Which of the United States has lakes providing more shorelines than California,
Hawaii, and Florida combined? Where is the county's largest shopping center,
the Mall of America, with over 500 shops and 49 restaurants? Where do
you find the unspoiled wilderness that National Geographic named one of
the world's fifty greatest destinations, as well as the vibrant cities
of Minneapolis and St Paul? Where can you attend professional baseball,
football, basketball and hockey games, a world-class orchestra performance,
or dramas at one of fifty permanent theaters? What state is home to 3M,
the Mayo Clinic, and a myriad of leading technology companies.
Yes, it's Minnesota, known for both the excitement of its cities and the tranquillity of its natural environment, a Midwestern State where average high temperatures range from 29ºC in July to -6ºC in January, and the major urban center of Chicago is only 650 km away. Minnesota is also home to sixteen of the world's finest private colleges and universities enrolling more than 1,500 international students from over eighty countries. Each college welcomes and values international students as an integral part of its intellectual and campus life.
"I was looking for a small school with small classes where I could have more one-to-one interaction with my professors", says Marting Ahilijah, a computer science and math major from Ghana, who attends St. John's University in Collegeville, Minn., which enrols 1,850 students. He came to the right place. At Minnesota's private colleges, there is one professor for every thirteen students.
Miki Arakiu, a graphic design major, has already graduated from art school in Japan when she enrolled at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. "Most important for me were the computer programs available, and having access to the facilities twenty-four hours a day," says Araki. "I couldn't have worked so hard or so well in Japan".
From the day staff members from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn., met him at the airport, Rushik Mehta has been actively involved in the campus community. He has participated in the International Student Organization, the Model United Nations Clubs and as Resident Assistant in his dorm.
"The quality of education is great here. I really appreciate the liberal arts system," says Mehta, who came from Tanzania to major in Business and International Relations. "When I compare myself from when I arrived to now, I've changed so much-in terms of my critical thinking, and how I perceive things, and knowing how to handle things." He has enjoyed the friendliness of a small school and the perks of a big city. "This was home to me from the day I arrived."
Senka Suljic had a year at the University of Sarajevo to her credit when the war interrupted her education. A friend helped her enrol at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, where she has received what she described as a very practical education. "it enhanced my capabilities to fit into an actual work situation." A journalism major, Suljic participated in several internships, working at the NBC television station in Washington, DC, and at CBS television headquarters in New York City. The US, Suljic notes, its neither as dangerous, nor as glamorous as TV had led her to believe!
Experiences like Suljic's lead to the impressive placement record of Minnesota private colleges and universities, where 90% of graduates are employed or in graduate school within a year of graduation. While private schools cost more per year than public universities, the fact that most students graduate in four years, quickly going onto work or further study, means a rapid and more certain return on students' investment.
Kenneth Saldanha, a '93 alumnus of Gustaus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., quickly advanced in his career. A math and economics major at Gustavus, he earned a PhD in mathematics at the University of Chicago in 1998, and stayed to work as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co. Having grown up in Bombay, a city of 10 million people, he says that it was a change in a small community, but it was 'absolutely a good fit". In incremental steps, he learned his way around the international student community, the student body at large, the town of St. Peter, then the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, "to build up the ability to function independently in the US."
Jimm Crowder, director of international admissions at Macalaester College in St Paul, outlined some of the ways international students are welcomed into the campus community. "In our mentor program, all entering international students are linked to an upper-class American student and an upper-class international student, who guide them through the first year.
All of our students have a first-year seminar with a professor who also serves as their academic advisor, someone from whom they can expect to receive a lot of personal attention and guidance for their academic planning."
Students arrive on campus for a special international student orientation. They are also assigned a volunteer host family, giving students the opportunity to have a family away from home. An international co-ordinator also works with students on issues from immigration to adjustment to a new culture. As evidence they become successful and involved, Crowder notes that three of Macalester's last six student government presidents have been international students.
For students looking for a firm academic grounding in any field, from neuroscience to philosophy, a close working relationship with professors and peers, a friendly community, and a place where hard work and talent will launch a successful career, Minnesota's private colleges and universities offer a great opportunity.
Picture yourself as Ahijah did when he came to Minnesota private college from Ghana: "I saw myself as a young on an adventure."
For more information, connect with Minnesota's Private Colleges at
Aurthor
Jan Shaw-Flamm
St Paul, Minnesota
