Admissions

My advice to anyone who is looking to apply to the Colorado School of Mines, is not to get discouraged if you have a lower GPA than others. This just means that you need to keep working on your grades and make sure to make an appointment to tour the campus, as well as talk with the admissions office. Immediately after returning home write whomever you spoke with at the admissions office an e-mail thanking them for there time. This will not necessarily get you in but it keeps your name in the admissions personnel's head. When you apply, make sure to write everything in your application. (i.e. extra-curricular activities, GPA, volunteer information etc.) Also make sure to check up on your application status, to make sure that it is getting looked at in a reasonable manner of time.

I would recommend staying focused on your studies. Don't let them overwhelm you. And when you start out, try joining a club or something of that nature. At Mines, it's nice to have a break from the day to day stresses.

Tip #1: Bring your game face.
- If you want to work hard and learn more than you ever have, but have fun while you're doing it then this school is for you. Expect to roll into this school, work harder than you ever have, but roll out with a great job and one of the brightest futures possible.
Tip #2: Learn how to take your game face off.
- One will learn to work hard at this school, but he or she needs to learn how to play hard too. The school offers too many ways to have fun while learning to not be involved in something fun.
Tip #3: Seek help where help is needed.
- At the Colorado School of Mines one can expect to have a hard time in some classes. There is hope! In almost every nook and cranny around the school one can find a study group, a tutoring program, an academic workshop, et cetera. Seek help if you need it! There is always someone willing to help, you just have to ask.

I came to this school as a very open-minded, liberal individual. Being as it is an engineering college, the general vibe of the campus is fairly conservative. It made it a little more difficult to adjust and find friends that I could connect to well. However, the farther you get in school and your intended major, the more people you will meet with interests and values that match your own.
Also, don't get behind on your schoolwork. You have to be very self-motivated, but completing your work ahead of time saves a lot of stress and worrying on your part. It's worth it, I promise.

Tips... hm well just for like every other university.. Keep your grades up and take advanced classes. Just because you school doesn't require you to take another year of science, math, or foreign language doesn't mean you shouldn't. You will be highly recognized at Mines for having the initiative to take the advanced courses. Plus it helps in the first semester if you have a year of Calculus, Chem, and Physics under your belt.
And where academics is important, extracurricular activities are almost as equally important. Being well rounded is important plus there are things that you can't learn in the classroom.
Also set up an appointment with a admissions counselor and schedule a tour of the campus. Its important to make an impression, so whenever you have a question stop on by the school or email an admission councilors as much as possible to keep your name in their head.

Do your work. Really do it. Understand what you're doing, and why. If you adopt a reflective approach to your learning, you'll go miles above the rest, here.
When it comes to housing and your meal plans, only pay for what you need. It doesn't seem like much now, but when you face the bills, you'll be glad you saved where you could. On that note, save your munch money! Don't spend it all before your first round of tests. You'll want a milkshake from Elements after your first physics test - I promise.
Know what you need. I need to eat breakfast everyday. Some people need 30 more minutes of sleep. Maybe you need to go to every class, maybe you don't. But find out what you need (not just what you want), and stick to it. I need a class before 10am so that I don't sleep until noon!
If you can find a TLC that's right for you - GO FOR IT! I'm a member of the Visual and Performing Arts community and it's the best thing I could've done. You have a family walking into the semester, and people to look for in your classes so you're not alone. Make those friends, but look for a community if you can. It goes a long way.
Explore your resources. Between the design lab in Brown, the 3D printers sprinkled around campus, and the design lab below the engineering annex, there's not a project you can't take on. Go to the library, print on nice paper. Take advantage of CASA help hours on subjects you feel shaky on.
Go to office hours.
Go to lab every week.
Don't skip classes you can't afford to miss.
Don't forget to get out and appreciate the world. Golden is a cute little town. Walk around Golden at 2am, sit on Kafadar Commons at 1 in the afternoon. Soak in the experience, and the sunlight.
Keep a low-calorie snack on hand. Gum works. You'll want to eat something while you study, but the freshman 15 can get real.
Sodexo sucks, and you'll feel it after week 3, but you can make it better in little ways. Ask the deli to toss your cookie in the toaster if they're not busy. Get...

You will see grades that you have never experienced before, and not in a good way. Do not be disappointed by this. Make sure you stay completely focused the entire time you are here or you aren't going to make it at this school. During the week, you will study more and work harder than you ever have before. This will wear you out, but hang in there... It's worth every bit.

I encourage you to learn how to study. It sounds ridiculous because at one point we all think we know how to study and memorize facts. But at CSM, studying is how a majority of your time is spent. If you're struggling, take advantage of the free tutoring, office hours, and recitations. They're there to help you understand concepts and applying them. Even joining a study group with friends, at least one person in that group will be able to explain something to you and if you can be that person, it helps solidify the concept in your head even more. The first year at Mines tries to knock you down as hard as it can. It wants you to get to the edge of yourself and it forces you to decide if you really have what it takes to make it for four or even five years. I know plenty of upperclassmen that have told me that they've had their share of breakdowns and freak outs, but they weathered through them. At the end of the day, you only thought you were the smartest kid in school. And every day, we are reminded of that fact: Just because we thought it, doesn't make it so.
CSM challenges everyone, no matter what level they are at. In the end your internal drive will carry you through.

CSM is not a party school. Make sure you are ready to study, the classes will challenge even the most intelligent. Tutor program is good.

If you work hard and study a lot, you will be fine at Colorado School of Mines.