I am applying to colleges and, if turned down by Purdue, University of South Dakota is my 2nd choice. Its because Ball State was my 2nd after Purdue, since it is not only (cheaper) instate, but also offers cellular bio, which no other colleges in Indiana, except Purdue, offers. But, I found USD to be ranked higher, according to US News and Forbes, nationally and, (only US), biologically. There are other higher ranked schools between USD and Purdue, but the price to go out-of-state for USD is almost the same as in-state for Ball Sate. If it is higher ranked and costs the same, why not go with USD?
Only problem is: I only know what I know about through rankings, reviews, and a virtual tour. I have heard that the campus size is about 10,000 students, so not super huge. It looks beautiful and open, but can suffer from very chilling winters. The campus id modern, while the town (Vermilion) is small. It looks like one of those town with bricked buildings going down one street, side by side, when you first enter, then around the corners get about 10-30 blocks larger, but I have heard people say the town has a movie theater, bowling alley, and large towns are only about a half- hour away. Besides, it seems like the college offers more anyway. The only other thing I found about it that is really important is that I hear some professors do not like their jobs and it rubs off on the students, just like (back) in high school.
If you know of or attend(ed) USD, I would love some more insight about the college, especially from people in (Molecular) Bio.