Academics

I have had amazing professors at DePauw. Every professor I have had has been completely open and helpful. If I ever need help, I have no qualms about visiting with professors.

Athletics

DePauw is D-III. Although there are incredible football games like Monon, (the age-old rivalry between DePauw and Wabash, the biggest social weekend at DePauw), sports are still not going to draw the numbers that Division I schools will. On the other hand, at a small, intimate campus there is a better chance that students will not only know the names of players, but identify with them as friends and classmates. Therefore, there is more support among the student body. My biggest complaint is when school dismisses its students for the month of January in the heart of basketball season!

Campus Dining

Even if you don’t like everything, there are a ton of other options (such as subs, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, salads, cold cuts, cereal, and Pizza Hut pizza and breadsticks). The meal-plan card offers more than enough money to feed you for the whole semester. There is also a convenient store on campus where you can use your meal-plan card.

Campus Housing

The dorms are extraordinarily nice! Especially compared to freshman dorms at other schools. They are air conditioned and cleaned daily. Additionally, floors typically do not exceed 30 people, so you will share a comfortable living environment and make close friends. The nicest of the dorms include Longden, Bishop Roberts, and Humbert.

Campus Strictness

They’ve gotten a lot more strict lately, but again, it’s all about common sense. If you’re very obviously intoxicated in public, you’re at risk of getting picked up by the cops. If you’re smart about it and don’t drive drunk, have your friends make sure you get home safely, don’t serve alcohol to minors in your apartment, don’t drink outside, and don’t have excessively noisy parties that disturb your neighbors, you’ll probably be okay. Every once in a while, campus police will break up a frat party for allowing underage drinking, but it doesn’t happen too often.

Computers

The network is not too bad; however, there are a few times in the semester when the Internet is down due to system work. I have never had a problem getting into a computer lab, so they are never overly crowded. DePauw mandates that each student own a laptop computer, which I believe is a smart move. I have had a laptop all four years at DePauw, and it has been very beneficial to be able to take my work with me wherever I go. Additionally, the campus is wireless, so you can connect to the Internet almost anywhere with a wireless card.

Diversity

The campus grows more diverse each year. There are many nationalities and minorities represented on campus, as well as a large number of events to make students aware of diversity affecting their lives.

Drug Scene

I am aware of some drug problems on campus, mostly with marijuana and people abusing drugs like Ritalin. I wouldn’t say that it is rampant, though, and I’ve never seen anyone using harder drugs like cocaine or heroin. That’s not to say that it doesn’t exist; I just don’t know about it.

Facilities

DePauw has done an amazing job increasing the technology every year, and with that, they have added new and up-to-date computers throughout. We have a new indoor track and tennis center which is awesome, but the regular work-out facility, the Lilly Center, can use some major work. It is the one facility that has not been given a recent facelift, and there are many speculations that it may be because it is not one of the highlights of the school.

Greek Life

Greek Life is huge at DePauw (85 percent of students are Greek-affiliated). Most parties occur in the Greek houses, yet everyone (Greek or not) is invited to parties. You do not have to be Greek at DePauw to have fun.

Guys & Girls

When coming to DePauw, chances are you'll meet your future spouse. The small population is filled with intelligent, attractive, and highly motivated people from similar backgrounds who spend four years getting to know one another very closely. Hookups are common, but serious relationships that form tend to last for a long time. It's very common for DePauw students to marry other DePauw students.

Local Atmosphere

It’s a difficult adjustment to make if you aren’t from the Midwest or if you’re from a bigger city. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, and I struggled with Greencastle’s size at first. I’ve gotten used to it, but it lacks diversity in everything—the people, the restaurants, the stores, and the nightlife. There just isn’t much to do in Greencastle.

Nightlife

Frat parties are fun for people who aren’t old enough to legally go to bars. I went to a few frat parties my freshman year, a lot more my sophomore year, and then my junior year, I started going to parties at my friends’ University-owned apartments and off-campus houses because there were better drinks and I was at less risk of getting hit on by 10 different drunk, horny frat guys. Now that I’m 21, I really prefer going to the bars. The Duck is always fun because you’re always assured to see a lot of DPU students, as well as professors, just hanging out and chatting. Moore’s is a little bit scary because that’s where a lot of the townies go, but they have karaoke. I just like the bars better because you can actually hear yourself talk and just drink socially, as opposed to frat parties, where everyone drinks way too much and ends up passing out or throwing up.

Off-Campus Dining

DePauw has not been blessed with the eating varieties of many other campuses. However, we do have home-cooking restaurants such as the Monon and Putnam Inn that serve warm dinners like Mom would prepare at home. Greencastle is also loaded with fast food restaurants and Chinese buffets, but my favorites would have to be DePauw’s famous Marvin’s (hamburger joint). If you are desperate for food outside of Greencastle, there is an Applebee’s 40 minutes away, and the luxury of Indianapolis restaurants an hour away.

Off-Campus Housing

The is no off-campus housing at DePauw. Most students tend to live in Greek houses after freshman year, but there are other options for independents. The University owns several houses and duplexes in the campus area, but the lottery is all luck of the draw and residential (non-dorm) housing is limited.

Overall Experience

I am thankful that I can go out at DePauw, and not only meet new people with whom I’ll come in contact again, but also see more than an occasional familiar face. I also enjoy getting to be a key part in my small classes. I could never speak out in a discussion group of 100, but I can easily give my input in a seminar of 14.

Parking

If you live in a Greek house, the parking isn’t much of a problem; but if you live in a dorm, house, or apartment, parking is at a premium. Most of the streets in town say ‘No Student Parking,’ and you will get a ticket if you are parked in the wrong place.

Safety & Security

I always feel very safe here, even when I’m walking around campus alone at night. Many students leave their doors unlocked or do not shut their doors at all, even when they’re away from their rooms. Greencastle is a relatively crime-free city. As long as you use common sense, there’s no reason not to feel safe.

Transportation

Bring a car or quickly find someone who has one if you plan on going anywhere in town. Otherwise, everything on campus can be reached in less than a 10-minute walk. Safe-Ride is fairly unreliable if you're a guy, but they are very good about picking up girls who want to get to the frats on weekends or get back to the dorms from the library on snowy nights.

Weather

Indiana is pretty typical mid-western weather. It is very hot and humid in the summer—June, July, and August—but starts to cool off in the beginning of September. Fall is the best season, I think, because it is dry, cool, and much milder than the other seasons. Winter is cold and snowy, and spring is usually pretty damp and cool. Bring everything from sandals and shorts to thermal pants and parkas!