<p>If we get enough people posting and asking here, we can maybe get it's own thread.</p>
<p>That would be nice. I think there needs to be a formal request sent to the moderators in order for that to happen, though.</p>
<p>Yeah, I did this once before for another school but I can't remember how we got it done...oh well.</p>
<p>Are you familiar at all with MSU? I have a bit of a love affair with the outdoors and the Mountain West, so I only applied to schools that fit those bills. I was also looking for schools with decent Natural Resources and Conservation programs. Right now, I've got it narrowed down to U. of Idaho (with a full ride), U. of Arizona (with $20k/yr) and Montana State (with full tuition + $1k/yr). Finances aren't much of a problem, as you can see. I have visited both Arizona and Idaho and I loved Idaho. I'm looking forward to getting up to Bozeman to check out MSU. Otherwise, I'll be headed to Idaho. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Does anyone know if MSU superscores the SATs? On the app there is only space for one testing date. Son's scores are very good and consistent but the writing score on one earlier test was definitely higher.</p>
<p>mrhazel44-
Took our D to do a campus visit this summer and she loved it, decided to pass on Idaho as not being enough in the mountains for her. MSU trumps all if you are a winter outdoor enthusiast especially a skier. And numerous adults I know are big fans of the Bozeman community for setting down roots. I have yet to hear one negative comment about Bozeman,or MSU - but not near as much enthusiasm over Idaho or Arizonia. If I got to pick her school for her, it would be MSU (even over my beloved alma mater). I believe she would be the happiest there.</p>
<p>my-3-sons-
Have the College Board send official scores for all your S's tests and they will see what he has done. They don't go by the app as the test report anyway, only scores sent from the testing agency. I do not know if they superscore. If you call and ask I am sure that they will tell you as they are very good about answering questions.</p>
<p>Thanks, believersmom. We did already have CB send the scores, so I think he's good to go. </p>
<p>We know 3 kids from here in NH that chose MSU and they all love it. We're looking forward to a visit later in the year, after acceptances are in.</p>
<p>Please let me know via PM when you plan your trip. D will be going with acquaintances (who have also been accepted) in March for a ski trip and see it when school is in session. Maybe they can all meet up?</p>
<p>I'm also looking at doing a combination skiing/campus visit trip in February or March. I've already been accepted and offered the scholarship, so now I guess I just have to wait until I've seen the campus and talked with some people there to come up with a decision.</p>
<p>You would all have a blast skiing together I am sure. D has a family friend who is a freshman this year too. Let's keep in touch.</p>
<p>Will do. I'll let you know when I'm going once I figure it out.</p>
<p>Anyone familiar with the area? What's Bozeman like? I am desperately seeking to flee the suburbs of the midwest, and I couldn't stand to have more of the same in college. Nightlife isn't a big issue for me (I honestly don't care if there are any malls or clubs) which is why Bozeman looks pretty attractive. Is it still a small-ish rural town, or does it have that 'suburban sprawl' going on? </p>
<p>And if you're familiar with Moscow, ID, how do the two compare?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>I have lived in Montana my entire life and attend school at UM in Missoula. Bozeman has consistently been ranked as one of the top small towns in America. That being said however, it is growing rapidly. I think the population is somewhere around 30,000, but there are many adjacent suburbs. Relative to most cities in the US it is probably not that congested, but Montanans like me have a different perspective. Despite the population explosion and the expensive real estate (again speaking from a Montana perspective), it is a great place to live. Most people who I talk to prefer Bozeman to Moscow.</p>
<p>We just received S's acceptance and a very nice scholarship! He's very happy so I think a trip to Bozeman is definitely in our future. He planning to study mechanical engineering.</p>
<p>Looks like I'll be headed to Idaho in the fall. MSU is tempting and is in an admittedly better location, but UI is a better school for my major and has more to offer me. I did convince a friend who's really into skiing to apply Montana State, though; we'll see how that goes. He'll get in, but he can't go unless he gets some serious moolah. </p>
<p>And apparently the Montana craze is catching on in KS because I convinced another friend of mine to apply to UM-Missoula. He wasn't so sure, though, because he's a hippie at heart and was required to register for the draft in order to apply. Yikes!</p>
<p>If your friend is a hippie, he will fit right in with the Missoula culture.</p>
<p>mrhazel44-
Correct me if I am wrong but aren't ALL male US citizens required by law to register for the draft when they turn 18 regardless of whether they are applying to any school?
This is a separate issue from whether or not there IS a draft (there isn't right now).</p>
<p>Well, apparently there's a long-standing Montana State Code that requires students applying to the land-grant school to register for the draft regardless of age when the application is sent. It's pretty obscure, but when he was applying online he had to check a box certifying (under penalty of termination as a student) that he had in fact registered with the Selective Service. He's already 18 and his parents made him register, so it wasn't a big deal. </p>
<p>I've heard that Missoula is a liberal enclave amidst the backdrop of a fairly conservative Montana. If so, he'll like it there. He's a bit of a throwback to the 60's when being a socialist hippie was still cool.</p>
<p>My S is trying to choose between these U of MT and MT State. We are from Seattle. S is not set on a major. Interested in a variety of things: wildlife biology, business, history. Wide ranging. He is a clean cut athletic kid who loves to ski. Coming from Seattle, his politics are democratic leaning, but he is not hippyish. Any advice would be much appreciated.</p>
<p>Hi Scopes. My son is a junior and is looking at northwest publics among others. He sounds a lot like your son. We will try to vist these schools next fall. Since you are in the northwest I’m hoping you have some insights on these schools that aren’t in the typical guidebooks. Whats your impression of U of Montana and Montana State? Have you considered U of Idaho?</p>
<p>Scopes and rhumbob, my son is in the same boat - deciding between UM or MS, and we just got back from visiting both campuses. Here are our impressions:</p>
<p>Missoula is a much more interesting town than Bozeman: bigger, frankly prettier, offers more in the way of the arts, restaurants and nightlife. The campus is also nicer than Montana State - more compact, architecturally more cohesive, and easy to get around (everyone rides their bike!) UofM seems to really take care of its students - more than
one administrator told us "we WANT you here, we’ll do everything to make this a good experience.’ Somehow, it sounded really sincere. Many of the classes are small, and some departments that tend to be huge in other schools are small and very manageable at Missoula. For example, biology, often one of the biggest departments at many schools, has about 300 majors. </p>
<p>The school also seems to offer some scholarship money to vast majority of OOS students, even though their OOS costs are less than in-state COA in my home state. My son got $3K per year for 4 years – and to put it bluntly, he’s no scholar. (Decent scores, low grades.) One thing to keep in mind is that UofM has one of the lowest 4 and 6-year graduation rates in the US. (20% and about 46% if I remember correctly.) The administration didn’t do a good job of explaining why that is - my hunch is the school is almost open admission, and a lot of kids start there who probably shouldn’t be in college yet. That said, I know 2 kids who graduated (recently) from Missoula, in 4 years. So it’s quite possible: it’s not like students have a hard time getting classes - if you want to graduate in 4 years, you’re certainly able to. </p>
<p>People who live in Missoula absolutely LOVE it. The town is sweet, lots of old buildings in the historic downtown and fun older residential areas with Victorians and craftsman houses built early in the 20th century. The mountains are right there, and Missoula has a a wide river flowing through it that in the summer offers kayaking, rafting and tubing. Football is big at the school they have a terrific older but fun stadium. Apparently every game is like the super bowl. Missoula has a decent music/arts program and both seem really integrated into the school. In fact, everything seemed near by and accessible on campus, made for a very intimate atmosphere. Oh, and the campus food was surprisingly good, from locally raised beef to a sushi bar and everything in between. The negative for my son was that Missoula offers considerably fewer science and tech courses - and that Bozeman has easier access to better snowboarding - important to him. </p>
<p>In general, we had the impression that Bozeman was a bit more on the cutting edge - impressive new science building, etc - even though, as I said, the campus isn’t as nice as Missoula’s. Bozeman as a town is fairly limited, so most students stick to the outdoorsy stuff for their entertainment. (I asked one girl, what do you do on weekends, and she replied “hot springs.” I kid you not.) Montana State is ranked higher than University of Montana and does have better graduation rates - though not dramatically so. The people at both schools were remarkably friendly, welcoming and helpful. At Montana State we didn’t do a campus tour (it was Saturday) so we sort of wandered about until a professor spotted us and offered to show us around that new science building! Clearly a source of pride & joy for the school/science types. </p>
<p>In all, our family was favorably impressed. Both schools seem to have a lot to offer undergraduates in terms of opportunities and attention. With the relatively low OOS costs, and the downright low living costs (rents in the $350-500/mo range) it’s certainly worth considering seriously for the person who loves the laid back, outdoorsy mountain lifestye.</p>