your gut. One thing that I can say is that once you make your decision and start school, you will most likely never look back with regret. It's amazing just how fast you become one with your new school.

 

[sheriff3]

DS is an MSIII at CU. He absolutely loves the school and recreational opportunities. Like any school you can be a party animal ( ok maybe not BYU) if you so choose or you can be responsible. The education he is getting at the business school is excellent! The unit is a multiple year winner of the MacArthur Award. Due to the proximity to Ft. Carson the unit has some incredible training opportunities. This last weekend the unit went to Ft. Carson for an outdoor lab where they flew in Chinooks and raided a full mock-up village. They get to fly and shoot all kinds of weapons about twice a year. The cadre at CU is top notch.

Now for the not so good.... The school is not culturally diverse in any way, shape or form. The state is marijuana friendly so you may smell it from time to time on campus. Off campus housing is very expensive, hard to find and getting harder, think $700 a month for a bedroom. The football team is not very good....

K2 and Jcleppe pretty much nailed the rest of it.

Also consider

% of cadets that go AD vs NG/Res
How well are cadets received on campus ( at CU very well). CU has a large cadet population with NROTC and AFROTC ( one of the largest units in the nation I believe)
Does the unit have the funds to properly supply all cadets? DS went to CIET with 4 extra brand new pairs of ACU's when some other cadets only had one used pair.
Opportunity to upgrade to 3.5 or 4 yr scholarship.

If you choose CU be sure you like to do PT... The PMS is very PT focused. I would encourage you to Google how to train for working out at altitude. Best of luck in your decision, I'm sure you will be happy wherever you choose.