Louisana State University or the University of Minnesota

Okay, so I recently just received a large scholarship award from Louisiana State University that will make the cost of attendance pretty much identical to the University of Minnesota. I am going to major in chemical engineering but I am not certain which school to attend.

I have not visited either school but I know the Louisiana has more mild winter weather than Minnesota and has an abundance of oil companies that recruit students from that school. I also was awarded a $1550 a year work study through the school that will allow me to do one-on-one research with a individual in my field that will expose me to the field of chemical engineering my freshman through senior year. The social scene also seems great. Huge football school with lots going on. Don’t get me wrong, I take my academics very seriously, 32 ACT and 4.3 GPA, but i also like to relax and have a good time.

In regards to the University of Minnesota, I see that it is ranked 3rd for chemical engineering being just under MIT and Cal Tech. I also saw that there are many Fortune 500 companies in Minneapolis that also have great recruiting opportunities. However, the campus seems really spread out, and I am concerned about the ability to make friends and have a rewarding social life while at the “U”.

I don’t know an overwhelming amount about either of the schools so any information or advice would be greatly appreciated. Would a more rewarding social life at Louisiana State along with many oil opportunities outweigh a high ranked chemE program at the University of Minnesota? Or should I just commit to Minnesota?

Again, thank you so much for any help you can bring.

Congratulations! Where are you from originally? Where do you want to settle? We are from Louisiana, and my son got his mechanical engineering degree from Bama, and his master’s degree is biomedical engineering from UMinnesota. OMG, we love Minnesota! But yes, it is cold. Now, I don’t know too much about chemical engineering up there in Minnesota, but the cost of living there is low, the economy is great, and there are lots of jobs, if you have internship/experience. Since you want to go into the chemical engineering field, I would go to LSU, provided you don’t mind winding up in Louisiana or Texas. Chemical companies heavily recruit at the engineering school at LSU for internships/jobs, so you would get great job experience that you can build on. As for where to live, I’d pick Minnesota over LSU, even though we can’t take the cold, either, but for what field you are looking at, LSU would be a great choice!
PS, though, the two areas are very similar, believe it or not, in the nice people, great food, natural setting, so it’s a really tough choice. Visit both schools and see which you are most comfortable at. Good luck!

Just reread your post and saw your concern about making friends. My shy son had no problems making friends at Minnesota, though he did not do Greek at Bama, and that is a big part of LSU and somewhat to Bama. Campus spread out, you in engineering would not be too spread out. My son lives in the Prospect Park area and would walk along the Mississippi River to campus. That Southern boy did fine. Get a good coat and boots. Also great public transportation, in the light rail, in Minneapolis, so son was even able to take light rail rather than drive in snow while working off campus. Lots to do other than drink beer in Minneapolis, though they do have great beer and food. Again, visit both if you can. The great thing about Minneapolis is that it’s easy to fly to. It’s easier for us to visit son in Minneapolis than it was in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, which was an hour outside of Birmingham, which did not have a lot of direct flights. LSU is a little over an hour outside of New Orleans, so check out travel through there. Good luck! Congratulations on your acceptance!