<p>I am still narrowing down my list of schools, but I'm wondering what the consensus is between Montana and Montana St.? I would probably be in Business, but maybe Economics, Political Science or Pre-Law. I've read Montana has a beautiful campus, but don't know much beyond that and don't know how Montana State-Bozeman compares with its campus. How about Missoula vs. Bozeman in terms of which city is better? Any other info would be appreciated as well such as social life, facilities, and academic reputation comparisons. Thanks.</p>
<p>Check for posts by wolfpiper. She's a freshman at either Montana or Montana State, I believe.</p>
<p>Bozeman > Missoula. I hate Missoula. Hate it hate it hate it.</p>
<p>Opinions, of course, may differ.</p>
<p>Mind elaborating BandTenHut?</p>
<p>What is better about Bozeman than Missoula? Scenery? Downtown area? Stuff to do? Weather?</p>
<p>Missoula is larger and more interesting than Bozeman which is nice enough too. The business school at UM is better and has a great new building.</p>
<p>UM does have a great new business building, and they seem to have a lot of "big names" coming in for on campus accounting interviews. I know a good number of Poli Sci majors (taking Arabic will do that to you) and with the exception of a professor or two, they seem pleased. Campus is very nice, weather is varied, partying is there but by no means necessary (I don't party/ drink and I find more stuff I want to do then I have the time for). For what it's worth, UM`is generally thought of as larger and more liberal than Bozeman. I generally stay on campus, but there's a lot of good resteraunts and interesting stores in Missoula. Tons to do on-campu, and it's a community "hub," nit seems. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!</p>
<p>You're a savior wolfpiper, I was hoping someone was on here who attented Montana. If you could take the time to answer some questions, as I'm interested in Montana very much as well, that'd be wonderful.</p>
<p>1) What are the dorms like, particularly freshman ones? Are there singles, and what are the chances of getting one? Which dorms would you recommend asking to get into and which ones to stay away from?</p>
<p>2) Is the campus big or small, and is there a lot of coffee shops and places to hang out?</p>
<p>3) Are all students allowed to have a car? And in your opinion, is a car necessary? How is the parking situation?</p>
<p>4) What is the student body like? Mostly farmers from Montana, or a good mix of alot of people from all over who like to party and such?</p>
<p>5) Is there many nice trails in and around the mountains for running nearby campus?</p>
<p>6) Is there much school spirit? And I've noticed the basketball and football programs are starting to get pretty strong, is it easy to get a ticket for those games, mainly football?</p>
<p>7) Does it get unbearably cold in winter with tons of snow (I'm from the Northeast, so how would it compare to that do you think?)</p>
<p>8) How big are classes usually, and how difficult would you rate them?</p>
<p>9) Are there many intramurals/clubs/other extracurriculars and what are the fraternities like?</p>
<p>11) What is the city of Missoula like? Is there much to do between/after classes? How is the night life, is there many good bars/clubs and such?</p>
<p>12) Do most students commute to school from around town, or are there still a lot of kids on campus for weekends and time when there isn't class?</p>
<p>13) Would you happen to have any pictures of the school/campus or Missoula in general?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>PM'd you. Tell me when you get them.</p>
<p>Thank you for the answers! I will let you know if I come up with any more questions.</p>
<p>go to <a href="http://www.campusdirt.com%5B/url%5D">www.campusdirt.com</a> to see photos of the campus.</p>
<p>Wolfpiper/terrifictom: can you please share the answers on the forum for the rest of us to view? They will be a nice change from the usual Ivy/LAC/UC babble.</p>
<p>FYI-my D is also a freshman at Montana and happy with her choice. She's made many friends and has an active social life. Also loves her professors, classes (big and small) and Missoula. She gets around via bicycle or city bus (free with student ID or Griz card) and the bus will even transport bicycles. Seems never to be a dull moment for her.</p>
<p>Thanks baseballmom, would you mind posting her SAT score just to give me a feel for the marks?</p>
<p>Does she have any photos of the area as well?</p>
<p>Terrifictom-you can find the admissions info you seek from any of the college reference books. U Montana is very selective for admissions into its honors college, but is considered selective for the general student population.</p>
<p>My D was a solid B student in a private HS with a challenging academic program of honors and AP courses. Her SATS were well above average, but not stellar. One perk of attending a public U is that AP credits are awarded, allowing the student access to higher level courses as a freshman.</p>
<p>As wolfpiper has mentioned in previous post, and my D expressed the same, this is a school that felt like a match for all the right gut reasons, NOT because it was so difficult to get into, and thus a prize. Also, both felt they had to explain to friends/relatives why they chose this school over more selective ones.</p>
<p>All of these issues go out the window when senior year and summer are over and you set foot on campus and begin your college career. Then it is all about the match. Do you feel challenged, have friends, respect and admire your professors, feel comfortable living on this campus and in this city? ARE YOU HAPPY? </p>
<p>There are photos of the campus at the campusdirt link above. Are you looking for photos of Missoula?</p>
<p>drb,.</p>
<p>Sure, but it's a two post affair!</p>
<p>Part I</p>
<p>1) What are the dorms like, particularly freshman ones? Are there singles, and what are the chances of getting one? Which dorms would you recommend asking to get into and which ones to stay away from?</p>
<p>Well, I actually live in an upperclassman dorm (I have a disability, and this dorm has accessible rooms, so I'm an exception). Panzter, where I live, and Miller are general considered the best dorms, though they are a bit out of the way. The people that live in Knowles (honors dorm) seem to like it as well. I was in Jesse for orientation, and didn't think it was that nice, but they people I've talked who live ther don't complain. A few dorms have singles (Elrod especially), but most freshmen are in doubles. If you apply early, you might have a chance as freshman, but I wouldn't really count on it.</p>
<p>2) Is the campus big or small, and is there a lot of coffee shops and places to hang out?</p>
<p>I really like the size of the campus. It's big enough so that I don't feel clastrophobic and small enough so that only takes ~25 minutes to get across campus (and I walk slowly).. We have lots of good places to hang out on campus. There's a coffees place in the Lomasson center and people are always there hanging doing homework during business hour (til 4 M-F). I love hanging out in our UC (University Center). We have a movie theater (showing features a couple of months old Fri. & Sat. nights for about $2 or $3, a Game room with pool tables, foosball, etc, an arcade (great way to chill on a`weekend afternoon), an art gallery (and two others elsewhere on campus), a r smoothie place, a food court, a convenince store, a credit union, Cell phone store, a huge bookstore, and a hair/massage place. Basically, whenever I'm feeling bored, I can usually find something going on at the UC. We also have a pool and rec center on campus if you're the atheletic type.</p>
<p>3) Are all students allowed to have a car? And in your opinion, is a car necessary? How is the parking situation?</p>
<p>I never really looked into it, but I believe everyone can have a car. People rarely seem to have problems finding a space. A car may be nice at times, but you don't need onw \, imo. I do community serviice off-campus, and people are really good about offering rides. Buses are free for students, and Missoula is small enough that its not too hard to get downtown if you want.</p>
<p>4) What is the student body like? Mostly farmers from Montana, or a good mix of alot of people from all over who like to party and such?</p>
<p>Farmers? No, not really. I guess there's some in the forestry school, but people tend more to liberal (with some hippie) than farmer I've been surprised by the variety of students. Lots of exchange students (Saudis and Japanese especially. I've met people from all over, including surprisingly, a number from the northeast. Lots of different backgrounds, but not many blacks/hispanics/asian residents--some Native Americans. I was really worried about the party scene when I came here, but it hasn't been pressuring at all. People do party/drink, but there's lots of stuff to do if that's not your thing, and it;s not that in-your-face.</p>
<p>5) Is there many nice trails in and around the mountains for running nearby campus?
There's always the M/ Mount Sentinal for hiking.</p>
<p>6) Is there much school spirit? And I've noticed the basketball and football programs are starting to get pretty strong, is it easy to get a ticket for those games, mainly football?</p>
<p>Lots of people wear Griz Wear (sweatshirts, etc.) and some have stuff from other colleges (Gonzaga, USC, etc.). Lots of community support, griz license plates, etc. Lots of dress-up on game days. </p>
<p>Football tickets can be hard to get if you wait. If you want to go, get to the Source and buy them ASAP. First come, first serve.</p>
<p>7) Does it get unbearably cold in winter with tons of snow (I'm from the Northeast, so how would it compare to that do you think?)</p>
<p>Haven't been here for a winter yet, but I visited UM and RI both during cold snaps and RI was much colder. The snow can be heavy, but peoples say it melts quickly (In my experience thus far, that's been true. Haven't pulled out my winter coat yet.)</p>
<p>Re: University of Montana Questions-part 2 </p>
<p>8) How big are classes usually, and how difficult would you rate them?</p>
<p>Classes usually aren't that big; there are a few exception like 200-300 person intro to bio or chem, but that's definitely the exception. Some others have 100-150, but again, not too many. My largest class this semester is abnormal psych. at ~60-70, but it still feels very personal. No TA in that class, teacher does all the grading, students ask questions in class; in fact, today the teacher complimented me by name on my work in that class (Morrison is awesome psych, by the way). Except for combined Arabic and Ways of Knowing lectures, all my other classes are under ~20. Class size is really more LAC-y than big u with a few exceptions </p>
<p>I'm taking 21 credits (5 of them p/f), so I have a lot of work, but it's not impossible. Some classes are heavy on homework, some just have quizzes. Really, it varies by teacher/course. Foreign language classes are generally hw heavy while Ways of Knowing 21 credits) is extremely reading heavy, but is mostly composed of papers. Because of the class sizes, most teachers DO take attendance. (21 credits can be really tough, by the way!).
9) Are there many intramurals/clubs/other extracurriculars and what are t he fraternities like?</p>
<p>Tons of stiuff to do. I expected to have trouble finding activities, but I find I want to do more than I have time for. Lots of faculty concerts and student plays, guest speakers, and art exhibits. Lots of intramural teams to join if you want. A club exists for most everything (community service, language, politics, religion, advocacy, etc.). Some are more active than others, of course, but most definitely "do something" and care about their cause(s). I don't see how you could NOT find something to do here if you looked.</p>
<p>The Greek scene is very small; in fact, except for rush, you never really hear about it. That said, the Greek community is apparently growing some. People in it seem pleased, but it doesn't seem to eat up people, and it's not socially controlling.</p>
<p>11) What is the city of Missoula like? Is there much to do between/after classes? How is the night life, is there many good bars/clubs and such?</p>
<p>One of my regrets thus far is that I haven't had enough time to explore Missoula. Downtown is great, with lots of independent restraunts and what not. Generally, unless you have a big gap in time, you won't be able do much between classes, but there's good breakfast places for the morning. Lots of clubs with concerts from regional/local bands. Fair amount of casinos, too. There's lots of community festivals/ events (i.e., German fest), too. </p>
<p>The city itself is very homey feeling and pretty. </p>
<p>12) Do most students commute to school from around town, or are there still a lot of kids on campus for weekends and time when there isn't class?</p>
<p>Most upperclassmen seem to live off-campus, but Missoula is small enough that it'd be hard to call it commuting There's always a ton of stuff going on on campus week nights, so most people stick around all night. Weekends are a bit quiter, but it's not deserted by any means. I usually sleep in on weekends, get up for a late lunch, hang out doing various things on campus for a bit, hide to community service if I have any planned, and catch up on homework. There's always games, of course, and some lectures/activities as well as parties if you want that (I don't). Cheap movies are shown on Fridays and Saturdays. A lot of people from around town (parents with children especially) visit campus on weekends. Some people go on road trips on weekends or go to events ariound Missoula. Weekends can be mellow if you want, or they can be a chance to party/ spend time in the city. Many people work as well.</p>
<p>13) Would you happen to have any pictures of the school/campus or Missoula in general?
Sorry but not now. I'll try to get some soon, though.</p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>
<p>UM was a merit aid safety for me (and I got great merit aid), but so far, I've been really impressed.</p>