Boulder, Colorado is the picturesque vision of a college town. In fact, it has repeatedly been ranked as one of the best college towns by Huffington Post, US News and Business Insider. With a Rocky Mountain backdrop and an average of 245 sunny days per year, Boulder is outright beautiful. And in the winter, Boulder averages 83.1 inches of snow per year, making it a snow junkie’s paradise. The weather, however, isn’t what truly shapes the charming town of Boulder; the University of Colorado- Boulder campus does.

As a senior entering the second quarter of my final year, the college search is in full swing. Application deadlines are rapidly approaching, yet I’ve found that it’s surprisingly hard to decide what colleges to apply to. The options are truly endless, and upon the recommendation of a friend, I began researching CU Boulder. After much planning and research, I decided to visit the campus. As an avid lover of Utah and all the outdoor adventures and beauty it has to offer, I doubted that Boulder could live up to Utah’s standards. Boulder is nestled in the unique area that separates the Rocky Mountains from the Great Plains, making the geography unlike anyplace else. The Flatirons of the Rocky Mountains are considered to be Boulder’s most iconic rock formation, and Boulder itself is located right next to another icon: Flagstaff Mountain. Boulder’s exclusive mix of plains and jagged mountains make Boulder a great opponent when it comes to outdoor allure.

More important than what surrounds the University is the University itself. Like the rest of the town, the campus is filled with beautiful sights, and the Flatirons are visible from nearly everywhere. Also like the rest of the town, the campus is filled with bikers who are committed to fighting greenhouse gas emissions. Boulder is known for being extremely environmentally conscious, and the University is no different. They are committed to producing zero waste during any and all of their varsity home games. This means that all the beer cans, dirty napkins and concessions will hopefully be recycled or composted.

Boulder enriches their campus life with dedication to environmental sustainability and close-knit feel, even though the campus has an enrollment of around 30,000 students. They even manage to keep their class sizes small (usually less than 30 students) despite the size of the student body. There is only one thing that holds me, and many others, back from committing to Boulder; the out-of-state tuition is upwards of $40,000. They give out a decent amount of scholarship money, although it generally isn’t enough to lessen the out-of-state tuition to the in-state rate of about $20,000.

Boulder would be a great place to live whether one would be attending the University or not. The city is unique in its culture and geography, and offers a new way of life that is special to Boulder.