CollegePros Educational Consulting

09/23/2026

College Visit: University of Denver

Our final college visit in Colorado took us to the University of Denver, and this campus surprised us.

DU is located right in Denver, yet once you're walking through campus, it's remarkably easy to forget you're in a major city. The older brick buildings, huge trees, lawns, and abundant green spaces give it a peaceful, traditional college feel, while downtown Denver is only about 15 minutes away.

One comment from our information session really stayed with us:

“We acknowledge the difference a different point of view can make.”

That seemed to capture something important about DU — students are encouraged not simply to learn information, but to encounter different ideas, experiences, and perspectives.

Academically, DU operates on a quarter system, which is relatively unusual. Students typically attend fall, winter, and spring quarters, but summer is actually a fourth quarter and can be used to get ahead, catch up, add a minor, or create more flexibility in a degree plan. Each regular quarter is about 10 weeks long.

That flexibility is something we really liked. With more opportunities to take different courses during four years, students can explore interests, combine fields, and potentially add minors or additional areas of study more easily. And although DU is a research university, 99% of classes are taught by faculty, with an average class size of about 24 students.

For students considering medicine or another health profession, we were particularly impressed by the support. DU's Pre-Health Education & Advising program begins working with students before their first classes and continues through college and even after graduation.

Advising includes academics, internships, research, patient-contact experiences, entrance exams, recommendations, personal statements, and interview preparation. Pre-health students can major in any field.

🌎 Study abroad is also huge here. Around 70% of DU undergraduates study abroad, with opportunities in more than 50 countries. DU's Cherrington Global Scholars program helps make a term abroad financially accessible for eligible students.

DU also has a substantial graduate-school presence — its graduate population is nearly as large as its undergraduate population — and the campus is home to the Sturm College of Law. Nearby Iliff School of Theology has shared a campus and academic connections with DU since the 1890s; the two institutions even jointly administer a doctoral program in the study of religion.

🏒 And then there are the athletics.

DU doesn't have football, but don't mistake that for a lack of school spirit. The Pioneers have been the highest-ranked Division I athletic program without football for 13 straight years. Hockey is the marquee sport — and it is a BIG deal here. DU won the 2026 NCAA Men's Hockey Championship, giving the Pioneers an NCAA-record 11 national hockey titles, including three in the last five years. 🏆

Students are also required to live on campus for their first two years, which helps create a residential community even though they're living in the middle of a major metropolitan area.

One other DU feature we didn't expect: students have access to the university's James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus, about two hours away in the Rockies, with hiking, climbing, a via ferrata, and outdoor learning opportunities. So students can have both a city campus and a mountain campus experience. 🏔️

And the outcomes caught our attention too: 89% of DU graduates are employed, continuing their education, or serving in the military within six months of graduation.

Of course, Kim and I couldn't finish a college visit without checking out the local food. 😂 We walked over to Snarf's Sandwiches right off campus. They make their own bread, and those sandwiches were really good. Definitely worthy of one of our college-tour food pictures!

For a Texas student looking for smaller classes and strong faculty access, the resources of a research university, easy access to Denver, strong pre-professional support, study abroad, Division I athletics, and the Colorado lifestyle, the University of Denver offers an interesting combination.

🔴 Go Pioneers!

09/23/2026

🦬🏔️ College Visit: University of Colorado Boulder

Next stop on our Colorado college tour: CU Boulder - and this campus is beautiful.

Sitting right at the base of the Flatirons, CU Boulder has a distinctive look, with its Colorado sandstone buildings, red tile roofs, mountain views, mature trees, and plenty of green space. We also noticed water features throughout campus that gave parts of it an unexpectedly peaceful, calming feel. The 600-acre main campus was designed around a Tuscan-inspired architectural style that helps give the university such a cohesive look.

But CU Boulder is much more than a pretty campus. It's a major research university with nearly 39,000 students and more than 150 fields of study. For students interested in STEM, particularly aerospace and space science, CU is especially interesting: it is the #1 public university in the country for NASA research funding, and undergraduates can become involved in research, satellite projects, robotics, high-altitude balloon experiments, and other hands-on work. 🚀

Students who aren't quite sure what they want to study can also begin in CU's Program in Exploratory Studies, where they work with advisors and spend their first year exploring academic options before settling on a direction.

And then there's Boulder itself. For our Texas students who want a completely different environment, this is a big part of the appeal. Hiking, biking, climbing, skiing, Boulder Creek, and the Flatirons are all right there. Students can go from class to a trail remarkably quickly, and Boulder still offers restaurants, shops, music, and everything that comes with living in a lively college town.

We heard a couple of campus traditions that we loved.

❄️ When the first real snow arrives, we were told that students spontaneously gather on Farrand Field for a giant snowball fight. Snowball fights on Farrand have been part of CU campus life for generations - perhaps especially fun for students arriving from Texas who haven't grown up with snow!

And then there is Ralphie.

Ralphie is CU's live mascot - technically a female American bison - and running onto Folsom Field with her handlers is one of the great traditions in college sports. Ralphie VII, whose name is Brandy, lives on a private ranch at a secret location. Our tour guide told us that Ralphie Handlers sign an NDA and cannot disclose where she lives. CU does confirm that only members of the Ralphie program and her veterinarians are permitted at the ranch and that the location is intentionally kept secret for her safety and well-being.

More than 100 CU students typically try out for just a handful of Ralphie Handler positions, and those selected spend roughly 20 to30 hours a week training and helping care for her. That's a college extracurricular you don't see everywhere!

For our college-bound students, CU Boulder is also test-optional, and there are merit scholarship opportunities specifically for nonresident students.

For a Texas student looking for strong academics and research, big-school energy, serious school spirit, incredible outdoor access, and a campus where the mountains are part of everyday life, CU Boulder is definitely worth exploring.

And yes - it may be one of the prettiest campuses we've visited. ❤️

🦬 Sko Buffs!

09/23/2026

⛏️🏔️ College Visit: Colorado School of Mines

Our first stop today was Colorado School of Mines in Golden, and this is definitely a university with its own personality.

Mines is unapologetically STEM-focused. Its roots are in mining and geology, but today its programs reach into engineering, computer science, applied mathematics, energy, the environment, materials, robotics, and even quantum systems engineering (the first of its kind). The common thread is solving real-world problems.

One of the things that impressed us was just how hands-on the education is. Students work in labs, makerspaces, design courses, field experiences, research, and industry-sponsored projects. Mines reports that 75% of its undergraduate students graduate with technical work experience, and the campus has multiple makerspaces where students can build, experiment, and turn ideas into something tangible.

A great example is the Labriola Innovation Hub, an impressive makerspace where students can design, build, prototype, test, and revise their ideas. It includes wood and metal shops, electronics and composites spaces, rapid prototyping, and collaborative areas for student projects and competition teams.

And Mines students put those engineering skills to some pretty fun tests! The Formula SAE team designs, builds, and races its own formula-style race car, while civil engineering students on the Concrete Canoe Team design, build, and actually race a full-size canoe made from concrete. 🛶 Those projects may sound a little crazy, but they are great examples of the learn-by-doing culture we saw throughout campus.

And although students may arrive thinking they know exactly which branch of engineering they want, they have some room to explore. Mines does not cap enrollment in its individual majors, so students aren't competing for a limited number of spots in a particular engineering discipline after they arrive.

For our Texas students, here's an interesting fact: Texas is one of the top states outside Colorado represented among incoming Mines students. Mines is also test-optional for both admission and merit scholarship consideration.

And then there is Golden. The campus sits right at the base of the Rocky Mountains, with hiking, biking, climbing, skiing, and Clear Creek practically at students' doorstep, while Denver is close enough for internships, entertainment, and access to a major metropolitan area. It's a pretty remarkable combination of serious academics and Colorado outdoor life.

We also loved learning about one of Mines' oldest traditions. Each year, new Orediggers participate in the M Climb, carrying a 10-pound rock from their hometown up Mt. Zion and adding it to the giant M overlooking campus. At graduation, students can make the reverse climb (but in a bus this time) and retrieve a rock. The tradition dates back to 1908.

And yes, we got pictures of some of the Mines mascots, including Blaster the Burro. You have to appreciate a school that fully embraces the Oredigger identity!

Of course, a college visit also requires a little research into the local food scene. Kim and I stopped at Woody's in Golden for a bite to eat, and the food was awesome. Definitely a good addition to the college-tour itinerary!

For a student who genuinely enjoys math and science, likes figuring out how things work, wants to build and solve things rather than just study them, and would love having the Rocky Mountains in the backyard, Colorado School of Mines deserves a serious look.

⛏️ Go Orediggers!

09/21/2026

🐏🏔️ College Visit: Colorado State University

Today we visited Colorado State University in Fort Collins, and one thing stood out immediately: students here don’t just learn about things; they do them.

CSU’s land-grant roots are still very much part of its personality. Hands-on learning, undergraduate research, internships, labs, fieldwork, and real-world experiences show up across majors. CSU is also home to Colorado’s Extension program and Colorado 4-H, something that especially caught our attention!

One fun example of that hands-on approach: we kept seeing Fermentation Science T-shirts around campus, and now we understand why! CSU offers a B.S. in Fermentation and Food Science, where students can study everything from food chemistry and microbiology to brewing and fermentation. They even learn in spaces such as the Ramskeller Brewhouse and Innovation Hub & BrewKitchen. Talk about experiential learning!

For students interested in veterinary medicine, CSU is particularly notable: its Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program is ranked #3 in the country. Students will also find strong programs across agriculture, natural resources, engineering, business, health sciences, and many other areas.

We also really liked CSU’s approach to students who aren’t ready to choose a major. Students can begin in Exploratory Studies, spending their first year investigating different academic options while taking courses that continue to move them toward graduation.

A few other things caught our attention: CSU is test-optional, offers both Army and Air Force ROTC, provides merit scholarships for out-of-state students, and lets full-time students attend home Rams sporting events at no additional cost. And as of this year, the Rams are officially members of the Pac-12! 🏈

We were also impressed by the emphasis on student wellness and mental health support. It felt like CSU recognizes that helping students succeed means paying attention to more than academics.

But CSU isn’t just about the university. Fort Collins feels genuinely connected to the campus. The university and the city grew up together, and students get a lively college town with restaurants, shops, bike trails, outdoor recreation, and easy access to Horsetooth Reservoir and the mountains.

And Kim and I did a little experiential learning of our own. We finished our visit with pizza and a calzone at Beau Jo’s. Excellent!

For a Texas student looking for hands-on academics, a big-school experience, outdoor recreation, a true college-town atmosphere, and the chance to experience four actual seasons, CSU is definitely worth a look.

🐏 Go Rams!

09/21/2026

Kim and I started our tour of several Colorado universities. The first college we got to visit was the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and it's easy to see why UCCS could catch the attention of some of our Texas students.

The setting may be one of its biggest draws. Students get the amenities of Colorado Springs along with the incredible access to the outdoors.

Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, hiking, biking, climbing, skiing, and other Colorado adventures are all part of the lifestyle here. UCCS even has more than 7 miles of natural surfaced trails right on campus, plus an outdoor program that offers equipment rentals, a climbing wall, a bike and ski workshop, and student adventure trips.

Academically, business is one of uccs's largest areas of study, and students will also find programs in nursing and health sciences, engineering, education, and the liberal arts.

Colorado Springs identity as Olympic City USA create some special opportunities for students interested in sports and sports management, with the US Olympic and paralympic committee and numerous national sports organizations based in the city.

UCCS is built along the side ofa hill, giving the campus a distinctly Colorado feel with elevation changes and mountain views throughout.

For a Texas student looking for mountains, four seasons, an active outdoor lifestyle, and a university located in a real city rather than a traditional college town, UCCS is worth a look.

Go Mountain Lions!! 🐾

06/10/2026

Check it out! https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1LnqJtPkXt/

04/09/2026

Leadership matters on an academic resume because it helps colleges see more than grades and test scores. It can reflect initiative, responsibility, communication, and meaningful contribution.

And leadership is not only about titles. Some of the best examples come from students who mentor, organize, serve, solve problems, or take ownership in a real way.

The strongest resumes are usually not the busiest. They are the most thoughtful.

02/11/2026

Students don’t need more options. They need better direction.
The best part of career exploration? It gives students language for who they are—and a smarter starting point for exploring majors, programs, and next steps.

12/31/2025

11/26/2025

Great article in the Chronicle of Higher Education today:

The Edge: Why biology, not technology, holds the key to learning (link below)

Scott Carlson makes a compelling case that we can’t keep demanding “more critical thinking” from students while ignoring how the brain actually develops and highlights three important ideas from brain research: forgetting is part of learning, learning is not linear, and the brain learns in context.

In other words, it’s normal for students to “forget” material when they move into a new class or situation, and it takes years—and lots of guided practice—for true critical thinking to emerge. Even at places like Harvard, students are only just beginning to develop more complex ways of thinking by the end of their undergraduate years.

As an educational consultant, this reinforces what I see with my own freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. My role isn’t just to help them choose courses and build college lists; it’s to walk alongside their intellectual development over several years—asking them not only what they think, but how and why. In the age of AI, those “how” and “why” explanations will matter more than ever.

For families, the takeaway is encouraging: your student doesn’t have to be a fully formed critical thinker at 15 or 16. Our job, together, is to give their brains time, context, and thoughtful guidance so those skills can grow.

Improving education depends on understanding how the brain matures and processes information.