 |
|
> University of Colorado Website: http://www.colorado.edu
> Virtual Tour: http://www.colorado.edu/Directories/CampusTour
> CU's Student Life Website:http://www.colorado.edu/StudentLife/
> Foreign Student Organizations at CU: http://www.Colorado.EDU/OIE/fsss/programs.html
The University of Colorado at Boulder (known by its students as "CU") is located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains at an altitude of 5,400 feet. Boulder is a medium-sized city 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Denver, with 100,000 residents. In addition to the opportunities provided by the University, the city hosts a lively restaurant and entertainment scene and unsurpassed outdoor recreational opportunities in the nearby mountains, including world-class skiing, climbing, hiking, and cycling. The city is committed to preserving its beautiful natural environment and is surrounded by 26,000 acres of open space.
The University of Colorado opened its doors in September 5, 1877, with 44 students and one instructor. Today, the Boulder campus enrolls approximately 26,000 students from every state in the US and more than 80 other countries. The campus offers more than 2,500 different courses in over 150 fields of study. It is ranked as one of the top four universities in the US for academics, quality of life and social life in the Fiske Guide to Colleges, 2000. It is ranked 10th among all public research universities and third among "rising research universities." The University has made a commitment to enhancing student access to information technologies.
Contact Nancy Stubbs, from the University of Colorado's Office of International Education, directly if you have specific questions about visa requirements: nancy.stubbs@colorado.edu or call her at 1-(303)-492-7741.
> Foreign Student and Scholar Services at CU: http://www.Colorado.EDU/OIE/fsss/
> Visa Information: http://www.Colorado.EDU/OIE/fsss/ins-info.html
> Embassies in Washington, D.C.: http://www.embassy.org/embassies/index.html
>Links to U.S. Embassies and Consulates Worldwide: http://travel.state.gov/links.html
Students are required to apply to the US Consulate for their visa before they arrive in the United States. Student visas take time to arrange all of the needed materials and to procure it, so be sure to start at least 6 weeks before you come to the U.S. You will need to provide proof of your acceptance in this TIRES program. The University of Colorado provides assistance with other residency issues while attending CU.
Top
of Page Getting
to Boulder:
Boulder
is located approximately 30 miles northwest of Denver. You will likely
arrive in Denver by air through Denver International Airport (DIA). From
there you can get directly to Boulder by either the Regional Transportation
District (RTD) bus service or by the Boulder Airporter, a van service.
RTD Information: RTD buses leave the airport (DIA) at one-hour intervals
between 6:15 a.m. and 9:15 p.m., and there is one bus at 10:45 p.m. Schedules
are subject to change, so check with airport information upon your arrival
to get the most current schedule of bus departures to Boulder.
Buses depart from lane 3
of the transportation section outside the airport; the fare is $8 one way,
and you must have exact change. If you have on-campus housing, ask the
driver to let you off at the University Memorial Center (UMC). If you are
meeting someone or need to find a hotel, stay on the bus until you reach
the terminal at 14th and Walnut Streets. You can meet your party or call
hotels from there. Some hotels provide a shuttle service from the bus station
to their hotels, or you can call a taxi (303-442-2277) to take you to the
hotel. Be prepared to pay $4 to $7 for a taxi in Boulder. You should give
the driver a $1 tip. Van Service: The Super Shuttle-Boulder provides van
service from DIA to Boulder. Vans leave every hour from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Fares are $18 - $22 one way, and tickets must be purchased in advance from
the ticket counter by the baggage claim area. For $18, you can choose to
be delivered to one of several hotels in Boulder or at a location on the
University campus. For $22, you can ask the driver to deliver you at another
location in Boulder (Door-to-Door Service). Hotel
Information:
It
would be wise to reserve accommodations in Boulder before leaving the airport.
You can telephone Boulder from a public telephone at the airport for 35
cents.
*International
Youth Hostel 1107 12th Street (303-443-7800)
>Go
to http://www.boulderguide.com:80/BCMG/Shop/LodgingIndex.html
for a more complete listing of Boulder hotels.
If
it is late or if all the Boulder hotels and hostel are filled, it may be
wise for you to stay in Denver that evening and come to Boulder the next
day. Be aware, though, that DIA is not in Denver, it is located several
miles east of Denver. There are no hotels close to DIA, but most hotels
will offer shuttle service from DIA to their Denver area hotels. You can
choose from several hotels listed in the telephone book. Rates range from
$100 to $115 per night.
Climate:
Despite
Colorado's image as the snow capital of the country, Boulder is located
at the edge of the mountains and enjoys a mild climate for most days of
the year.
The
average temperature for Boulder in Fahrenheit degrees is the following:
Boulder
gets occasional snow, usually in amounts of 2 to 3 inches, most of which
melts and disappears within a few days. Once or twice a season, we may
get a heavy snow of 24 inches or more. While our climate is generally mild,
it is certainly unpredictable, and one must be prepared for sudden changes
of weather. For arrival in August, bring your warm weather clothes. If
you have cold weather clothes, either bring them with you or have them
sent later. If you come from a warm climate and don't have cold weather
clothes, it is probably best to wait and buy them here rather than try
to buy them before your arrival.
> Map
of Boulder: http://www.colorado.edu/Directories/WebMap/BoulderMap.html
> Information
on Boulder: http://bcn.boulder.co.us/
and http://www.Colorado.EDU/BoulderColorado/
- boulder
Students
may choose to live on campus in dormitories or in an apartment off campus.
Finding reasonably priced housing in Boulder is a challenge. There are
many options in housing that you can explore - and don't be surprised if
it takes a while before you can find something that you like as well as
can afford! Below are some of the options that you have for housing in
Boulder. The University of Colorado and the local advisor provide some
assistance with housing, but students ultimately are responsible for finding
housing if they live off campus.
Places
in the University residence halls are in great demand, and the residence
halls are usually fully reserved by early summer for students beginning
their studies in the fall. The rooms are all double rooms (shared with
one other). Meals are also provided. Call 1-(303) 492-6673 or e-mail: reservations@housing.colorado.edu
for more information. Check out http://www-housing.colorado.edu/reshalls/for
more information. Dormitories typically offer shared rooms and common areas,
rather than single-rooms. Room and board in the dormitories is approximately
$2,750 per semester.
University
Family Housing:
Family
Housing consists of several apartment complexes located north and east
of campus. One and two bedroom apartments are for married students, and
studio style apartments (i.e., one room quarters) are for single students.
There is usually a very long wait due to high demand. The application for
Family Housing is separate from that of Residence Halls. For further information,
contact the Family Housing Office (http://housing.colorado.edu/newfh/)
at 1350 20th Street, Boulder, CO 80302, or call (303) 492-6384.
Off-Campus
Rooms and Apartments:
Off-campus
housing in Boulder is very expensive. It is cheaper to share an apartment
or a house with a number of people. Make sure you are comfortable with
your roommates before signing a lease. After all, depending on the lease,
you may end up spending six months to a year with them. It is important
to remember that the starting cost of living off-campus may be rather high.
In most cases, you have to put a deposit (which is usually the amount of
the rent of one month), in addition to the first month's rent. In some
cases, the total amount can be as high as six to eight hundred dollars.
Moreover, in most cases, utilities are extra - so you may need to pay for
gas, electricity, water, telephone etc., as well as your rent. Be sure
you find out how much your total cost will come to every month before signing
any contracts.
>
Off-Campus Student Services/Off-Campus Housing Website: http://www.colorado.edu/OCSS
The
Off-Campus Student Services office, located in room 336 of the UMC, provides
updated information about available housing as well as handbooks that explain
your rights as a renter.
Medical:
Medical
costs are expensive in the United States for everyone. We do not
have a socialized health care system but instead use private health insurance.
Therefore, you will need to secure health insurance with the University
of Colorado while you are here. If students cannot transfer their
state health insurance to the US, they may enroll in a CU plan for $1,200
for the entire academic year (i.e., 18 August 2001-17 August 2002).
>University
of Colorado Student Health Insurance
Please
note that, if you are convered by your country's own health insurance while
you are in the U.S., you may need to contact the University of Colorado's
Student Health Insurance Office to let them know that you would like to
waive the option of University insurance. Ask your advisor about this at
the BEGINNING of the autumn semester.
Fees
and other expenses:
Students
should budget approximately $3,000 for books and personal expenses during
the academic year. Books and supplies for courses cost anywhere between
$100-$300 per semester depending on the courses that you choose.
A room in a shared house or apartment can cost between $300-$500 per month,
a studio can cost around $700-$800 per month. A lunch costs between $3-$6
generally. A dinner is $6-$10, when eating out, not including drinks.
In terms of entertainment, movie tickets cost between $3-$8 depending on
where you go. Concerts and plays can be anywhere between $15 to $70,
although students often can get good discounts on theater productions and
classical and opera concerts. Many students here enjoy skiing and lift
tickets can cost anywhere from $30 in the low season to $60 in high season.
All in all, Boulder is not an inexpensive city to live in. But it
is a beautiful place and it's full of things to do every day and night
of the week.
CONTACT
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Lynn
A. Staeheli
Program
on Political and Economic Change
Institute
of Behavioral Science
Campus
Box 487
University
of Colorado Boulder, CO 80309-0487
1-303-447-0612
Some
suggestions for hotels in Boulder:
*The
University Inn 1632 Broadway
(303-442-3830).
*Super
8 Motel 970 28th Street (303-442-9304)
Season
Average
High Temperature
Average
Low Temperature
Summer
80
F
50
F
Fall
60
F
30
F
Winter
40
F
20
F
Spring
50
F
30
F