You Lucky Minnesotans....Thinkin' About Attending College In Your State...

[AlFrankenFan]

I've been looking around (though I am only 14 my parents absolutely insist that I start now) for a good college to attend in 2008. Now, I am currently a resident of California, and I really don't like the area we are in (Orange County...rich Republicans don't take kindly to middle-class Democrats here), and I hate the climate. Call me crazy, but I love the cold weather! Seeing that my hero Paul Wellstone lived in and loved Minnesota and it's people, I say, "Why not?". Like I said before, I love the cold weather, and I have lived in Virginia and Colorado, where I have experienced harsh weather, so it is not a problem. What do y'all think are the best colleges in your state for someone who'd like to go into law or public service and maybe politics?
Thanks a lot! :D

[shockingelk]

1. Kofi Anan went to Macalester

http://www.macalester.edu/

Lots of my friends did too. I would say that is the most prestigious school in the state. Not sure about their specific programs, though.

It is a great idea to start thinking now ... I put it off until my senior year and was all stressed out when I all of a sudden had to think about it.

Maybe you would like to look into Wellstone's old stompin' grounds too: http://www.carleton.edu/

[AlFrankenFan]

2. Thank you!

I have looked into Carleton, and I do think it would be my number one choice so far. I will definitely look into Macalester, as well :)

[ButterflyBlood]

3. I go to MSU, Mankato

this is a fun school, fun town. Lots and lots of parties. Great place for the full college experience :)

[MnFats]

10. MSU, too! But before it was called that.

which reveals, sort of, how impossibly old I am. I can remember when students, about 5,000, clogged downtown and the Hwy. 169 bridge to protest Nixon's mining of Haiphong harbor.
I loved the place, and the people.
Except for the drunken lady who came out of a bar on south Front Street as the antiwar marchers passed. I shouted 'join us!' and she screamed 'fuck you, buddy, you ought to be in vietnam where they'd blow your guts out!' I started to tell her we only wanted to prevent any more of that and she clearly was getting ready to go ballistic when her friends grabbed her and escorted her back into the bar.
true story. i got a million of 'em.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. Macalester and Carleton are the two most prestigious

colleges in the state.

Otherwise, most of the colleges are state universities (okay, but nothing special), Lutheran (St. Olaf, Augsburg, Concordia, Gustavus Adolphus), Catholic (St. John's, St. Benedict's, St. Thomas, St. Catherine's), or fundamentalist (Bethel).

[Shananigans]

12. I resent that statement!

I am a proud graduate of Bemidji State University, a "nothing special" state university and I happen to think it was very special. I got a great education, with small class size all for a great price. The campus is absolutely beautiful, located literally right on the edge of lake Bemidji. I loved it there and wouldn't go back and change it for a second!

[dpbrown]

5. Hamline University has both a law school and an undergraduate school

The law school has tracks that emphasize public administration, and by attending the undergraduate school, too, you can take one year off your total commitment. Thus, in six years, rather than the usual seven, you could potentially be out of school.

There may be other schools that offer this sort of credit-counting, including St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota (with both undergrad and law schools), but I'm unaware of how their law tracks match their undergraduate curriculum. The other law school in Minnesota is William Mitchell, but it has no undergrad program.

Dan Brown
Hamline Law '93
St. Paul, Minnesota

[northernsoul]

6. you'll probably love Macalaster

I actually attended this crazy Baptist college called Bethel. Unless they're giving you a free ride (like what I got), I wouldn't recommend it.

[Zookeeper]

17. Hey, Northernsoul....

I live near Bethel. I don't consider the administration "good neighbors." And I had a really horrific experience with a babysitter who was a "nice little Bethel student."

I actually have lots of stories, as I'm sure you do. You still have to sign an agreement vowing that you won't ever dance while you're a Bethel student. :eyes:

[dflprincess]

7. St Olaf in Northfield

or Carleton - also in Northfield and it's where Wellstone taught.

One of my nieces is at St. Olaf and likes the school but she does get a bit stir crazy stuck down there on the prairie.

I went to the U of M but - if I had it to do over again (it's one of those "if I knew then what I know now" things) - I would have picked Macalester. I wanted my niece to go there, but her grades weren't quite good enough. Macalester is located in a great area of St Paul that I'm sure you'd enjoy.

[GRocky]

14. Olaf is a hotbed of Republican conservativism.

I'd know. I graduated from the school, but not before having spirited debate with a handful of those privileged, snotheaded College Republican scumbags. One of them said "I vote Republican because my dad gets good tax breaks from them."

[AlFrankenFan]

15. Oy vey

And I'm trying to get away from those types of Republicans!

[dflprincess]

16. Yet, the president of St Olaf was criticized

for having an antiwar sign in his yard.

However, after reading your post, I think I'll breath a sign of relief that my niece hasn't taken a greater interest in politics - just in case she's made any friend that might lead her astray. (Though I have gotton the impression that the friends she's made down there are mainly scholarship/grant/loan students like herself)

[no name no slogan]

22. Sometimes being a liberal in a conservative school can be FUN!

Gustavus (where I went) is a lot like St. Olaf in many ways, but maybe more apathetic (but with better liquor policies-- St. Olaf is still dry IIRC, while you can still drink @ Gustavus).

Strangely enough, we had a very strong and active Democrats club, and a number of leftist student organizations. And in my finaly year, (1990-1991), a Campus Greens club was founded-- fairly progressive for being a "conservative" school! Because of the Lutheran aspect of the college, we always had a big peace conference on May Day of every year, which was also a good time to tweak the noses of the Reaganites.

We did catch a lot of hell from the College Republicans, though. But still, we DID help evict Alan Quist from the state leg. in 1988, which was a huge accomplishment.

:)

[Lindacooks]

24. That may be true, but Northfield itself is heavily democrat.

In the precinct caucuses this past March, there were almost a thousand people at the Democratic caucus, and 80 at the Repuke.

And there are plenty of Dems in Northfield too.

Having said that, I will say that Carleton (also in Northfield) is much more liberal than St. Olaf. If I had to do it over again (I'm an Olaf grad) I'd go to Carleton.

[loveable liberal]

8. nothing says "im a smartie" like a shingle with ...

University of Minnesota written on the top!! Though you really cant go wrong with any of the ones listed...

[goodhue]

9. Carleton

I'm a Carl, so I'm biased.
Mac is also great and is in urban location.
St. Olaf, Gustavus, Hamline aren't bad.
U of M - Morris is best public program.
U of M - Twin Cities is good but HUGE.

[no name no slogan]

21. Gustavus class of '91 here

...and at one time we had the most active chapter of college Democrats in the entire state. IIRC, it still has a great organization, with a faculty advisor who, at one time, served in the MN state house.

Other (in)famous Gustavus alumni include current DFL state house whip Margaret Anderson Kelliher ('90) and actor/author/playwrite Kevin Kling ('87).

Also, every fall there's the Nobel Conference, which is the only conference in North America authorized by the Nobel Institute in Stockholm. Usually the topics are interesting, but if nothing else it's a good excuse to take the week off and catch up on sleep/study/beer/etc. (but you didn't hear that last part from me).

More info available at www.gustavus.edu.

[AlFrankenFan]

11. thanks guys!!!

It's my high-hopes that I will attend a school in your state, my top interests being Carleton, Macalester, and UM Morris out of the schools I looked at online. :D

[Sahjhan]

13. University of Minnesota, Morris.

It's a public liberal arts college, and it's my college. :)

We have an excellent poli sci program here, but no law. You'd have to go elsewhere for that.

Go to www.mrs.umn.edu to find out more information about Morris. Good luck with your search. :)

[Worst Username Ever]

18. Hey now lets not forget the U of MN please

Even though the state has been killing us with their cuts in funding, the Carlson School of Management still ranks in the top 10 of business schools, and our IT is consistently top 5, usually right behind MIT. The Psychology Department is number 2 in the country for it's doctoral program. The Law school is top 10, the medical school is also top 10. It is a huge, diverse school that can give you business opportunities and study opportunities you can only get in the big city. Plus, in terms of property campus size, the Twin Cities campus is the largest college in the country (largest student population goes to UCLA, though).

[dflprincess]

19. It's my alma mater

And I enjoyed the "U". In retrospect, I think I would have done better at a smaller school with smaller classes. Taking some of the "intro" classes in an auditorium with several hundred others just didn't work for me. At least, back in the early 70's only my intro to pyschology class was not only in an auditorium but taped and shown on a screen.

[Worst Username Ever]

20. Cazy!

Wow, I never heard that! My intro to psych was 1000 people (it is the largest class in the whole school!!) but was taught by an instructor, with TAs doing the labs (labs had about 30 people). That was probably around 1997 or so. I liked the large aspect of the school, but it was a little hard to make friends until one figures out that they really need to join a club or team or frat or something. Once you do that, the social aspect comes quick.

[dflprincess]

23. I started there in 1971

Didn't finish until 1976 when I lost track of my credits and graduated by accident (old Doonesbury Zonker joke). Maybe they dropped the video psych class by 1977 - though I've heard there are still classes like that.

[Breezy du Nord]

25. Have you thought about Northfield?

Carlton College is very nice. It's where Paul Wellstone taught before he went into politics. (My mother's family lived in Northfield all her life. they often saw Paul and Sheila Wellstone walking their kids in strollers.)

As for the cold...well, I've lived there 15 years, all my life, so I'm probably not a good judge as I'm native and all. :eyes: But I've always wanted to go to California. Perhaps we could switch places. :7

[AlFrankenFan]

26. We should!

I have been thinking Northfield would be a very nice place to live, and maybe you'd like Laguna Niguel. Near the beach (20 minutes or so depending on the traffic) and the weather is what I would describe as plain but others as perfect.