University of Minnesota—Twin Cities (U of M)

The University of Minnesota-T win Cities is "a top-ranked university in a beautiful city that has a lot of great job opportunities," making it a place where "anyone can find what they want to do." This "Big Ten research university" offers over 150 undergraduate majors to "help students discover themselves" and their interests. As one student explains, "Our school pushes us to expand our horizons, to go outside of our comfort zones, and to try things that we never would have considered trying before." Many students are attracted to UMN for its "great research opportunities" and excellent academic programs, including the "phenomenal engineering programs," which include an earthquake simulation center, a nanotechnology lab, and a fluid mechanics lab on an island in the Mississippi River. Regarding classes, students report that most professors are "approachable and are more than willing to take time out of their day to ensure you understand the material." Overall, students say their professors are "very knowledgeable" and "strive to make [the subject matter] exciting." Students appreciate that the university fosters "a small school feeling" in "an urban setting," and describe it as "a place with endless opportunity for those willing to discover their passions."

Most students find UMN to be a friendly and supportive environment. They describe their peers as "generally quite friendly and outgoing," and everyone is "pretty willing to go out of their way for others, we are Minnesota nice, after all." While the school has a large Midwestern population, with "most likely hailing from Minnesota, Wisconsin, or the Dakotas," it attracts a broad mix of people and personalities. making it impossible to put everyone "into one category." As one student says, "We have so much diversity here, that it is hard to pinpoint a general student type" or slot everyone "into one category," and because of this, "everyone can find their niche and be free to express who they are." One topic that brings the campus together is the weather, and undergraduates can "fit in by bonding over how much [they] hate winter." Overall, this ambitious student body is filled with people who "are driven to succeed and to make the most of the vast opportunities offered by the UMN."

Life at UMN is busy and "full of variety." Students fill their free time with a range of activities, including participating in intramural sports, attending sporting events, or joining any of the more than 1,000 student organizations on campus. For students in search of less active activities, UMN also "hosts a lot of lectures and discussions with prominent figures." In addition, "the Coffman building always has something going on-movies, book signings-and there are a ton of student groups to join, no experience necessary." The school is also a member of the Big Ten conference of Division I teams, and "sporting events are widely popular, even if we aren't doing very well." The Greek life scene on campus is "thriving," and over 3,000 students participate. For those interested in a social scene with "alcohol and lots of dancing," there are often "house parties" on the weekends. Exploring the T win Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul is a favorite pastime because there is "a lot going on!" Both the campus and surrounding cities are bike-friendly, and getting around is easy with the free university shuttle and public transportation options like buses and the light rail. Many students enjoy spending time outdoors, and popular activities include everything from "biking [and] outdoor games [to] reading in the park [and] going to the farmers market." Life at UMN is "full of variety" and undergraduates "can get involved in almost anything." In short, "If you're bored on a weekend, then you're not looking hard enough."

U of M Career Services is somewhat unique in that each college has its own career center catering to the specific needs of its students. While these centers are linked through a main Career Services office, the majority of the services available at U of M, such as advising, career fairs, and job search tools, are offered through the individual colleges. As such, “academic advising and career services differ from college to college,” but most students seem to be pleased with the quality of what is offered. One student reports that “my advisor and the career center are excellent guides,” and another states that, “I’m always getting emails [from] the career center, all on-campus jobs offer training for finding jobs after graduation, and the information on post grad options are extremely easy to find.” There are also resources available specifically for women, LGBT students, international students, and other demographic groups. According to the school, U of M alumni have founded over 19,000 companies. Out of graduates visiting PayScale.com, 54 percent report feeling as though they derive a high level of meaning from their careers.