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I woke up this morning thinking more about ISU because of this thread so I looked up some statistics. It's really grown since I was in college so my opinion on it is outdated.
I can't speak to which school is the best for the Marketing degree you're seeking, but I've been to both BSU and UI for degrees and I preferred UI's traditional college campus and academic setting. They have the highest graduation rate. At BSU it's easy to flounder and get caught up in work and city life over finishing your degree. I myself finished at UI faster than at BSU. For your best friend since she's not considering college right now I wouldn't let her hold you back too much on you academic choices considering that it can affect the course of your life.
Well, I really want to get into the BSU v. Idaho thing, but that will probably just derail the thread. So I'll let it go and just say this:
If you're looking at an undergraduate degree, for the most part there's little academic difference qualitatively or quantitatively between Idaho, Boise State, and the University of Idaho. When you start looking at graduate programs, that's when you get into the differences. The bottom line is... do you want to live in a small town in the middle of nowhere (Idaho), a medium sized town (Idaho State), or a city and the state capitol (Boise State).
I think that each campus offers a distinct experience that is the better determining factor on where to go. Idaho is a very remote, secluded, residential campus in a very small Idaho town. The "Palouse," as its called up there, is miles upon miles of rolling farmland. It's nearly two hours to Spokane or Couer d'Alene, and 30 minutes to Lewiston, the only town of significance in the area. Pullman, home of Washington State, is 8 miles away. So basically you're living in the middle of nowhere with nearly 40,000 college students between the two small towns. Both campuses are old and beautiful. There is a strong greek system. Most students live on campus. There is a lot to do if you're into the outdoors. It's a good place to get away from distractions, get your schooling done, and leave as fast as possible. It is extremely difficult to find a job in Moscow or Pullman. And there's a serious drug and alcohol problem up there. The "Harvard of the West" thing started because the same architectural firm designed both campuses, but now it endures as a mockery of the hubris that Idaho alums have (where they really think their university is the Harvard of the West - and it's not).
Boise State has a very vibrant and exciting energy about it, because it is immersed in Boise, because of the football team, and because the campus is growing tremendously. Boise State is nouveau rich, whereas Idaho is old money (if that makes sense). The campus is not as nice as Idaho, and most students live off campus in and around the North End and downtown areas. But more and more student housing is being built, so that is changing. In Boise you can find a job, there are endless opportunities and things to do, more people, more culture, and yet there is still plenty of outdoor activities, and arguably more so than in Moscow. If you want to be in a (smallish) city, to have city things to do and see, then Boise State is the clear choice. There's plenty to find about Boise if you search this forum, so I won't elaborate about that.
I really have to disagree that there is a serious drug and alcohol problem in Moscow. That's complete BS and the President of BSU at the time that said 'UI was a nasty and inebriated culture', after an incident that occurred on video, was way out of line painting the student body with a broad brush like that. Of course he was totally bias and there is an old rivalry between the two Universities. The only response that the UI student body and the city of Moscow could have after that was to make it a joke with t-shirt meme's of the slight.
I saw way more serious drugs done and the party culture at BSU, due to it's ready availability in the city, then during my time at UI. BSU has always been known as the underachieving students with the great football party school while UI is the historic academic achievements, research and land grant university where the serious students go. There really is no comparison, and when capitol city officials moved to strip UI of their "flagship university" status that was a shame and a dark mark on Idaho's history, but great for Boise and BSU. However, Boise is not a State!
Also while more students may live on campus at UI than BSU, 81% of the student body at UI live off campus according to their student housing page.
I popped in a three way comparison of BSU, ISU and UI.
It looks like ISU is known for their Marketing Degrees which the OP is interested in. It also has more majors than UI has and a lower student to teacher ratio which is good. It also has lower tuition.
Pocatello doesn't stink. It once did, many years ago, but the industries that created the stink either cleaned up during modernization or shut down. It's an old railroad junction and a former industrial town that, like Idaho Falls and Boise, is now becoming a high-tech center. A major computer chip maker has a factory there, and some of the older industries still remain.
I believe ISU has the state's largest nursing program. It has the only Pharmacy school in the state.
It's actually quite a nice town of around 50,000, nestled in the Portneuf mountains with the Portneuf river running through town. Poky is slightly warmer than all the surrounding cities, as it lies in a hole, and because Idaho State is located there, it has a lot of college students. Campus housing is relatively short, so many students live in rental houses and apartments. The social scene is about what you would expect for a town its size.
Pebble Creek, a good ski hill, is very close by, and there are a ton of organizations for outdoor sports of all kinds. Poky is also close to Lava Hot Springs, which sports some of the sweetest natural hot water in the west and has an Olympic sized pool, including Olympic diving platforms.
While the S.E corridor of Idaho is overlooked, there's really a lot going on in this area, and there's a lot of beautiful scenery down here. Housing and costs of living are lower here, in general, than in Boise. Idaho Falls, the largest city in the area, is 50 miles north by the Interstate. Lots of students live in I.F., where there is a multi-university campus, and some courses can be degreed entirely from University Place. Other students commute from I.F., and still others use their home and all of the available classes in a combination, sometimes commuting to Poky 2-3 days a week. Lots of options.
Thanks for the update on that area banjomike! It looks like it really has a lot going for it. I didn't know it was nicknamed Poky either. When I was at BSU they used to call it poke-a-smell-hole due to the smell there and the small town, but like I said that was 15 years ago and likely outdated now when I started looking at their recent stats. I'm surprised how much they've really grown.
Pocatello is small and has a smell to it that some consider bad. I think it's a Simplot factory that gives off the smell. It's also easy to get lost in driving through there if you get off the road for gas and aren't from there. ISU is known as being small but a good place to go if you want to pursue a career in the medical field. If you're considering ISU in Pocatello then I suggest you seriously consider The University of Idaho in Moscow. ISU is not one you seriously consider for going to school too if you're from Idaho unless you're from there. It's close to Idaho Falls which is called "little salt lake city" and it's also connected a little further away to Twin Falls which is larger and has more things to do and is beautiful with Shoshone Falls there. I think ISU may have a campus in Boise now or some online degrees that are offered though them for health care management.
BSU is the capitol city. Much bigger with lots to do. BSU has grown enormously from a commuter community college to a hip University campus in the heart of downtown. It's more conservative with a row of churches across from it along University drive and not a very traditional Greek row. It has a great business college and collegiate program for football. You'll go to school with more people from Boise than anything else. It's on Mountain Time Zone. For skiing or snowboarding you have Bogus Basin 30 minutes away and Tamarak and Brundage around 2 hours away. They have snowboarding and skiing clubs at the University that make regular trips there. You get the city life there and can pursue many interests that you might have. I can't even begin to expand on all that Boise has to offer. It would be too much to write here but I bet you would love living there.
The University of Idaho is a traditional University campus with a vibrant Greek row in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. The campus is enchanting with a mixture of old and new where the old parts look like a castle and the new parts provide the sustainability and modern architecture. It's the oldest University in the State and the largest land grant and research University. It attracts a lot of academic talent and has degrees that BSU doesn't offer. They know what they're doing there and the students really succeed academically in that environment. They call it the Harvard of the Palouse. The Palouse is a very beautiful area of Northern Idaho. You'll also go to school with people from all over the Pacific Northwest such as Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, California. People from Boise like to go there because it's far away from home but not too far and they get in State Tuition. Everyone goes home for the holidays so the towns empty out in the summer and winter breaks and it's really easy to rideshare to places like Seattle, Portland and Boise often or fly out from their small local airport. It also has a large international student program so it's diverse.
It's seven miles from Pullman, WA where Washington State University is and they act like sister universities being so close. There is a bus that commutes between the two towns several times a day and the Universities offer an exchange of classes to students at both places if you want to take any of the courses. WSU is larger than UI and has it's own highway circling the campus. It's kind of cool to see. The two Universities create this liberal college oasis in a conservative 'Red' State. It's in the Pacific Time Zone too. On the radio the music is also more the alternative indie scenes of Washington and Oregon than the gangster rap and pop beats they dish out in the night clubs of Boise. There are seven ski resorts that the ski and snowboard club go to. It's also in the most beautiful part of the State imho. Lake Coeur d'Alene is an hour and a half away and the city of Spokane is the same time and distance as well.
Awesome! This is so helpful, thank you so much! I hadn't even looked into The University of Idaho, but after what you had to say about it, I definitely will! I really liked everything Boise has to offer considering the size isn't very big, but I'm worried Moscow/Pullman is too small? I live in a town with several surrounding cities equally about 100,000 right now and there isn't much to do, though it is very much a retirement community as well. Does Moscow/Pullman offer everything needed? Shopping, bars, etc? I'm a pretty simple person, but my friend likes to go out every weekend or two so there needs to be a good night life.
Didn't realize there was a second page, so I caught all up! Seems like Pullman/Moscow are really quite nice, but unfortunately I think it might be too isolated for me. I grew up in a small town in Minnesota that was isolated about 2 hours from any town bigger than it so I don't think I want to restrict myself like that again.
I didn't realize the Boise metro area was so large! Over 600k people is a lot! I'm sure traffic is probably horrendous then. Yikes! Either way, it seems Boise might be the best fit for me.
Awesome! This is so helpful, thank you so much! I hadn't even looked into The University of Idaho, but after what you had to say about it, I definitely will! I really liked everything Boise has to offer considering the size isn't very big, but I'm worried Moscow/Pullman is too small? I live in a town with several surrounding cities equally about 100,000 right now and there isn't much to do, though it is very much a retirement community as well. Does Moscow/Pullman offer everything needed? Shopping, bars, etc? I'm a pretty simple person, but my friend likes to go out every weekend or two so there needs to be a good night life.
Thanks!
The towns of Moscow and Pullman share shopping amenities between them. There is a small mall there with a couple department stores called the Palouse Mall. They have a Winco for your groceries and the Moscow Food Co-Op for the alternative and organic stuff. Walmart is also super packed with all the school and dorm room supplies for both Universities. If you really need to go shopping for something extra special then you take a day trip to Spokane or go in a group to one of the larger cities like Seattle or Portland, which happens often if you check the rideshare board in the Commons building or on craigslist.
I heard the bar scene has changed since I was last in Moscow. Some of the bars and dance clubs have been converted into more family friendly places during the day. Main street got a bit of a face lift. But I love Moscow's historic downtown and friendship square. There is a farmer's market there every weekend during certain months too.
The University offers tons of activities and events there for students. One time Taylor Swift came and played at the Kibbie Dome there. They also had Martin Luther King Jr's son give a presentation. They hold the International Jazz Festival and the Borah Symposium which brings in former Prime Ministers and popular figures of our time. That's just UI. WSU also has it's own similar events going on that you can attend as well.
There is also the Greek Row on campus. Which has all kinds of activities for students and house parties in their frats and sororities. I'd recommend you pledge a sorority and get that experience, but I understand if you want to be roommates with your best friend too. You'll make some life long friends there though and live in the heart of campus in a pretty cool house. The advantage of joining a student organization is you become more personally invested in student life and the community and have access to resources you wouldn't otherwise have, including national resources through that chapter.
This is a five year old list of the bars in the Pullman/Moscow area. LINK Places like The Garden Lounge, Mingles, The Corner Club, John's Alley all served as the music venues and main hubs of entertainment. They also hold an annual Mardi Gras celebration downtown where you buy one ticket and get a wristband to go into all the different clubs. They bring in popular music acts for it. It's not always on Mardi Gras but around that time with the Mardi Gras them, and it's a very busy celebration in Moscow because of the coordination between the places.
When you get tired of the scene in Moscow you drive to Pullman for a change and explore over there. There is a route that students take in groups along Hwy 8 to Troy and Deary where they stop in each small town bar for a drink and play pool. There are some outdoor places to go swimming along there so they recreate, swim, have a drink along the way, patron the places, play pool, visit the locals and tour the countryside learning about the area. It's fun when you meet different people in classes and go out exploring the areas together to find all that it has to offer. Usually these secrets routes and places are passed down through the student body organizations like passing the torch from one generation to the next. There's a great sense of tradition that thrives at UI.
If night life and shopping are concerns then you're going to want to be in Boise at BSU. They have Whole Food, Trader Joe's, Winco, Boise Co-op, Town Square Mall, Ross Dress for Less and TJ Maxx, ect... and a vibrant downtown party scene.
If you want to get through college and finish your degree and have the traditional college experience then you're going to want to be at UI. It's population is comparable to Pocatello except Moscow/Pullman has way more students combined and the student population is larger than the local population. That changes in summer when the towns empty out and students goes home. Then you really feel the small towns but the summers are amazingly beautiful there and you get some real peace and quiet.
If you want to save money on tuition, get through school with a degree in Marketing with a good student teacher ratio then you want ISU. I can't speak to their night life or shopping though but the population is comparable to the Moscow/Pullman area so I suspect it's similar but geared more towards locals since locals are a larger population than the percentage of students there. I'm also not certain if all the student at ISU are in Pocatello or mixed among their satellite campuses in Boise and surrounding areas.
Last edited by Merrily Gather; 08-19-2015 at 10:21 PM..
Didn't realize there was a second page, so I caught all up! Seems like Pullman/Moscow are really quite nice, but unfortunately I think it might be too isolated for me. I grew up in a small town in Minnesota that was isolated about 2 hours from any town bigger than it so I don't think I want to restrict myself like that again.
I didn't realize the Boise metro area was so large! Over 600k people is a lot! I'm sure traffic is probably horrendous then. Yikes! Either way, it seems Boise might be the best fit for me.
Thank you all for the help!
The traffic isn't so bad really but coming from a small town it might seem like it. Glad you found a fit. It was my please.
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