What is the UM Twin Cities like? (Minneapolis, Grant: renters, credit)

[AT9]

I am considering attending the University of Minnesota when I graduate in 09. I am currently living in Florida but my parents might move to South Dakota (their home state) at about the same time I graduate, so I want to be somewhat close. So basically.......Would you recomend it? What do you need to get in? What is the campus life like? What are the Law and Political Science programs like? Anyway, I would apreciate any info!

[K-Luv]

I would look into other schools around the Twin Cities area.

[lukeache]

University of Minnesota is a fine institution, but it is a bit too large. The law school is top 20 in the nation, but there is no part time program. Admission is very competitive, because tuition is more reasonable than private schools. Other options for law school are William Mitchell College, St Thomas University or Hamline, but those are more third tier institutions and very expensive. William Mitchell and Hamline offer a part time program, which is convenient for those that want to keep a day job. May I ask you why you want to study law? There are many misconceptions about the legal field, a law degree these days is no guarantee of a good job after graduation, too many lawyers, competition is fierce and the media tends to "glamourize" the legal profession, which is ludicrous. If you can get into U of M Law School, I would go for it, but a law degree from William Mitchell or Hamline is certainly not as prestigious. It would suck to go to school and then realize that law is not for you after oweing 70K plus in student loans and no guarantee of a good job, at least not right away. Now, a Ph.d in Political Science might be a good option for you, but once again, you are going to be poor for some years because stipends and grants are not that great. I am not trying to discourage you by any means but do a lot of research before considering either option.

[Slig]

If you're going to go to a school in Twin Cities you might as well go to a school with a national reputation. I'd go to the U over those other schools. The area around the U is like a city within a city. It is a very vibrant area with lots going on. I think its a good choice.

[Minnehahapolitan]

The U is a Big Ten university in the heart of a large metropolitan area. It has been the largest university in the nation, so it is easy to get lost. If you have some APs, it is easy to get out of large, introductory classes and you get a higher spot on the choice of class list. It is getting alot harder to get into (I believe abt. 50% got letters, a few years back it was at about 75%, they abolished the General College, and now focus on research), but easier than other schools like Madison and Ann Arbor. The U has changed so much in the last few decades. The trashy old campus of the 1970s is revitalized, you will see the new campus football stadium by '09. I don't believe than The U is very different from like schools, Ohio, Penn State, Madison, et. cetera. They all have their quirks, but overall a good university with a rising reputation with good programs (esp. in Agriculture, Vet., others). The U of M fits very will within the city at large, and the surrounding areas cater nicely to college students. If you live off-campus beware of slumlords. If you are looking for a national institution in proximity to S. Dak., you will either end up in Mpls. or Lincoln. I like Minneapolis more, but then again I'm totally biased. Good luck
---Minnehahapolitan

(K-Luv, it would help to say why you dislike the U)

[sargracer]

I've been reading this thread, and I was wondering... what exactly do you mean by slumlords? And how do you know if your landlord is one? Please alleviate my ignorance. Thanks.

[Minnehahapolitan]

Not at all. Slumlords are people who get the bright idea to buy a duplex in University or Marcy-Holmes, rent it to cheap college kids, make a killing. However, they make their killing and never reinvest in the property to make sure it doesn't look (and, sonetimes, function) like a tenement. You can kinda tell by the outside. They they replace the windows, but make them too small for the openings so there are strips of peeling siding where the larger old window was? That is an alarm for me. Is the yard maintained, is the paint peeling, is the roofline caving in? Alarm, alarm, alarm. Talk to the renters there. It is pretty apparent which properties are kept up, and which arent. Slumlords are in every place of every city, but I find a high ratio of them around the University.

[K-Luv]

My main gripes with the UofM-Twin Cities is that it is far too easy for anyone to enroll. Granted some programs, like medical and law, have a strict guideline for admittance and higher standards for prospective students, the general campus simply seems to admit anyone who simply wants to go. Which, in essence, makes the UMTC kinda like a very large, expensive, four year community college.

Just too many students. Alot of people are put on waiting lists, simply because too many people are registering for classes-and in alot of cases this is causing full time students to spend five or six years just to complete a four year program. FULL TIME students. On top of that, there are far too many TA's teaching courses, simply because professors cannot not keep of with the demand of the class sizes. Now, TA's are on every college campus in the country, and it is not that uncommon to have one teach a 100, 200 level course or a survey course, but at the UMTC too many 300 and 400 level courses are being taught by TA's.

According to US News and World Report, Hamline ranks #8 in the Midwest for Masters, while the UMTC didn't even place in the top 70-nor does it place in the top 48 for BA in the Midwest, but the UMTC did rank #71 in the US for national best college.

Also, Big Ten only refers to a college athletic division.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

My main gripes with the UofM-Twin Cities is that it is far too easy for anyone to enroll. Granted some programs, like medical and law, have a strict guideline for admittance and higher standards for prospective students, the general campus simply seems to admit anyone who simply wants to go. Which, in essence, makes the UMTC kinda like a very large, expensive, four year community college.

Just too many students. Alot of people are put on waiting lists, simply because too many people are registering for classes-and in alot of cases this is causing full time students to spend five or six years just to complete a four year program. FULL TIME students. On top of that, there are far too many TA's teaching courses, simply because professors cannot not keep of with the demand of the class sizes. Now, TA's are on every college campus in the country, and it is not that uncommon to have one teach a 100, 200 level course or a survey course, but at the UMTC too many 300 and 400 level courses are being taught by TA's.

According to US News and World Report, Hamline ranks #8 in the Midwest for Masters, while the UMTC didn't even place in the top 70-nor does it place in the top 48 for BA in the Midwest, but the UMTC did rank #71 in the US for national best college.

Also, Big Ten only refers to a college athletic division.

You do realized that the US News rankings are based only on those schools that PAY to be in those rankings, right? The U of M traditionally ranks very high among large universities. Having TA's teach classes is very common at larger universities. Most of your criticisms of the U are common practice most everywhere with state universities--which is why they are state universities and not private schools like Hamline.

[AT9]

Thanks for the advice

I want to study law and/or politics just because it's something that I have an passion for. And I have researched it quite a bit, and so far I still plan on attending law school after college. I don't have any AP classes, but I do have dual enrollment (college classes in high school). By the time I graduate high school, I will have about 60+ credits. Do you guys think that would get me out of some of the freshmen level courses? At South Dakota State (I have decided I don't want to go there, but it was my parents college), they were able to look at some of my classes and some would transfer, so I assume that I could get some to transfer to UM as well. If my parents move there, then I will probably look into the U of Nebraska as well. What kind of SAT scores do you need to get in? Especially as an out of state student?