OT: University of Minnesota

[CJLion]

Has anybody here attended or have friends/relatives that attended U of M? My daughter is seriously considering spending her next 4 years there but we live in D.C. and don't have a good feel for the Minneapolis area. Would like to hear others experiences.

She has been accepted into their neuroscience program and is trying to decide between UVA, Maryland, and Minnesota. She's about to become the only non-Penn Stater in our family

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Has anybody here attended or have friends/relatives that attended U of M? My daughter is seriously considering spending her next 4 years there but we live in D.C. and don't have a good feel for the Minneapolis area. Would like to hear others experiences.

She has been accepted into their neuroscience program and is trying to decide between UVA, Maryland, and Minnesota. She's about to become the only non-Penn Stater in our family

Not sure, but maybe the 'mn' in @mn78psu83 stands for 'Minnesota' and he can chime in?

Seems like Minnesota is the geographical outlier for her final college choices. How do the programs stack up? I would find it hard to pass up UVA because of its stellar reputation, but getting away from home might be a great learning experience. She has some solid finalists and a difficult choice to make - good luck!

 

[Waste Management Consultant]

Has anybody here attended or have friends/relatives that attended U of M? My daughter is seriously considering spending her next 4 years there but we live in D.C. and don't have a good feel for the Minneapolis area. Would like to hear others experiences.

She has been accepted into their neuroscience program and is trying to decide between UVA, Maryland, and Minnesota. She's about to become the only non-Penn Stater in our family

Know a family that both parents and 4 or 5 of 9 kids went to Minnesota for engineering. The others to Maryland. They all spoke very highly of it and made a point to tell me about the tunnels between the campus buildings. They said it got crazy cold obviously, (but really you wouldn’t understand it if you never been there kind of cold). That’s how they would talk about it. Basically, make a trip to the Columbia outlet if she goes there.

 

[Obliviax]

Has anybody here attended or have friends/relatives that attended U of M? My daughter is seriously considering spending her next 4 years there but we live in D.C. and don't have a good feel for the Minneapolis area. Would like to hear others experiences.

She has been accepted into their neuroscience program and is trying to decide between UVA, Maryland, and Minnesota. She's about to become the only non-Penn Stater in our family

Its a good school with a great environment, as long as you can handle the weather. It is currently -9 going down to -17 tonight. St. Paul and Minneapolis are really one and the same. They are great cities with great nightlife in a safe environment, as far as bigger cities go. "Minnesota Nice" is actually a thing. Not a great school, overall, but a good school according to Forbes.

If you visit, I recommend Brit's Pub on Lafayette in Minneapolis.

I know several alums and have done a lot of biz in Minny. Love the place and the people. It is common for people to end up close to where they go to school. IMHO, I'd put Minneapolis right behind Pittsburgh as desirable landlocked cities.

I have no idea about their neuroscience program but note they have a top hospital in the Mayo Clinic nearby.

 

[PSULionsDub]

Has anybody here attended or have friends/relatives that attended U of M? My daughter is seriously considering spending her next 4 years there but we live in D.C. and don't have a good feel for the Minneapolis area. Would like to hear others experiences.

She has been accepted into their neuroscience program and is trying to decide between UVA, Maryland, and Minnesota. She's about to become the only non-Penn Stater in our family

Of those three schools, UVA should be the slam dunk choice, and then Maryland. I am not sure if you live in Washington D.C., the district, or on the Maryland side of the D.C. metro area, but if your daughter got into UVA as an out of state resident, then your daughter must be very bright. If you are a Virginia resident, then I don't see how you can turn down a UVA education at an in-state resident price, as compared to Maryland and Minnesota.

Unless your daughter wants to live in the midwest in the future, then I don't see much value in choosing U of Minnesota. If your daughter wants to live in the mid-atlantic, northeast, or the southeast in the future, then UVA and Maryland should be her first and second choice, respectively.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Of those three schools, UVA should be the slam dunk choice, and then Maryland. I am not sure if you live in Washington D.C., the district, or on the Maryland side of the D.C. metro area, but if your daughter got into UVA as an out of state resident, then your daughter must be very bright. If you are a Virginia resident, then I don't see how you can turn down a UVA education at an in-state resident price, as compared to Maryland and Minnesota.

Unless your daughter wants to live in the midwest in the future, then I don't see much value in choosing U of Minnesota. If your daughter wants to live in the mid-atlantic, northeast, or the southeast in the future, then UVA and Maryland should be her first and second choice, respectively.

Well, I've heard summers on the lakes are great.

 

[ClarkstonMark]

No UofMn, but my gf went to Bethel in Minneapolis and loved her 4 years there.
And she hates the cold. I honestly don’t know how she did it (the cold).

 

[SCBlueFan]

Has anybody here attended or have friends/relatives that attended U of M? My daughter is seriously considering spending her next 4 years there but we live in D.C. and don't have a good feel for the Minneapolis area. Would like to hear others experiences.

She has been accepted into their neuroscience program and is trying to decide between UVA, Maryland, and Minnesota. She's about to become the only non-Penn Stater in our family

I have a friend who taught there for awhile. Absolutely LOVED the area and the atmosphere of the school. Since retiring, he has stayed in the Twin Cities area. Cold, long winters, but a ton of great cultural activities, and beautiful lakes, etc.

 

[stater02]

Hi there OP. I both live in Minnesota (since 2010) and am a current Golden Gopher (Executive MBA, graduating this May.) I did my undergrad at Dear Old State (Supply Chain, '02) so I cannot really speak to the undergrad experience at "the U", but I know enough about campus and campus life to be somewhat dangerous. Let me know how I can help.

If someone would've told me that I'd be living in Minnesota 15 years ago, I would have thought they were crazy. These days, it's hard to imagine living anywhere else. It's truly a hidden gem of a city. Such a great quality of life here. Amazing food/brewery scene, clean, accessible, and diverse. And there's an active PSU alumni association. Would be happy to show a fellow Penn Stater around if you ever make the trip!

 

[c1976]

I can’t speak for the relative quality of the neuroscience program at the U as it’s known in the twin cities but I can comment on the setting and the city. Firstly the U is a city school only blocks from from downtown Minneapolis. As previously mentioned the city has many tunnels and walkways that protect you from harsh winter weather like today. The transit and light rail system is also remarkable. The locals are most welcoming and hospitable and they are extremely proud of the Twin Cities and the state of Minnesota. Minneapolis is essentially the capital of the upper Midwest. If you live in the Dakotas, Iowa, much of Wisconsin this is your New York, Atlanta, Dallas,LA. It’s forward looking and what I’d call optimistic. It generally ranks high on the healthiest areas in the USA. She could do worse.

 

[bkmtnittany1]

it's gonna be -60 there tomorrow and thursday! tell her to stay home!

 

[bcspsu]

I can’t speak for the relative quality of the neuroscience program at the U as it’s known in the twin cities but I can comment on the setting and the city. Firstly the U is a city school only blocks from from downtown Minneapolis. As previously mentioned the city has many tunnels and walkways that protect you from harsh winter weather like today. The transit and light rail system is also remarkable. The locals are most welcoming and hospitable and they are extremely proud of the Twin Cities and the state of Minnesota. Minneapolis is essentially the capital of the upper Midwest. If you live in the Dakotas, Iowa, much of Wisconsin this is your New York, Atlanta, Dallas,LA. It’s forward looking and what I’d call optimistic. It generally ranks high on the healthiest areas in the USA. She could do worse.

It's also becoming the epicenter of radical Muslim activity in the USA.

 

[paulrandythomas]

Has anybody here attended or have friends/relatives that attended U of M? My daughter is seriously considering spending her next 4 years there but we live in D.C. and don't have a good feel for the Minneapolis area. Would like to hear others experiences.

She has been accepted into their neuroscience program and is trying to decide between UVA, Maryland, and Minnesota. She's about to become the only non-Penn Stater in our family

Had a friend who went there and loved it, weather aside.

UVA obviously has a top notch academic reputation, but a lot of rich kids who grew up sucking on silver spoons.

Had a roommate at PSU who had transferred from Maryland, he said that there is a large percentage of commuters and that the campus would die down on weekends. Plus, it's Maryland.....

 

[CJLion]

Thank you everybody! Great insight! Exactly what I was looking for.

 

[massimoManca II]

It's also becoming the epicenter of radical Muslim activity in the USA.

that's why I'd recommend Charlottesville VA - much better environment because there's no radical activity going on there #hooboy #dopeycomment

 

[c1976]

There is no question that there are many Muslims in the TC. As I stated it’s a most welcoming region and various Christian faiths have been part of the immigration process. I don’t doubt that it may be possible that radicalization might be possible of one or some but I’ve never been concerned nor will I be. Frankly given the events in my hometown of Pittsburgh this past October I sometimes worry more about my grandson who goes to the JCC daycare in the TC.

 

[ApexLion]

that's why I'd recommend Charlottesville VA - much better environment because there's no radical activity going on there #hooboy #dopeycomment

lol

 

[mn78psu83]

Not sure, but maybe the 'mn' in @mn78psu83 stands for 'Minnesota' and he can chime in?

Seems like Minnesota is the geographical outlier for her final college choices. How do the programs stack up? I would find it hard to pass up UVA because of its stellar reputation, but getting away from home might be a great learning experience. She has some solid finalists and a difficult choice to make - good luck!

Good thought, but the mn stands for my HS. I wasn't feeling too creative the day I came up with my handle.

 

[PSUMINN]

Hi there OP. I both live in Minnesota (since 2010) and am a current Golden Gopher (Executive MBA, graduating this May.) I did my undergrad at Dear Old State (Supply Chain, '02) so I cannot really speak to the undergrad experience at "the U", but I know enough about campus and campus life to be somewhat dangerous. Let me know how I can help.

If someone would've told me that I'd be living in Minnesota 15 years ago, I would have thought they were crazy. These days, it's hard to imagine living anywhere else. It's truly a hidden gem of a city. Such a great quality of life here. Amazing food/brewery scene, clean, accessible, and diverse. And there's an active PSU alumni association. Would be happy to show a fellow Penn Stater around if you ever make the trip!

I agree with this. I have been here for ~31 years (PSU Engineering '85, but now in healthcare). You summed it up nicely.

 

[BVSt.Paul]

I agree with this. I have been here for ~31 years (PSU Engineering '85, but now in healthcare). You summed it up nicely.

Some very thoughtful replies with the exception of the obvious outlier. I graduated from PSU in 1980 and moved out here to attend law school. I have been here ever since.....Other than this week’s brutal cold, the area has everything you would want. We are lucky enough to have a wonderful lake cabin in western Wisconsin, less than 2 hours away, that we use year round....One thing lacking, and it’s a function of geography, is that unlike the east coast, you can’t drive to another major city in a couple of hours. We do drive though to Iowa City and Madison to cheer on State.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

 

[psuro]

I have a colleague who has a BS in Landscape Architecture from Minny. He enjoyed it and speaks highly of the experience.

 

[PSUPride1]

Has anybody here attended or have friends/relatives that attended U of M? My daughter is seriously considering spending her next 4 years there but we live in D.C. and don't have a good feel for the Minneapolis area. Would like to hear others experiences.

She has been accepted into their neuroscience program and is trying to decide between UVA, Maryland, and Minnesota. She's about to become the only non-Penn Stater in our family

My cousin was a doctor and taught at the University of Minnesota. I went to visit him and see Penn State play there. The winters are absolutely brutal, and I've never experienced cold like that before. Makes PA seem like Florida and he's back in PA doing Telemed. Nice city but I wouldn't go there.

 

[Lion84]

I grew up in the Midwest, born in Wisconsin and grew up North of Chicago. The cold in the upper Midwest is way worse than anything on the east coast. The summers are much shorter and the winters much longer. Been to the twin cities many times and there is a reason they have walkways throughout the Downtown- Way too cold to walk outside in in the winter, I do agree that you will never meet nicer people than you will in Minneapolis but personally for me the winter is too much to deal with but I have had 15 years of it growing up in that climate so I may have just a too much of a been there done that perspective.

 

[stater02]

Of course I’m typing this on the coldest night since 1996, so the irony is not lost on me, but Prince said it best: the cold keeps all of the bad people away.

The winters suck but the summers and falls are magical. There’s no real spring to speak of. We go from winter into summer almost seamlessly. Surprisingly, I’d wager that we have more 100+ degree days here per year than PA. It’s the land of extremes!

 

[NovaPSULuvr]

Have a niece there after graduating from Vanderbilt - she loves it!
My friend's son went to UMinn Law - fell in love with the place. After a stint working for a firm in Chicago, he moved back to Minneapolis/St. Paul - still works for the firm in Chicago.
I also have family there (Aunt and her four adult kids) - and have visited them over the years. Great area - and the family and friends that have attended UMinn all loved their experience.

 

[BBrown]

Of course I’m typing this on the coldest night since 1996, so the irony is not lost on me, but Prince said it best: the cold keeps all of the bad people away.

The winters suck but the summers and falls are magical. There’s no real spring to speak of. We go from winter into summer almost seamlessly. Surprisingly, I’d wager that we have more 100+ degree days here per year than PA. It’s the land of extremes!

I'm going to bet you had more days of sunshine this past year than the east coast as well.

 

[Aardvark86]

Of those three schools, UVA should be the slam dunk choice, and then Maryland. I am not sure if you live in Washington D.C., the district, or on the Maryland side of the D.C. metro area, but if your daughter got into UVA as an out of state resident, then your daughter must be very bright. If you are a Virginia resident, then I don't see how you can turn down a UVA education at an in-state resident price, as compared to Maryland and Minnesota.

Unless your daughter wants to live in the midwest in the future, then I don't see much value in choosing U of Minnesota. If your daughter wants to live in the mid-atlantic, northeast, or the southeast in the future, then UVA and Maryland should be her first and second choice, respectively.

This. There is absolutely an inertia to these things

 

[c1976]

Sunshine is in abundance vs PA and summer days are long. A real treat is the St Paul’s farmers market. Crazy good fruits and vegetables and the cut flowers are amazing. Lots of SE Asians settled there in the late 70s and 80s and they have a knack in small farming.

 

[Obliviax]

View embedded media

The first time I went to Minny, I visited a U of M prof and his wife. The wife gave me and my other a tour. It was in early spring, a crisp cool and sunny day that was probably in the mid 40s. At one point, we came around a bend and there were two people playing tennis in shorts while, in the background, a couple of people were ice fishing. She said "that is something you won't see much of unless you live in this area". For some reason, I'll never forget that.

 

[stater02]

The winters here are what you make of them. If you're the outdoorsy type, winter isn't bad. Ice fishing (something else I never thought I'd do) is a lot of fun and some of these ice houses are practically luxury suites. Plenty of "hills" around the suburbs to learn to ski/snowboard/x-country ski.

Anyway, Minnesotans are fiercely loyal and proud of their state, thus they tend to stay here. If your daughter is looking for establish a big network with fellow alumni but doesn't envision herself in the midwest, she should probably consider the east-coast schools. That said, Minneapolis has one of the highest concentrations of Fortune 500 companies per capita of any city and there is a cluster of large medical companies here, as well as hospitals (including Mayo). That may be of particular interest to your daughter.

 

[uhlerlion]

Of course I’m typing this on the coldest night since 1996, so the irony is not lost on me, but Prince said it best: the cold keeps all of the bad people away.

The winters suck but the summers and falls are magical. There’s no real spring to speak of. We go from winter into summer almost seamlessly. Surprisingly, I’d wager that we have more 100+ degree days here per year than PA. It’s the land of extremes!

 

[ApexLion]

Has anybody here attended or have friends/relatives that attended U of M? My daughter is seriously considering spending her next 4 years there but we live in D.C. and don't have a good feel for the Minneapolis area. Would like to hear others experiences.

She has been accepted into their neuroscience program and is trying to decide between UVA, Maryland, and Minnesota. She's about to become the only non-Penn Stater in our family

Hey CJ,

Just curious why GW isn't on your list? They are becoming one of the preeminent Neuroscience programs in the country after building the Mount Vernon campus. My pre-med daughter attended a summer program there a few years ago when she was thinking about Neuroscience as a major. We were very impressed with their accelerated program (combo BS/MS in less time). It seems like we just completed her college search and I'm now back at it, in the middle of our next daughter's college search. BTW, my wife is a UVA grad and she flat our refuses to take the girls to Charlottesville for an admissions tour, citing the multiple unsolved and solved murders of young women over the years. I'm sure the board will begin debating the legitimacy of that fear but there is a well documented towny vs. university issue in Charlottesville that goes back 30 plus years. I like the place but there's been some bizarre stories and of course the demonstrations recently.

What we have found is that if you go far away from home, you should have a plan of what the next 5-8 years could look like for all the reasons some other posters have mentioned (career goals, quality of life there, job or grad school prospects there, is your daughter independent and self-reliant etc.) Good luck!

 

[RabidLion]

Has anybody here attended or have friends/relatives that attended U of M? My daughter is seriously considering spending her next 4 years there but we live in D.C. and don't have a good feel for the Minneapolis area. Would like to hear others experiences.

She has been accepted into their neuroscience program and is trying to decide between UVA, Maryland, and Minnesota. She's about to become the only non-Penn Stater in our family

I have been to MN a couple times and do not recommend MN. Isolated city with bad weather . The school year takes up much of the bad weather months. Job opportunities limited. The thought of walking around in tunnels like a hamster is not a good one .

 

[CJLion]

Hey CJ,

Just curious why GW isn't on your list? They are becoming one of the preeminent Neuroscience programs in the country after building the Mount Vernon campus. My pre-med daughter attended a summer program there a few years ago when she was thinking about Neuroscience as a major. We were very impressed with their accelerated program (combo BS/MS in less time). It seems like we just completed her college search and I'm now back at it, in the middle of our next daughter's college search. BTW, my wife is a UVA grad and she flat our refuses to take the girls to Charlottesville for an admissions tour, citing the multiple unsolved and solved murders of young women over the years. I'm sure the board will begin debating the legitimacy of that fear but there is a well documented towny vs. university issue in Charlottesville that goes back 30 plus years. I like the place but there's been some bizarre stories and of course the demonstrations recently.

What we have found is that if you go far away from home, you should have a plan of what the next 5-8 years could look like for all the reasons some other posters have mentioned (career goals, quality of life there, job or grad school prospects there, is your daughter independent and self-reliant etc.) Good luck!

GW is a great school for sure but she wants something bigger ... and though she's a homebody she's never liked the "snobbery" of the area we live in and feels like getting away may be the best thing for her. The reputation of the people in Minnesota is definitely appealing to her as is the reputation of the neuroscience program. She has no idea where she ultimately wants to end up but the DMV is NOT high on her list.

 

[BBrown]

Hey CJ,

Just curious why GW isn't on your list? They are becoming one of the preeminent Neuroscience programs in the country after building the Mount Vernon campus. My pre-med daughter attended a summer program there a few years ago when she was thinking about Neuroscience as a major. We were very impressed with their accelerated program (combo BS/MS in less time). It seems like we just completed her college search and I'm now back at it, in the middle of our next daughter's college search. BTW, my wife is a UVA grad and she flat our refuses to take the girls to Charlottesville for an admissions tour, citing the multiple unsolved and solved murders of young women over the years. I'm sure the board will begin debating the legitimacy of that fear but there is a well documented towny vs. university issue in Charlottesville that goes back 30 plus years. I like the place but there's been some bizarre stories and of course the demonstrations recently.

What we have found is that if you go far away from home, you should have a plan of what the next 5-8 years could look like for all the reasons some other posters have mentioned (career goals, quality of life there, job or grad school prospects there, is your daughter independent and self-reliant etc.) Good luck!

WOW, did not know any of that.

 

[PSU_Chicago]

Low of -33 in MN today ..... nuff said.

 

[stater02]

I have been to MN a couple times and do not recommend MN. Isolated city with bad weather . The school year takes up much of the bad weather months. Job opportunities limited. The thought of walking around in tunnels like a hamster is not a good one .

LOL! Yes, we feel so very isolated up here with our Superbowls, Final 4, X-games, etc.

You're welcome to have your opinions on the city, but saying there are limited job opportunities is flat out wrong. MN has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country (#7 out of 51 if you include D.C.). It's particularly high in the medical research field. Median household income here is usually around the 12th highest. Target, Best Buy, Mayo, 3M, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, C.H. Robinson, United Health Group, General Mills, Ecolab, Polaris, Thrivent, Ameriprise, Land O'Lakes, CHS and many more in the Fortune 500 are all headquartered here. But sure, go ahead to talk out of your ass and claim that job opportunities are limited.

 

[bcspsu]

LOL! Yes, we feel so very isolated up here with our Superbowls, Final 4, X-games, etc.

You're welcome to have your opinions on the city, but saying there are limited job opportunities is flat out wrong. MN has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country (#7 out of 51 if you include D.C.). It's particularly high in the medical research field. Median household income here is usually around the 12th highest. Target, Best Buy, Mayo, 3M, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, C.H. Robinson, United Health Group, General Mills, Ecolab, Polaris, Thrivent, Ameriprise, Land O'Lakes, CHS and many more in the Fortune 500 are all headquartered here. But sure, go ahead to talk out of your ass and claim that job opportunities are limited.

I ask this because I'm interested. With its long, brutal winters, why are do so many large companies have their headquarters there?

 

[nittnee]

LOL! Yes, we feel so very isolated up here with our Superbowls, Final 4, X-games, etc.

You're welcome to have your opinions on the city, but saying there are limited job opportunities is flat out wrong. MN has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country (#7 out of 51 if you include D.C.). It's particularly high in the medical research field. Median household income here is usually around the 12th highest. Target, Best Buy, Mayo, 3M, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, C.H. Robinson, United Health Group, General Mills, Ecolab, Polaris, Thrivent, Ameriprise, Land O'Lakes, CHS and many more in the Fortune 500 are all headquartered here. But sure, go ahead to talk out of your ass and claim that job opportunities are limited.

Wow. It is just so unlike someone to talk out of their ass on the site.