what is the University of Minnesota like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Michigan State has a superior supply chain econ program. This will draw out the haters but please do look into this program for your child. Merit aid is available to reduce an already reasonable out of state COA.

I was just going to say the same thing. Definitely look into Michigan State.

Yup ... highly ranked in supply chain on USNWR

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well, with cousins there in CSE, I'm sure you will get good advice. There's pretty decent OOS merit aid.

[Anonymous]

Is the Maroon & Gold award enough to make COA manageable? If there’s someone whose child was in Honors, is your child happy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the Maroon & Gold award enough to make COA manageable? If there’s someone whose child was in Honors, is your child happy?

we all define manageable based on our own resources. For us, the merit aid was sufficient.

A national scholarship can be quite large.

https://admissions.tc.umn.edu/costsaid/schol_campus.html

[Anonymous]

Thank you, whoops, I confused the in-state scholarship Maroon & Gold with the National scholarship.

[Anonymous]

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

So? If you're picking a college based on the city it's in, you're doing it wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you, whoops, I confused the in-state scholarship Maroon & Gold with the National scholarship.

You are welcome.

Certainly the bigger awards make a difference. There are added expenses with flying to school.

[Anonymous]

Is the campus and surrounding area safe? Crime against students looks like it's an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

So? If you're picking a college based on the city it's in, you're doing it wrong.

It should be "a" but not "the" factor. You have to like where you are living, if given a choice. Some people like rural, others like urban. That weighs into a choice, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cold. White.

Is there something wrong with white people? Most colleges have them, you know.

PP did not indicate any kind of judgement with the word white - although apparently that's how you read it. Why.

Of course, of course. If someone gave a description of a school as "Hot. Black", I'm sure you would be equally confused right?

If the dominant weather feature for much of the school year was the color black, I wouldn't think a thing of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am from Minneapolis, went to U of MN, lived elsewhere and am now back in Minneapolis.

Here are my thoughts on UMN:

- Fun, Big 10 college and sports atmosphere right in the middle of a city. This was great during undergrad because students can take public transportation to internships at companies downtown or elsewhere. I worked for an ad agency for 3 years of undergrad and loved it.

- Most people live on campus freshman year, meet a bunch of people and rent houses or apartments with those friends for the next few years. A lot of these students still live near campus, like in Dinkytown. To me, this was fun and got me used to living as an adult a bit before leaving college.

- There is a group/niche for everyone at a school this big.

- Decent program offerings across the board. I don't know that we're #1 in much, but I don't know anyone who went here and says they were disappointed.

- It gets really cold here. You buy good boots and a good coat and you adapt.

I hope this helps!

New slogan: Pervasive Mediocrity!

Hope you weren't a marketing major.

[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.

That's one way to look at it. Another is that the degree isn't worth much outside MSP, so they have no choice but to settle there.

I have no idea which is accurate - just that there's not one that is necessarily correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am from Minneapolis, went to U of MN, lived elsewhere and am now back in Minneapolis.

Here are my thoughts on UMN:

- Fun, Big 10 college and sports atmosphere right in the middle of a city. This was great during undergrad because students can take public transportation to internships at companies downtown or elsewhere. I worked for an ad agency for 3 years of undergrad and loved it.

- Most people live on campus freshman year, meet a bunch of people and rent houses or apartments with those friends for the next few years. A lot of these students still live near campus, like in Dinkytown. To me, this was fun and got me used to living as an adult a bit before leaving college.

- There is a group/niche for everyone at a school this big.

- Decent program offerings across the board. I don't know that we're #1 in much, but I don't know anyone who went here and says they were disappointed.

- It gets really cold here. You buy good boots and a good coat and you adapt.

I hope this helps!

New slogan: Pervasive Mediocrity!

Hope you weren't a marketing major.

NP: Works for me. Not everyone responds to bluster. And someone considering University of Minnesota from OOS isn't looking for/eligible for "#1" in college. Just sounds to me like typical down-to-earth Minnesotan accounting of reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am from Minneapolis, went to U of MN, lived elsewhere and am now back in Minneapolis.

Here are my thoughts on UMN:

- Fun, Big 10 college and sports atmosphere right in the middle of a city. This was great during undergrad because students can take public transportation to internships at companies downtown or elsewhere. I worked for an ad agency for 3 years of undergrad and loved it.

- Most people live on campus freshman year, meet a bunch of people and rent houses or apartments with those friends for the next few years. A lot of these students still live near campus, like in Dinkytown. To me, this was fun and got me used to living as an adult a bit before leaving college.

- There is a group/niche for everyone at a school this big.

- Decent program offerings across the board. I don't know that we're #1 in much, but I don't know anyone who went here and says they were disappointed.

- It gets really cold here. You buy good boots and a good coat and you adapt.

I hope this helps!

New slogan: Pervasive Mediocrity!

Hope you weren't a marketing major.

NP: Works for me. Not everyone responds to bluster. And someone considering University of Minnesota from OOS isn't looking for/eligible for "#1" in college. Just sounds to me like typical down-to-earth Minnesotan accounting of reality.

+1 Works for me, too. Most of us aren't #1 at what we do.

[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.

That's one way to look at it. Another is that the degree isn't worth much outside MSP, so they have no choice but to settle there.

I have no idea which is accurate - just that there's not one that is necessarily correct.

I know MANY grads from Minnesota at both the undergrad and grad level, and all have been able to obtain quality employment around the country. Many eventually return to the Twin Cities because they loved their time there, the economy is booming, the quality of life is great (so long as you can handle the cold), and opportunities are abundant. heck, I know people with ZERO connection to the state of Minnesota that move there for all those reasons.

Heck, my family is making the move early next year! After 4 year in the south, DH was given the option to stay in our southern city, or lead the opening of a new division office in Minneapolis. We didn't even have to think about it. We're going. (we previously spent 13 years in DC, but going back to DC wasn't an option, sadly)