On the Road to College with Betsy Woolf - University of Delaware

Summer is the time when many families take to the road to visit colleges, and I am no exception. On a very hot – around 93 degrees – day in June, I was on the road, revisiting the University of Delaware in Newark (which is pronounced New – Ark).

Newark is a college town about two hours from Washington, D.C. and approximately 45 minutes from Philadelphia. In fact, Main Street runs through the red brick campus. I would use the term “urban campus” carefully, as most of the school is comprised of lots of green lawns and malls. Main Street is the off-campus hub, filled with eateries, stores and the campus bookstore. But there’s plenty to do on-campus at UD, including playing Battleship in the South Campus pool and participating in U Dance to raise money for childhood cancer. And of course, rooting for its Division I athletic teams.

In the classroom, this school of around 18,000 undergraduates boasts class sizes that rarely exceed 100 students. There are seven colleges in the university, including a College of Earth, Ocean & Environment that offers a variety of degrees including a bachelor of science in meteorology and climatology, and BS degrees in earth science education, environmental science and geological sciences, and marine science with a concentration in marine biology. The six other colleges focus on business and economics, agriculture and natural resources, education and public policy, health sciences, engineering, and arts and sciences.

The motto at the university is “Dare to Be First,” and there seem to be a fair number of new programs at the University. The Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics has a new major in financial planning and a Summer Founders Program for student entrepreneurs who receive funding to develop their ventures. The Delaware Innovation Fellows Program is open to entrepreneurial students from any major and includes mentorship and funding to help with start-up costs as well as specialized coursework. The World Scholars Program immerses students in global experiences over four years, including multiple study abroad experiences, language study, courses, internships and living-learning environments.

Although my tour didn’t include a visit to the university’s ice arena, it’s a cool place to be, as it is the home of a premier collegiate figure skating team that has just won it’s fourth straight national championship.

On the Road to College with Betsy Woolf – University of Delaware