May 1st is right around the corner, and we are so excited to have our newest class of 2022 on campus next fall! It’s one of the most exciting times of your life, but it can also be a little overwhelming. If the college decision making process overwhelms you as much as it did me, allow me to help. My name is Emily, and I am a Leeds School of Business student from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While coming across the country was a daunting decision for me to make, I am so happy I did. Here are 7 of the (many) reasons I decided to come to Leeds!
1. Global Initiatives: Most schools around the country offer study abroad and maybe internships abroad. Leeds takes it a step further. We are offered programs that allow us to travel outside the country starting our freshman year with the First-Year Global Experience program, or FGX. For ten days over spring break or “Maymester,” Leeds lets students pick a location from a list of eleven different countries to learn about and travel to. The traveling does not stop there. For the remainder of your time at Leeds, you get to pick from countless study abroad opportunities, ranging from a global seminar for two to six weeks, to a semester or year abroad, to internships abroad. Basically, Leeds encourages all of its students to get up and get out.
2. Mentorship Program: Leeds has three very unique mentorship programs to guide students through each phase of their career at CU Boulder. Starting from day one, freshman students can be enrolled in the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Program, which pairs them with an upperclassman who can help show them the ropes. The mentors are there to guide their mentees through everything related to freshman year from where to eat on the hill, to finding the best study spots on campus, to registering for second semester classes. Best of all, these programs are completely free!
3. Something for everyone: When I was looking at schools, it felt like everyone was studying the same exact thing and that there were only a few options to choose from. While common misconception is that business is fairly black and white, the truth of the matter is that there is so much you can do with business. This is precisely why Leeds offers four different majors, or “areas of emphasis,” eight different certificates (including a Business of Sports certificate, where you work with USA Rugby, Vail Resorts and the Denver Nuggets to name a few). Leeds also offers countless “tracks” within each major to really customize your study experience. Altogether, Leeds offers 480 different study options in the business school alone, without even taking into account possible minors. Worried that you’ll just be one in a million business degree graduates? Don’t be—you could double major in finance and marketing with a Technology, Arts and Media Minor and a Global Business certificate. Or you could major in Management and Entrepreneurship with an Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics track, with a certificate in Social Responsibility. The options are endless.
4. The Leeds RAP: Leeds RAP, or Residential Academic Program, is home to two-thirds of our freshman class. Held in Cheyenne Arapahoe Hall right on Farrand Field, the Leeds RAP was the highlight of my freshman year. Since most of my business classes were held in the building, I could roll out of bed at 7:55am, brush my teeth, and still make it to my 8:00am class on time. Plus, because we were all taking the same courses, it was super easy to walk next door together to get to our classrooms. All of this led to built-in study groups and friendships that will last the next four years- and maybe even a lifetime.
5. Networking Nights: Maybe you’ve heard the expression, “In business, it’s not what you know, but who you know.” At Leeds, we argue that the answer is both. Leeds helps students network with professionals and local companies through networking nights and signature event nights. Speakers from all different professional backgrounds come to speak and meet with students—from Justin’s Peanut Butter to companies in the technology industry. Several times per semester, Leeds will host networking nights where companies set up a table and recruit Leeds students for internships and jobs. With all of that networking, it’s no wonder Leeds has a 94% job-placement rate within three months of graduation!
6. Office of Diversity Affairs: The Office of Diversity Affairs, or ODA, is a highlight of the Leeds community. Leeds understands the importance of diversity—not just in background or ethnicity, but in thought and perspective as well. The Office of Diversity Affairs is home to the Diverse Scholars Program and Multicultural Business Student Association (MBSA). This group of students participate in case competitions, study sessions, retreats to different parts of beautiful Colorado and has free printing. If you have an interest in learning about diversity in business, I highly encourage you to check out this office!
7. Center for Education on Social Responsibility: Right in the heart of Leeds is the Center for Education on Social Responsibility (CESR). As one of our ethics professors, Don Oest frequently says, “It’s not a question of if, but when you will face an ethical dilemma in the workplace.” With this in mind, CESR takes an objective approach using the morals and values we already have, to address conflict in the business world. CESR holds case competitions, CESR-based FGX trips and in-class debates, and we even have a club called CESR Fellows. There are also scholarships set aside specifically for CESR certificate participants. The tagline, of course, is, “Dare to do business differently.” Harvard and Stanford have both come to our CESR office to experience it for themselves and implement it into their own schools.
Bonus Reason: The view from our balcony. 
We have hands down the most beautiful view of the flatirons from our fourth-floor balcony!
Emily Carpey
Business, 2020