Reviews

The high academic quality and rigor this school has to offer supersedes any expectations I had. At Morris your professors will work with you one-on-one to make sure your are grasping the material and are doing well in the class. All classes, whether it be a hard science, social science or any other will hit the ground running on the first day of class and will set the pace for the semester. It gets tough at times but the amount of knowledge gained is well worth it. This school will push you, but, as my math teacher puts it, your getting your monies worth!

Morris is a great place to go to school! Granted, the town is small (aprox. 5000 people including the college), but there is always something to do. Great, friendly people, wonderful scenery (not to mention Pomme de Terre park), and good food are the hallmarks of this town. The college also does a very good job of having student activities consistent throughout the semester. If you plan on going to Morris I highly suggest you see the improv group, The Unusual Suspects. The only thing that seems to be lacking is places to go shopping. However, you'll be so busy with everything else that you won't need to! But when you decide that you want to, a 50 min. drive will take you to Alexandria or Wilmar where there are stores galore.

At about a third of a private universities cost, it definitely is alot of bang for your buck. And it doesn't end there, Morris is ranked among the top 100 colleges nationally as a best value in the 2009 Kiplinger Best Values in Public Colleges exclusive survey. Also, our students graduate with the least amount of debt in the Midwest! Trust me, things just get even better. This school has the highest graduation rate out of the whole University of Minnesota system. Did i mention free classes? Oh yes, that's right. All credits above 13 (but below 20) are free due to banded tuition. Are you going to graduate in the top 20% of your class? Morris has automatic scholarships for those who do so. Also, the admissions and financial aid staff are amazing in working with you to figure out your financial aid.

Mostly the standard college stuff: take challenging, rigorous courses in high school, do well on your ACT, show uniqueness, and apply for the competitive scholarships! The competitive scholarships are very helpful in paying for college. Also, sit in on a class and meet with a professor in the field your interested in, and ask as many question as you like! The professors love prospective students (probably because they are proud of where and who they teach!).

High achievers that want a quality, rigorous education at a good price.

Morris class sizes are small (anywhere between 7-20 students), which gives students an excellent opportunity to get to know the material on a deep level. Somewhere around 97% of Morris professors have received a master's degree in the field that they teach at Morris, so you know they really understand what they are teaching.

Morris academics are tougher than many schools, but because of the availability of the professors and the one-on-one time between faculty and staff, it's easy to learn loads - and many of the professors make classes super fun, so you don't even realize you're learning until it's over and you think, Woah, I just learned a ton!

The atmosphere in Morris is very friendly, accepting, inviting and fun. The campus is quirky, and the surrounding neighborhood is small and welcoming. Though there isn't much night life in town, you quickly branch out of the realm of normal entertainment and find creative ways to have fun. Because there aren't night clubs or many other places you'd want to visit when you think of going out on a Friday night, students often seek entertainment on campus.

We've got plenty of student organizations here on campus. These are groups that are run entirely by students and overseen by a faculty member of sorts. I'll name just a few off the top of my head: saddle club, fencing, Dungeons and Dragons Club, Ground Quidditch (adapted for Muggles from the Harry Potter books), dance ensemble, anime club, bad movie club, boffers, fight club, math club, swing club, paintball at UMM, organic gardening club. These are only a fraction of the organizations on campus - I haven't even touched all of the political ones!

The Office of Student Affairs does a great job of making sure there are things to do on campus every week and on most week nights. There are concerts, open mic night, dances, sports events, drama, and even themed activities (like Zombie Prom, or the Yule Ball). Most of these events are priced between 0 and three dollars, so it won't break the bank to attend.

Outside of school-sponsored events, there is always something to do. Many students like to walk up to the wind turbines at night and lay underneath them and watch the stars. Others enjoy playing Ground Quidditch, attending or participating in Pokemon battles in the middle of campus (yes, we do dress up like Pokemon. It's epic), or building giant snow forts each winter with the mass amounts of snow we accumulate up here in the frozen tundra of Morris, Minnesota.

I'm paying about a third of what my friends at private schools are paying, and by comparison I'm receiving better food, better on campus housing, and a cleaner and nicer place to live and hang out. I've also found that I'm getting a more personalized education with more time spent with my professors and a very well put together Residential Life Staff (RAs or CAs). Talking with friends who attend private schools around the midwest, our Res Life program sounds much more comprehensive and active in the lives of students, our campus buildings and residence halls are about 3 times cleaner and better kept, and our highly involved student population allows for proactive affairs and encourages students to get passionate about something. I am absolutely getting the best bang for my buck at Morris.

That being said, it should also be noted that the University of Minnesota Morris works very hard to be affordable for its students. In talking to some of my friends, it sounds like Morris employs more students than many other schools. Walking around the Morris campus, you're likely to spot at least two student workers in each office, working at each meal, or tending to the landscaping and mowing lawns outside. Morris employs students all across the board - the post office, plant services, custodial staff, food service, financial aid, teacher's assistants - pretty much anything you can think of, we've probably got a student helping out.

Aside from employing many students around campus, the Chancellor at Morris herself often brings students to the cities in order to protest the rising cost of tuition. The faculty and staff here are on our side, as students - they hate the rising cost as much as we do, and they're very interested in fighting for an affordable education for us.

Apply for scholarships! Make connections with students on your floor, and off of it. Get to know your RA; especially at Morris (we call them CAs), they really do genuinely care. Get outside after classes and meet people, and don't go home on weekends (not at first, anyway). Also, sign up for as many activities as you want! Get involved! The more involved you get, the more likely you are to work one on one with professors. When you work with professors, you establish a personal connection, and at Morris, professors are known for having excellent connections outside of Morris and even outside of Minnesota. The more connected and involved you are, the better your prospects are for getting an internship or a job in the future!

Students who...
-are academically driven
-liberal or leaning liberal (it's great for conservatives too! We just tend to have a more liberal population)
-are even vaguely interested in the environment, sustainability, green energy, etc.
-thrive on personal connections with both faculty and peers
-enjoy a quiet and beautiful county-like location
-don't mind driving a few miles to get to the nearest large city
-want to be challenged by a new culture
-are interested in living on a small campus with a big personality.

If you come to Morris, you're certain to get an excellent education, a taste of a unique culture, and a deeper understanding of yourself and others.

I may have only finished one year at Morris so far, but I can already tell that I will learn a lot at this school. The courses are rigorous, so fair warning to any slackers out there! The nice thing is that with class sizes being so small, you get to know your professors on a one-on-one basis and they are always willing to help you to succeed, whether it's a chapter in the class you don't understand, to creating an independent study course. You even learn a lot in the classes you might not be doing so well in grade-wise. You know going into any class at Morris that you're going to come out of it with new knowledge.

Anyone who has even heard of Morris knows that it's a small school and a small town. Despite this, there is always something going on! Whether it's a club-sponsored dance or sale, or even just hanging out in Don's Cafe with friends on a weekend, you'll rarely, if ever, run out of things to do. The only advice I can give in this category is to brace yourself for the famous Morris wind that powers our two wind turbines. Other than that, Morris is a pretty fun place to be!

Considering the quality of education a student will get at Morris, the cost is fantastic! You can get a liberal arts education that will propel you into the job market, and a good deal of Morris students get published before they graduate, which makes it more likely for these students to get into graduate school or a good job! Overall, considering the comparison of price versus value, Morris is practically a steal!

Start looking for scholarships and grants as soon as possible! This goes for any college, not just Morris.
Brace yourself for the wind!
When you go on a tour of campus, don't be afraid to ask your guide questions.
Have fun and hope to see you on campus!

Students who love to learn, and learn about EVERYTHING. There are so many cool classes to sign up for in every area!
Students who don't mind knowing everyone in their school. Chances are, you'll end up meeting everyone at least once during your time at Morris! But don't worry, we're all pretty cool!

The community is small and well connected. The people are friendly and always ready to help. The teachers and students are always ready to interact and get involved.

Sign up for everything and then tone it down. It's a lot easier to juggle things freshman year, and then tone it down when you find something you like.

The classes are tough, but forgiving. There are plenty of resources to help get you through the course, and the professors are very respectful when it comes to life outside of school.

Dorm life can be what ever you want. Morris has different dorms and floors with different focuses. Some have a focus on world culture, others have a focus on the environment. You can choose what ever interests you the most and have fun with it.

The food in the dining hall isn't the best in the world, but there's a restaurant on campus, and a few more in town, including a Subway. The campus favorite is Don's Cafe, which has amazing burgers and fantastic toast if you ever go there for breakfast. Yes I said toast, it's so good, people often request their burgers without buns, and with toast instead. It's crazy!

There's always something going on. If you're ever bored, you could just take a walk around campus and join in what ever looks fun. One time, I wound up joining a club that had fake gladiator fights with padded swords and shields. Another time, I played Quidditch, yes Quidditch, the sport from Harry Potter.

The cost is kept pretty low, but it has all the advantages of a larger university because it's on the University of Minnesota system. So it's the best of both worlds at a great price.

During orientation, each orientation group goes to the local thrift shop and the orientation leader buys a toy that the group selects as a mascot. Mine was a strange hippo thing.

Another notable location is this large grass circle in the middle of campus. We call it the mall and it's where people hang out when the weather is nice. It's also where people go to watch movies projected on a big screen.

Any student that wants the advantages of a large university but wants to have a small community that's tight knit and supportive.

There's pretty much clubs for everything. If you're feeling a little nerdy and lazy, you can join up with the Doctor Who club and sit around watching the Doctor save the universe. If you're still feeling nerdy but want to get physical, there's a gladiator club with fake padded swords and shields that you can play fight with. If you're feel like gardening, there's plenty for you to do with the gardening club. There's honestly something for everyone, from campus ministry to frisbee.

While campus security makes their presence known, they also don't have much to do. The biggest thing they've had to deal with in my time here is getting people out of a dorm that had a fire alarm go off. It wasn't even bad, someone just burnt something in the microwave.

At UMM, I am learning more than I would have ever imagined. The emphasis on liberal arts, combined with the amazing professors in my major/minor areas, are great and very interesting. UMM also offers many various opportunities to learn more, whether that is through a campus job at the Center for Small Towns, or an Undergrad Research Project.

For the most part, I enjoy being a student at UMM. The transition was very hard for me, as I'm from Seattle, WA. UMM puts on many on-campus events, there are a TON of student organizations, and the close interaction with faculty all add up to make a great experience. Aside from this, trips out to the wind turbines, or driving around and exploring the prairie are all fun things to do on a nice spring/fall day.

I'm getting a great education at a very affordable price. The financial aid staff here is very helpful and wants to help make it cheaper for you. Aside from reasonable tuition, housing is also cheap, both on campus and around town.

Take advantage of the free visit- If you're accepted and live out of the area, UMM will reimburse you to drive/fly out to Morris and visit the campus. Take a tour and sit it on a few classes in your major/minor to get an idea of the curriculum and the faculty.

UMM is a great place for students who want to really learn and take advantage of exciting opportunities to expand your knowledge, interests, etc.

The University of Minnesota Morris is one of the most diverse colleges out there. There is a big focus on sustainability and the school promotes becoming a green campus. The University of Minnesota Morris is basically a private college at the price of a public college!

Classes are very hard but that's to be expected for a school that's one of the top ten liberal arts colleges in Minnesota!

Dorm life is great! Depending on where you live, it's easy to get adjusted and the community is very nice.

Food is really good too, considering it's buffet style. Pizza and ice cream everyday is a must!

Hitting up town is very fun, although you're limited to what you can do. If all else fails, pool and ping-pong with all your friends will go on for hours!

There's a tuition wavier for Native American Students, as long as you can prove your Native American with government papers.

Great college for Native Americans since Native Americans get the tuition wavier.

Organizations on campus is definitely the highlight of my college experience so far. Great way to meet new people and to get involved. Since The University of Minnesota Morris is a small campus, it's not hard to get involved on campus.

Not much offered on Greek Life but there are clubs that make up for it!

The University of Minnesota Morris is a very safe place. There is a 24/7 Campus Police on duty!

Morris is a unique, close-knit community and campus. You feel right at home here the moment you move in. The smaller campus allows you to get to know people and professors while also offering one of the best Liberal Arts Educations in the country.

Be sure to come and visit the campus. You can even request to stay overnight in the dorms with a current student. It gives you the first hand experience of what living on campus is really like.

The classes offered at Morris are challenging and intuitive, challenging students to think about things in a different way. Class sizes are small and the professors are always willing to help.

All the dorms on campus are Co-ed, either by floor or room. Floors are relatively small due to the smaller campus, so you really get to know your neighbors. Only freshman are required to stay in the dorms, so as an upperclassman you have more freedom about where you live, whether in the upperclass dorms, on campus apartments, or off campus housing.

There are a few different dining options in campus aside from the main dining hall. We have a small coffee stand called Higbies and the Turtle Mountain Cafe. No matter where you eat, the food is good. Morris has been awarded many times for the variety and the Vegetarian/Vegan friendly options offered at every meal.

There are over 100 clubs and organizations on campus. Getting involved is extremely easy and worth your time! If the club you want isn't here, starting your own couldn't be easier. Not to mention all the other activities and events hosted by campus run groups!

UMM has an amazing learning environment as well as a social environment. Don't get turned away because of the distance from civilization, unless you're a mall bug. It is one of the least expensive U of M schools and financial aid is very willing to help if you need aid!

Morris is a very secluded city, with the closest big city being Alexandria, 45 minutes away, so be prepared to find ways to entertain yourself in this small town!

Classes are the perfect difficulty, but that does not mean they are easy, you will end up studying if you want to get good grades! Most teachers are amazing and willing to assist you if you are having issues.

Life in the dorms is amazing, most people are very nice and respectable and there are many events planned in each halls such as movie nights or other fun activities

There are a few options for on-campus food. The dining hall has a variety of foods and you can also have a custom stir-fry/omelette made. The TMC is a slightly more expensive choice since it is higher quality but definitely worth it if you want a quick meal while you study! Higbies is the coffee shop and it has a selection of Caribou coffee as well as a constantly changing selection of various candies. The C-Store is for late-night munchies and it is quite overpriced and you are probably better off stocking up on food from Shopko or the Willy's in town if you want to save a few bucks.

There are many activities planned on-campus as well as many different clubs. There are at least one, usually two dances a month that are either free or about $3. A variety of clubs are available, such as sports clubs and other different clubs like Bad Movie Club, Anime Club, Pokemon Club, and more. Also if you feel there should be a new club, it is very easy to make your own! A 24-hour computer lab is available that a large amount of people use to play video games. There is a movie theater in town, but that only has one or two movies per week. Just walking around down Atlantic Ave (Morris' main street) is a fun thing to do, as long as it isn't freezing out!

As mentioned earlier, it is one of the least-expensive U of M schools but still includes the U of M quality!

Most Halloweens there is a zombie hunt that lasts the week of the Halloween Dance. Zombies can touch survivors to have them become zombies or people can throw a balled up sock at a zombie to stun them for a few seconds! It is extremely fun to do since you have to be vigilant almost all the time all over campus.

It is an amazing college for people who did not fit in well in high school, since there are many people here that are just like that. It is also very good for students that would want a state university campus but without the hustle and bustle of one in a large city. Class sizes range, but students that like smaller classes will have a good time, since many are under 30, but there are still 40+ lecture classes, just no enormous lecture halls

There are a plethora of myriads of clubs to join and it is very easy to make a new one with a few friends! There's clubs that are serious, like NORML, a club that talks about and educates others on marijuana legalization. Then there are the less serious clubs like Ground Quidditch, Pokemon Club, Bad Movie Club, and League of Legends Club. These clubs usually meet once a week and sometimes have special events. I'm not in all of these clubs myself, but all the experiences I've had with them are great.
A whole list can be found here: http://studentorganizations.morris.umn.edu/

Non-existent

Campus is very safe, I have not had any bad experiences nor has anybody I know. There has been only one serious incident off-campus, but alerts were sent out within hours of the incident.

The small student body and close knit campus at Morris results in a very unique experience. There is literally a club for every kind of interest you could have, and there is always something to do.

If you are thinking of coming to Morris, visit the campus during the non-winter months! If you are looking at it online you really can't see how absolutely beautiful the campus is!
Though I do advise also looking at the program you are thinking of going into, and check out what kinds of classes they offer to make sure it is related to your interests.
I also encourage all first year students to live on campus! As the University is much smaller than that of the average University, the connections you make during orientation and living on campus are very important!

This really depends on what types of classes you are taking! As expected upper level classes will take A LOT more of your time than intro classes, but depending on the professor intro classes could be pretty challenging, and upper level could be cake! Most professors will send you a syllabus for a class before registration if you want to get a feel for the class load.

In all honesty, I am not a fair judge on dorm life as I never lived on campus. I have however been in the dorms and I thought they were the average size and fine enough. One plus is that most of the dorms have nice big windows, so you don't feel like you're holed up in a prison! In addition there are quiet hours and whatnot so you won't get disturbed.
The new 'Green Dorm' is very nice and roomy, with lots of very updated furniture. Super fun to hang out in!

I absolutely love the food choices here! First off you have Turtle Mountain Cafe which is a great little 'restaurant' but very affordable! Like every eating facility on campus it is very vegetarian friendly and their veggie burgers are delicious! They also have weekly specials and traditions, Stir-Friday and Tuscan-Tuesday have got to be my favorite!
Food Services is a great place as well, the variety is crazy and once you pay it is buffet style which I personally love.
There is also Higbies which is a little coffee shop (affiliated with Caribou Coffee) that sells awesome drinks and fresh baked goods (scones, bars, muffins etc).
The C-Store is great for late night snacks as they are open until Midnight, and sometimes 2 a.m.! Its basically kind of like a gas station but just for food and necessities :)

Even though Morris is a tiny little town, there is plenty to do!
I love getting involved with the clubs on campus, as they do activities almost weekly. Ranging from bonfires to dances, bingo nights to open mic nights!
In town there is a cute little classic (or vintage) movie theater that shows 2 movies that rotate weekly. As well as various restaurants/bars and coffee/shake shops!
The campus puts on so many events that you will rarely have a hard time trying to find something fun to do!

Being that Morris offers in-state tuition to everyone, regardless of what state you are a resident, the bang for your buck is awesome.
Morris is a school that is regarded pretty highly throughout the country and will look great on resumes!
Just make sure to look into your specific programs to make sure its what you're looking for, as it can get very specialized. (Ex: Anthropology department is very Cultural Anthro. focused)

Zombie Prom! There is an annual dance called Zombie Prom and it is actually the highlight of my year in addition to the Yule Ball (which goes hand in hand with a whole week of Harry Potter fun!)
There is also a tug-of-war competition between two opposing dorms which is always fun to watch in the first weeks of school.

One super fun thing they've also started doing is a drive-in during the first weeks of school, in addition to playing movies on the campus mall (knoll).

Oh and the campus regularly brings in artists to perform at the school, from Cloud Cult, Atmosphere, Flogging Molly, to dance performances and world traveling groups! Seriously, AWESOME.

Louie's Lower Level is a great place to study and hang out as well! There is a giant TV, a pool table, giant chalkboards to draw/write on, a fishtank table and a huge amount of comfy oversized chairs! Favorite place on campus!

Basically anyone who wants to be super involved during their college experience would LOVE Morris. In addition to anyone who wants a really rounded out education and wants to experience a little of everything.
Music & Art students as well, as the music/art/theater program here is pretty extensive and well known!

Seriously, ANYTHING you can think of and its here. Morris, compared to other schools, has a crazy amount of student organizations and clubs. Many of which have national branches and would be great for people who want to use that type of experience later on in life!

I am sorry to say that the Greek Life is very slim here. It is almost non-existent, though some organizations do factor it in. You'd just have to look for it.
If you are looking for a very prominent Greek Life experience while at college, you will not get it at Morris.

Seriously, Morris is ridiculously safe.
In a town with around 5,000 people in it, its hard not to know almost everyone.
In my time here I have never heard of or seen any major crimes. It just doesn't happen here. In fact I doubt 60% of the town locks their doors or cars!
The one thing you could possibly worry about is your bike being 'borrowed'. Sometimes you will leave your bike one place, and if you don't lock it up it will end up on the other side of campus (not very far considering). So if you plan to bring a bike and don't want people borrowing it, invest in a lock!

There are a couple campus 'emergency' phones placed outside. But I can honestly say that I have never seen anyone have to use them!

Morris is a lovely little college campus in the heart of rural Minnesota. Because it is a University of Minnesota school, I like to think students here get the best of both worlds - the resources one would find to be available at a larger institution along with the small, close knit feel of a private college. To make it even more awesome, the campus-community relationship that you'll find here is unlike any other that I know of.

Stay overnight with a current student. I think this is a general rule for any prospective student who is seriously considering a college. It's a great way to see what college life is like on that particular campus. My overnight experience was one of the main reasons I ended up choosing Morris.
Also, get to know the admissions counselors here. They will remember you. You are more than a face to them, you are a name and someone that they'd love to see on campus as a student in the coming years! Also, many of them are Morris graduates, so they not only have experience at Morris as an employee, but also as a student.

It depends on the class and the professor. My first semester was extremely easy, but my second semester has been more difficult. I do feel like my high school prepared me extremely well for college, which I think has made a difference in how I view the college course load. However, I am expecting my workload to become more difficult as I move up into upper level classes.
In general, the professors are very approachable and the class sizes are smaller, which I think makes a huge difference in the academic experience here.

AWESOME. I love the sense of community here at Morris. The Community Advisers (our version of RA's) work hard to bring the floors together and to ensure that first year students have an easy transition. From talking with friends who go to other colleges, Community Advisers are much more involved with their residents here than RA's at other colleges.
The dorms are very nice and well taken care of. Also, the furniture is very nice. Other colleges that I've visited have the desks and drawers built into the rooms, but the rooms here have movable furniture which gives you a plethora of options when it comes to arranging your room! The bathrooms are smaller, but the trade of for that is large, spacious lounges and kitchens that are nice meeting places for the floor.

Many people do move off campus after freshman year because it is much cheaper, but there are options for upperclassmen who like the the community that dorm life offers, or simply the convenience of living on campus.

It depends on the day really. In general, food on the weekends is really iffy. There are some meals that food service has nailed and that are delicious. Other times, the selection leaves many of us wondering what were they thinking?! The desserts are continuously delicious though. :)
Also, as a vegetarian, I think food service does a pretty good job of serving to people with special diets. I can always find something to eat.

Because Morris is in the middle of nowhere, many people get the impression that there is nothing to do here. That is so far from true it is almost laughable. There is ALWAYS something going on on campus whether it be a club meeting, a concert, or a dance.
There are also lots of opportunities to make your own fun here, whether that be staying in and having a movie night with the floor or going out and making a visit to Pomme de Terre.
Also, a car can get you to Alexandria or Willmar in under an hour if you're feeling like a trip to a more populated area for the day.

Private school feel for the public school price.
Because the Morris campus was originally a school for Native Americans, students with Native American blood get free tuition.
Also, there are fantastic scholarship opportunities for those students who exceeded in academics in high school.

Zombie prom. Yeah, we love zombies here.

Students who are open-minded and friendly will thrive here.
I think it is important for me to stress that Morris is not for everyone. It is a fantastic school, but the remote location and small student population is not going to be everyone's cup of tea.

There's always something going on here on campus. There are tons of clubs and activities.

I always feels safe here. The campus police are on top of their game if something goes wrong but, generally speaking, nothing of concern ever happens.