UMN Minnesota Carlson vs. UT Texas McCombs

College Search & Selection
1

Okay so I think these are my top 2 colleges that I am deciding from. For reference, I am OOS in NY. I want to study business; main aspiration is to start my own company either in college or after I get a job down the road :slight_smile: So keep in mind entrepreneurship for these two. I’m thinking of majoring in SCM or MIS. The pro/con lists are short but it’s basically the main draws/withdraws for me.

Things I like in both colleges:
Great urban cities (Minneapolis and Austin)
Top start-up cities/entrepreneurial cities
Lots of school spirit
Big size
Greek life isn’t a pressure at either
Both cities are 1 hour behind NY (EST) time so that’s annoying but not a factor bc they both have it
Both have great study abroad opportunities

Pros to UMN:
With scholarships they gave me, it will cost me $30k a year! So $120k total
Love Big 10 spirit
I toured and loved campus; campus itself was its own little city and then Minneapolis is a short train over
The Admitted Students Day was really well done and impressive
Class size of Carlson is approx. 700
Lots of companies come to speak to their entrepreneurship students; they are easily accessible from Minneapolis

Cons to UMN:
SO COLD!!!
Carlson is across the river from campus which isn’t a huge deal but definitely inconvenient
Carlson is #19 business school (not the worst ik)

Pros to UT:
SO WARM! Love the warm

5 Business school

THE PRESTIGE OF UT. I love the name of UT. I love the idea of saying “I go to UT. The #5 Business school.” especially the low OOS acceptance rate makes me proud Lol.
Class size of McCombs is approx. 965
I like the spirit groups at UT they seem cool; like a low-cost sorority lol. if you have experience with these comment what it’s like please i am interested

Cons to UT:
So for my freshman year it will cost me $59k and after that I will be buying a TX apt. and getting instate tuition so it will be $29k for 3 years. So total $146k - this is under my budget of $160k overall, however you need to then factor in cost of apt. and labor of renting it out which is a burden
Their Accepted Students Day wasn’t really an Accepted Students day… like the day was only an info session and tour for admitted students, kind of weird. What I fear about UT is the lack of attention to students; I hear about this a lot about UT. IF SOMEONE CAN FIND CARLSON AND MCCOMBS STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO PLS LMK! Can’t find them!

So I know these pro/cons are barely skimming the surface but these are just major things that stick out to me. Please share your experiences with either school, business or not. Basically their commonality is the entrepreneurial cities that they are located in, which is important to me. LOL Polar opposite climates (I hate the cold but also hate 24/7 heat oh well!) Cost of UMN is appealing and won’t need to buy an apartment like I have to with UT. Also, maybe it’s bc I’m from NY, but NO ONE from around here goes to UMN and a few go to UT, but regardless, UT holds the better name. I know it’s snobbish and might not be important, but I love having a good name.

Please share all experiences and which school you think I should choose! I don’t freaking know what to do!!!

2

The difference in ranking for undergrad business between #19 and #5 is not as big a deal as you seem to think. Carlson can be a solid choice for you.

In order for UT to be affordable, you need to get in-state residency. Make dead certain that the property ownership will do that for you. Find out how soon you have to own property. Find out if you must also be physically present in TX in order to maintain the residency. If so, that means no out-of-TX internships, and only short vacations out of state. You will need to really be living there. Also, how will you afford that property? Do your parents have enough cash on hand to buy it for you? Will they co-sign a mortgage? How does it need to be titled for you to be able to use it for residency? Get those details as well.

What part of NYS are you from? If it is up-state, the weather in MN won’t be that big a change for you.

3

No easy answer. I think that you have properly assessed your options.

Were you admitted to Michigan-Ross ? If so, what is the annual COA ?

Both the Twin Cities area & Austin offer a lot of opportunities.

It may simply come down to whether you prefer warm / hot weather or cool / freezing cold weather.

P.S. I am torn as I have very positive impressions of both locations. One relative used to be editor of weekly Minneapolis newspaper magazine supplement & editor of monthly Minneapolis magazine. Other relative on a board at UT-Austin McCombs & helps design the finance curriculum for grad students. He is a donor & loves UT-Austin.

I am a distance runner & tennis player, so UT-Austin is attractive to me for athletic endeavors. I love The South & Texas. Dallas is a great city with a lot of wealth & opportunities. Austin is even nicer than Dallas for young adults & young professionals.

Everybody that I know who lives in the Twin Cities or in Austin loves their life & their location.

Okay. I have a solution. Flip a coin. If it comes up Minnesota, start over & flip again.

Of course, I am attempting to be humorous. Cost is a major concern. Minnesota is the clear winner for COA. Consider UT-Austin for grad school.

4

If COA is not a concern, then the University of Texas at Austin is the better choice based on weather alone.

5

@Publisher I was admitted to Michigan LSA in december and still waiting to hear from Ross but it’s unlikely as there are only 2 waves left. Ross is my #1 hahaha funny how you brought that up. Umich will cost me $66k OOS! I applied for some scholarships from them but they haven’t gotten back to me :confused:

@happymomof1 an hour from nyc so our winters aren’t that cold. on the umn tour our tour guide said with wind chill they get days of -50 degrees!! i think id actually freeze

6

@saltypretzel - Yes the Upper Midwest can get really cold. But you know what? The people there dress for the weather and don’t let cold and snow stop them until it gets really bad. That -50 because of wind chill drops back to a more tolerable temperature as soon as you are out of the wind. If UMN ends up being your only really affordable option, once you are there, ask a local classmate to take you shopping at Sheels or Cabela’s or even Goodwill to help you get outfitted for the winter.

7

You know how to handle -50? Stay inside. Really, it’s what most locals do. That crazy cold is not fun for anyone. But honestly it almost never gets that cold, and not for long. We still get cold snaps of 0 for a week or whatever, but get a big coat and keep moving. It’s just like the heat in AZ, except no one arrests you for taking off too many clothes.

Also, your whole choice needs to revolve around the details of getting resident tuition. If you can’t swing that without completely messing up your costs then don’t take it on. Any debt you can avoid, or any money you can hang onto before grad school or grown up life is a huge win.

8

I spent one week where the temperature never went above negative thirty degrees (-30 degrees) when the wind chill was factored in. Temperatures this low are quite dangerous. Breathing in air that cold actually gives a burning sensation in one’s lungs.

Very unsafe to venture more than a hundred yards or so from a warm building due to possible frost bite.