FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I pursue a liberal arts education?
There
are
lots
of
answers
to
this
question,
but
the
simplest
one
is
this:
a
liberal
arts
education
doesn't
just
prime
you
for
the
job
market.
It
prepares
you
for
life,
for
living
in
the
world,
and
gives
you
breadth
and
depth
to
every
dimension
of
your
life.
The
college
provides
you
with
a
foundation
that
will
enable
you
to
succeed
in
whatever
vocation
you
choose,
but
also
in
every
other
area
of
life.
See
Welcome
to
CC,
Choosing
CC,
Why
It's
Different,
and
After
CC.
Can you explain the Block Plan and what a typical day is like?
The
Block
Plan
is
one
class
at
a
time,
usually
Monday
through
Friday,
9
a.m.
to
noon.
This
lasts
for
three-and-a-half
weeks
(ending
on
the
fourth
Wednesday);
students
get
a
long
weekend,
and
then
it
starts
again
the
following
Monday.
This
happens
four
times
a
semester,
with
two
semesters
a
year,
so
the
credits
work
out
the
same
as
a
school
on
the
semester
system-just
with
a
lot
more
intensity,
depth
and
flexibility.
See
The
Block
Plan
and
What's
a
Block.
Why is the Block Plan so unique? Why can't I find it at other colleges?
In
a
few
words?
It
requires
more
of
everyone
involved:
staff,
faculty,
and
student.
Teaching
and
learning
under
the
Block
Plan
depend
on
students
and
faculty
who
are
bright,
disciplined,
and
actively
engaged
in
education.
See
Choosing
CC
and
Why
It's
Different.
How do courses under the Block Plan transfer in and out? Can I get credit for AP, IB, and other college courses?
Because
the
Block
Plan,
launched
at
CC
in
1970,
is
a
widely
recognized
scheduling
system,
students
who
choose
to
transfer
from
CC
do
not
have
difficulty
receiving
appropriate
credit
at
the
schools
to
which
they
are
transferring.
One
block
is
equivalent
to
four
semester
hours
or
six
quarter
hours.
The
reverse
goes
for
credit
transferring
to
CC,
but
each
department
sets
its
own
standards.
Typically
a
4
or
a
5
on
an
AP
exam,
or
a
6
or
a
7
on
an
IB
exam,
will
be
worth
credit.
Contact
the
Registrar's
Office
for
more.
Does Colorado College have an honors program?
Because classes are small and all students have been selected through a competitive admission process, an honors program simply isn't necessary. All classes are rigorous and demanding. In fact, many senior-level courses are comparable to graduate-level courses.
What programs are available for students with disabilities, particularly learning disabilities?
For
physical
and
learning
disabilities,
we
provide
reasonable
accommodations
on
a
case-by-case
basis.
In
addition,
all
new
construction
incorporates
significant
modifications
for
physical
disabilities.
In
the
past,
accommodations
such
as
extra
time,
quiet
locations
for
testing,
and
physical
adjustments
to
rooms
have
been
offered.
See
Support
Services
and
Accessibility
Resources.
What additional academic services do you offer to students?
If
students
are
having
trouble
with
a
course,
we
hope
that
they
will
go
straight
to
the
source
-
the
professors
who
serve
as
your
advisors
and
teachers.
Professors
are
here
for
a
reason
-
to
teach
-
and
most
are
very
approachable
and
happy
to
help.
There's
a
myriad
of
other
resources,
everything
from
peer
tutors
to
paraprofessionals.
See
Academic
Resources
&
Services.
What are the general requirements?
First-year students are required to participate in a two-block First Year Experience, of which there are many choices. CC does not have a core curriculum, but we do have a distribution requirement. This means that while we expect students to have a breadth of experience in their curriculum, we do not specify particular courses. Students must declare their major by the end of their sophomore year and complete a total of 32 blocks for graduation.
See First Year Experience and Requirements.
What pre-professional programs are available?
Pre-professional advising is offered in the health professions and in law. There are cooperative programs with other schools in engineering, which require that students spend three years at CC pursuing a liberal arts foundation before transferring to one of four cooperative universities for two years of engineering. At the end of this 3-2 period, students receive two bachelor's degrees: one from CC and one from the engineering school.
See Departments & Programs and the pre-professional Health and Law pages.
Does the college help students find jobs?
Definitely. Our Career Center is an excellent resource for students as they look for employment opportunities during and after college. The Center provides individual career counseling, workshops in resume writing and interviewing, and also gives students access to resources on internships and employment.
See the Career Center page.
What security measures does CC employ? Where can I obtain statistics about safety?
Security should be a concern anywhere. We focus on educating students about risky and inappropriate behaviors. We also have escort, emergency phones, and whistle programs, as well as security patrols. Residence halls utilize a system of key card entries. Statistical crime reports are prepared annually by the college and may be requested from the Campus Safety Office.
See Campus Safety.
What majors does CC offer?
Our departmental offerings are on par with other liberal arts colleges. You could change majors many times without having to leave CC. Generally speaking, the most popular majors at CC are those that are popular nationally.
See
the
Majors
and
Minors.
What is the average class size?
The average class size is 16.3 students and classes are officially limited to 25 students unless there are two professors, in which case the limit is 32 (professors teaching classes in high demand very occasionally exceed this limit for the sake of accommodating students). CC's student to faculty ratio is 10:1.
See Our Faculty and The Block Plan.
What types of extra-curricular activities exist on campus?
Almost too many! With a number of varsity and club sports and more than 100 student-led organizations, CC's campus is bustling with life at every turn.
See Student Activities, a list of Student Organizations, and the Campus Calendar.
Who are your famous and most distinguished graduates?
A number of Colorado College alumni were tapped by President Obama for positions in his administration. They include: Former Colorado Senator Ken Salazar '77, secretary of the interior; Jane Lubchenco '69, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Lori Garver '83, deputy administrator of NASA; Marcia McNutt '74; director of the U.S. Geological Survey Harris Sherman '64.
Additionally, Colorado College had a graduate, Aaron Gutierrez '08, serving as an intern in the office of legislative affairs at the White House. Gutierrez, who was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado, graduated with a B.A. in international political economy and a minor in Spanish. A survivor of brain cancer, he was a Fellow at El Pomar Foundation, one of the largest and oldest grant-giving foundations in the Rocky Mountain West. At El Pomar, Gutierrez received firsthand experience in the nonprofit sector.
See more on the After CC page .
What are the college expenses?
Approximately half of the student body receives direct support from Colorado College in the form of financial aid or scholarships.
See Financial Aid and Tuition for current information on expenses.
What does my tuition pay for?
CC is a private institution, and therefore not subsidized by the state. While our tuition may seem high, it is actually on the lower end for nationally known liberal arts colleges. Colorado College hires the best faculty, keeps class sizes extremely small, and has ample state-of-the-art facilities and equipment designated for undergraduate use only.