what is the University of Minnesota like?

[Anonymous]

Students have a strong work ethic. Some decline coastal elites to save money for grad school.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:US news has Minnesota ranked at 70, that seems high to me: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities-3969/overall-rankings

DD#1 is a junior at University of Wisconsin; I feel like they were much closer ranked a few years ago when she was applying.

I’m surprised that UW hasn’t dropped after all those years of governor Walker. I know that budgets have been tight and programs cut, since I have friends on faculty there.

No, they just moved up. And Minnesota was never ranked anywhere near Wisconsin. Most of the kids in Minnesota would rather go to Wisconsin.

PP here, I should correct myself. I meant that seemed like a low rank (high number) for Minnesota. I would expect UMN to be in the 50s. DD visited both Minnesota and Wisconsin, the campus vibe and town of Madison were way better.

Maybe Wisconsin has weathered the Walker storm, DD hasnt felt any ill effects (locked out of classes, etc) and they are building a bunch on campus. She doesnt mind the cold but it took some getting used to in that she had to buy the right clothes/layers. She says she likes having dramatically different seasons.

It’s so subjective when talking about campus vibe. And not everyone prefers to be at Madison. Husband is a Badger and loved it. I took one look at Madison and wanted to leave. I wanted a bigger city and wasn’t into Big Ten sports. Camp Randall dominates at Wisconsin. I love the lakes and the terrace there, but the 60s architecture isn’t my fave. U of M’s campus’s has prettier buildings, a great mall with views of downtown Minneapolis and the Mississippi. For me, U of M was the perfect fit. I agree UW Madison is higher up the list on academic rankings, but I got a full scholarship for my senior year in the Netherlands and got into Harvard for grad, so Minnesota gave me a great foundation.

60’s architecture at UW-Madison? Prettier buildings at Minnesota? How long were you in Madison? A millisecond?

I’m sorry that I actually know of what I speak. My dad was a professor of architecture who took me on my college tour way back in 1990 and we talked about how unwelcoming the journalism school was in terms of design. There are many 1960s buildings at Madison to this day. https://www.google.com/amp/s/madison.com/news/local/education/university/as-uw-madison-plans-for-future-well-known-s-buildings/article_de4cb151-4e67-53dc-8a20-3ec9256ae789.amp.html

And they are being replaced with modern architecture. Call me crazy, but I prefer this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Minnesota_Old_Campus_Historic_District

Exactly two buildings are 60's brutalist (or 70's actually) Journalism (Vilas Hall) and Humanities. They are both about the worst buildings on campus and are likely to be replaced in the next 10 or so years. The setting for the rest of the campus is pretty stunning and for both aesthetics, sports and academics, the U doesn't hold a candle to UW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.12up.com/posts/video-wisconsin-fans-torment-lone-michigan-fan-during-jump-around-in-middle-of-badgers-blowout-01dnaqc6pq7a

It’s kind of a big deal

Not in Minnesota.

OP, if you are worried about no sports culture based on some of the reports here, there's this: UMN v UW-Madison rivalry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota%E2%80%93Wisconsin_football_rivalry

But I still say Madison is dominated by college sports in a way that Minneapolis just isn't.

I think this is for a few reasons.

First, the U is traditionally a commuter campus, whereas UW is more of a traditional setting.
Second, the U is in Minneapolis, where many students are also fans of the Vikes, Twins, Wild, Wolves and their high school hockey teams.
Third, UW has simply been a better sports school over the past couple of decades. This fosters a lot of community and school spirit; something that is not really the culture of UM, and this is across the revenue sports (football, basketball, hockey) and non-rev sports like soccer, volleyball, golf, xcountry, tennis and track and field.

So it isn't that UW is "dominated" by college sports, but for some students, it is a big part of the social setting to participate as a fan. It certainly isn't like Alabama or Clemson for football, North Dakota for hockey or Kentucky or Kansas for hoops, those places are over the top in a way the UW just isn't. To me, it is a much healthier balance, but still offers a lot of fun across multiple seasons.

[Anonymous]

I was born and raised in Minnesota, but have lived in the DMV for 20 years.

I think the U would be a good option -- a solid school with a good reputation.

The winters are brutal -- you just have to get through them. The main problem is not snow, but rather the bitterly cold temperatures.

I think one big advantage is that it is in a large city, where you can do internships.

My friend's son (from Bethesda) got his Master's at the U in Mechanical Engineering a few years ago, and now works at Tesla.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:US news has Minnesota ranked at 70, that seems high to me: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities-3969/overall-rankings

DD#1 is a junior at University of Wisconsin; I feel like they were much closer ranked a few years ago when she was applying.

I’m surprised that UW hasn’t dropped after all those years of governor Walker. I know that budgets have been tight and programs cut, since I have friends on faculty there.

No, they just moved up. And Minnesota was never ranked anywhere near Wisconsin. Most of the kids in Minnesota would rather go to Wisconsin.

PP here, I should correct myself. I meant that seemed like a low rank (high number) for Minnesota. I would expect UMN to be in the 50s. DD visited both Minnesota and Wisconsin, the campus vibe and town of Madison were way better.

Maybe Wisconsin has weathered the Walker storm, DD hasnt felt any ill effects (locked out of classes, etc) and they are building a bunch on campus. She doesnt mind the cold but it took some getting used to in that she had to buy the right clothes/layers. She says she likes having dramatically different seasons.

It’s so subjective when talking about campus vibe. And not everyone prefers to be at Madison. Husband is a Badger and loved it. I took one look at Madison and wanted to leave. I wanted a bigger city and wasn’t into Big Ten sports. Camp Randall dominates at Wisconsin. I love the lakes and the terrace there, but the 60s architecture isn’t my fave. U of M’s campus’s has prettier buildings, a great mall with views of downtown Minneapolis and the Mississippi. For me, U of M was the perfect fit. I agree UW Madison is higher up the list on academic rankings, but I got a full scholarship for my senior year in the Netherlands and got into Harvard for grad, so Minnesota gave me a great foundation.

60’s architecture at UW-Madison? Prettier buildings at Minnesota? How long were you in Madison? A millisecond?

I’m sorry that I actually know of what I speak. My dad was a professor of architecture who took me on my college tour way back in 1990 and we talked about how unwelcoming the journalism school was in terms of design. There are many 1960s buildings at Madison to this day. https://www.google.com/amp/s/madison.com/news/local/education/university/as-uw-madison-plans-for-future-well-known-s-buildings/article_de4cb151-4e67-53dc-8a20-3ec9256ae789.amp.html

And they are being replaced with modern architecture. Call me crazy, but I prefer this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Minnesota_Old_Campus_Historic_District

Exactly two buildings are 60's brutalist (or 70's actually) Journalism (Vilas Hall) and Humanities. They are both about the worst buildings on campus and are likely to be replaced in the next 10 or so years. The setting for the rest of the campus is pretty stunning and for both aesthetics, sports and academics, the U doesn't hold a candle to UW.

You do realize this is all subjective, right? And I made the original comment that got you spun up because I was majoring in journalism! There are also my DH’s dorms and the engineering building which are ugly. Wisconsin is great for all the reasons you mentioned, but it didn’t appeal to me based on other factors. For me, Wisconsin lacks a central quad or mall area that makes a campus feel collegial. Bascom Hill is the closest approximation and doesn’t have the same feel as Harvard Yard or Northrop Mall. To each their own.

In any case, for the OP who didn’t ask about Wisconsin, Minnesota is a great place to spend four years. Minneapolis is a very accessible and manageable city with plenty of follow on professional opportunities. Also, the U is highly ranked for study abroad opportunities if you need a break from the cold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.12up.com/posts/video-wisconsin-fans-torment-lone-michigan-fan-during-jump-around-in-middle-of-badgers-blowout-01dnaqc6pq7a

It’s kind of a big deal

Not in Minnesota.

OP, if you are worried about no sports culture based on some of the reports here, there's this: UMN v UW-Madison rivalry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota%E2%80%93Wisconsin_football_rivalry

But I still say Madison is dominated by college sports in a way that Minneapolis just isn't.

I think this is for a few reasons.

First, the U is traditionally a commuter campus, whereas UW is more of a traditional setting.

Multiple people who attended there disagreed with this. Add me to the list. It’s a residential freshmen/live right off campus upper classmen kind of school. The commuters are not a big factor and this comment misrepresents the undergrad experience.


Second, the U is in Minneapolis, where many students are also fans of the Vikes, Twins, Wild, Wolves and their high school hockey teams.
Third, UW has simply been a better sports school over the past couple of decades. This fosters a lot of community and school spirit; something that is not really the culture of UM, and this is across the revenue sports (football, basketball, hockey) and non-rev sports like soccer, volleyball, golf, xcountry, tennis and track and field.

So it isn't that UW is "dominated" by college sports, but for some students, it is a big part of the social setting to participate as a fan. It certainly isn't like Alabama or Clemson for football, North Dakota for hockey or Kentucky or Kansas for hoops, those places are over the top in a way the UW just isn't. To me, it is a much healthier balance, but still offers a lot of fun across multiple seasons.

Some people find UW over the top too. I don’t see big difference between a Wisconsin football game crowd going crazy over Jump Around compared to a Jayhawks game. If you are not into sports, both will feel intense.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US news has Minnesota ranked at 70, that seems high to me: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities-3969/overall-rankings

DD#1 is a junior at University of Wisconsin; I feel like they were much closer ranked a few years ago when she was applying.

I’m surprised that UW hasn’t dropped after all those years of governor Walker. I know that budgets have been tight and programs cut, since I have friends on faculty there.

No, they just moved up. And Minnesota was never ranked anywhere near Wisconsin. Most of the kids in Minnesota would rather go to Wisconsin.

PP here, I should correct myself. I meant that seemed like a low rank (high number) for Minnesota. I would expect UMN to be in the 50s. DD visited both Minnesota and Wisconsin, the campus vibe and town of Madison were way better.

Maybe Wisconsin has weathered the Walker storm, DD hasnt felt any ill effects (locked out of classes, etc) and they are building a bunch on campus. She doesnt mind the cold but it took some getting used to in that she had to buy the right clothes/layers. She says she likes having dramatically different seasons.

It’s so subjective when talking about campus vibe. And not everyone prefers to be at Madison. Husband is a Badger and loved it. I took one look at Madison and wanted to leave. I wanted a bigger city and wasn’t into Big Ten sports. Camp Randall dominates at Wisconsin. I love the lakes and the terrace there, but the 60s architecture isn’t my fave. U of M’s campus’s has prettier buildings, a great mall with views of downtown Minneapolis and the Mississippi. For me, U of M was the perfect fit. I agree UW Madison is higher up the list on academic rankings, but I got a full scholarship for my senior year in the Netherlands and got into Harvard for grad, so Minnesota gave me a great foundation.

60’s architecture at UW-Madison? Prettier buildings at Minnesota? How long were you in Madison? A millisecond?

I’m sorry that I actually know of what I speak. My dad was a professor of architecture who took me on my college tour way back in 1990 and we talked about how unwelcoming the journalism school was in terms of design. There are many 1960s buildings at Madison to this day. https://www.google.com/amp/s/madison.com/news/local/education/university/as-uw-madison-plans-for-future-well-known-s-buildings/article_de4cb151-4e67-53dc-8a20-3ec9256ae789.amp.html

And they are being replaced with modern architecture. Call me crazy, but I prefer this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Minnesota_Old_Campus_Historic_District

Exactly two buildings are 60's brutalist (or 70's actually) Journalism (Vilas Hall) and Humanities. They are both about the worst buildings on campus and are likely to be replaced in the next 10 or so years. The setting for the rest of the campus is pretty stunning and for both aesthetics, sports and academics, the U doesn't hold a candle to UW.

Way more than two buildings and 60s was indeed the era, not 70s.

[Anonymous]

Cold and gray.

I grew up in Minnesota and had a criteria for college that I did not want to go to school in-state. I did grad school in Boston that was much more pleasant to give a frame of reference. It is a long, long time to live in the cold weather with gray skies the whole time. One of the positives, lake life, isn't typically available for college students.

[Anonymous]

My DC would tell you that the urban setting of the school is a large part of the appeal. DC enjoys getting off campus and having more interesting things to do than walk around a suburb. He went to the Guthrie twice and some other theatre venues, as well.

We have been happy with the quality of DCs education. They must be doing something right because so many end up settling in the Twin Cities after graduation.

[Anonymous]

I lived in the Twin Cities during my high school years, when my Dad worked for one of the many large corporations located in Minnesota. We had lived all over the US, and I found the Twin Cities to be friendly and nice (but so so damn cold).

Our kids are now in high school, and they are looking at schools in the Upper Midwest as good options. (They are looking at schools all over, except in the South.) We'd be delighted if either of our kids chose the U of Minnesota.

[Anonymous]

Michigan State has the country's #1 Supply Chain program. He will definitely have a job when he graduates, and likely prior. My DS is in their consulting program at the Business School--also very good. Check it out.

He loves MSU, as does pretty much everyone who went there. (Although the DCUM haters have a lot of negative to say about it, usually)

[Anonymous]

It's just that East Lansing is not the most attractive place in the region.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC would tell you that the urban setting of the school is a large part of the appeal. DC enjoys getting off campus and having more interesting things to do than walk around a suburb. He went to the Guthrie twice and some other theatre venues, as well.

We have been happy with the quality of DCs education. They must be doing something right because so many end up settling in the Twin Cities after graduation.

Was just talking with DS about it as an option for his list and this was one of the positives to consider. He doesn't think he wants to live in DC after college because of the soaring cost of living while the Twin Cities are a very livable, affordable city with a strong job market.

We have family in the Cities, including two of my cousins' kids happily attending UM, and I keep seeing it come up on lists of schools with good applied math/statistics programs (what he wants to major in) so I think he'll be applying and he'll have to decide if he's up for the cold winters. He's come with me on family visits a few times but not in the winter. He definitely prefers cold to hot but I think if we visit the U, we'll do it in winter so he gets a good taste of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC would tell you that the urban setting of the school is a large part of the appeal. DC enjoys getting off campus and having more interesting things to do than walk around a suburb. He went to the Guthrie twice and some other theatre venues, as well.

We have been happy with the quality of DCs education. They must be doing something right because so many end up settling in the Twin Cities after graduation.

Was just talking with DS about it as an option for his list and this was one of the positives to consider. He doesn't think he wants to live in DC after college because of the soaring cost of living while the Twin Cities are a very livable, affordable city with a strong job market.

We have family in the Cities, including two of my cousins' kids happily attending UM, and I keep seeing it come up on lists of schools with good applied math/statistics programs (what he wants to major in) so I think he'll be applying and he'll have to decide if he's up for the cold winters. He's come with me on family visits a few times but not in the winter. He definitely prefers cold to hot but I think if we visit the U, we'll do it in winter so he gets a good taste of it.

He would apply to CSE, right? Although UMN is enormous, the CSE only has about 5k kids and they are fairly segregated administratively from the rest of the school. The students in CSE are top notch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC would tell you that the urban setting of the school is a large part of the appeal. DC enjoys getting off campus and having more interesting things to do than walk around a suburb. He went to the Guthrie twice and some other theatre venues, as well.

We have been happy with the quality of DCs education. They must be doing something right because so many end up settling in the Twin Cities after graduation.

Was just talking with DS about it as an option for his list and this was one of the positives to consider. He doesn't think he wants to live in DC after college because of the soaring cost of living while the Twin Cities are a very livable, affordable city with a strong job market.

We have family in the Cities, including two of my cousins' kids happily attending UM, and I keep seeing it come up on lists of schools with good applied math/statistics programs (what he wants to major in) so I think he'll be applying and he'll have to decide if he's up for the cold winters. He's come with me on family visits a few times but not in the winter. He definitely prefers cold to hot but I think if we visit the U, we'll do it in winter so he gets a good taste of it.

He would apply to CSE, right? Although UMN is enormous, the CSE only has about 5k kids and they are fairly segregated administratively from the rest of the school. The students in CSE are top notch.

That's one of the things he needs to figure out -- math/stats are majors in both the CSE and the CLA. My inclination would be that CSE is probably preferable (that's where his cousins are right now) but he needs to talk with them about the pathways/outcomes for the BA (CLA) vs. BS (CSE) degrees. He just signed up to go to a local UM event later this month so he'll learn more about the school then.