By Robert Regan ‘23

Last Saturday, I left the safety of the South Side and ventured deep into the North Side of Chicago to the neighborhood of Lincoln Park. I braved the diagonal streets and Cubs fans for one reason: to take a campus tour of DePaul University.

The tour started at the admissions building and from there we walked to the quad, a large green area at the center of campus filled with trees and benches. We then went to the library, which is massive, with four floors filled with books and study areas. Then we looked at the student center, home to various club meeting areas, which featured two large spiral staircases leading to the main dining area.

We couldn’t go into the gym during the tour, but our tour guide told us that the gym is four floors, its main attractions being an Olympic-sized swimming pool and an indoor track. The gym is also free for all students. All of DePaul’s varsity sports are D1, and tickets to varsity games are free to students who want to show their Blue Demon pride.

DePaul is in a great location. Lincoln Park is a thriving Chicago community with easy access to downtown. There are plenty of great food options within walking distance of the university and there are plenty of things to do in the area, with Wrigley Field and Lincoln Park Zoo being literally blocks away. A station to get on the Brown Line is near the admissions building and the “L” runs right through the edge of campus.

One unique thing about Lincoln Park is how many dogs there are. Walking down the sidewalks, we were practically tripping over residents’ walking their dogs, who seem to be drawn to DePaul’s quad and green areas. For those intimidated by the bumper-to-bumper parking on the narrow streets of Lincoln Park, there is no need to fear as DePaul offers a parking garage for all students.

DePaul University actually has another smaller campus, located downtown at Jackson and State. Depending on your major, you could have several classes at the Loop campus; for example, if you major in something business or science related. Surprisingly, there is a lot on this campus, including a Barnes and Noble, cafeteria, library, and even picnic benches on the rooftop you can sit on.

One thing I learned about DePaul on the tour was their unorthodox school semester schedule. The academic school year is split up into three quarters, which starts in September and ends in June. They have a six-week break starting the week of Thanksgiving and going up until the first week of January, which I personally think is a nice way to break up the school year.

Overall, DePaul has the best of both worlds. It has the Lincoln Park campus which has the atmosphere of your traditional American suburban college, and the Loop campus enables students to get a taste of going to classes in the city.

Those who have already applied to DePaul University can expect an admissions decision by December 15 and your financial aid package by the end of February. If this article has made you suddenly interested in DePaul, you still have until February 1 to apply.