St. Paul, MN: "There's something great going on here" is the motto of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and indeed there is. I visited the campus and loved it.

The school focuses on balancing academics with a social life. That focus is clearly visible with over 145 majors to choose from (the most popular are social sciences and history), as well as 22 varsity Big-Ten teams and hundreds of intramural teams. The school also has more than 400 student organizations, including a nationally known newspaper and radio station.

Founded in 1851, the university covers over 2,000 acres. Many famous folk have attended, including author and radio host Garrison Keillor, musicians Bob Dylan and Yanni, and United States Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger.

Safety is important. The university has their own 24-hour police department, as well as a shuttle system connecting residence halls with the main campus, and a service run by students that provides a companion for late-night walks from a class or lab to one of the eight residence halls. It is considered one of the safest schools in the nation.

The undergraduate student body is 32,000 students and growing. The faculty manages to keep most classes small by offering 230 study-abroad programs in 80 countries. There are also more than 1,300 internships available.

Off campus there are endless possibilities. You can visit Dinkytown, a jumble of coffee houses, bookstores, cafes, shops and restaurants, or you can visit the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, home of the Twins, the Vikings and, of course, the university's football team, the Gophers. The Target Center complex is the home of the Minnesota Timberwolves and a concert venue. The Mall of America, the largest fully enclosed retail and entertainment complex in the country, is nearby, as is St. Anthony Falls, the only naturally occurring waterfall on the Mississippi River. These, of course, are just a few of the area's many attractions.

As you can probably tell, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is the college of my choice. Go Gophers!

Reviewed in 2003