Student recruiting at MSU - not all roses

[grizondarez]

It also sucks living in Bozeman unless you’re a wealthy

I ran into a neighbor on my walk this morning, whose son used to go to MSU. I asked him where his scat flag was and this started a long conversation about MSU and Bozoland. Suffice it to say, it's not all roses over at MSU. My neighbor's son went his freshman year and didn't go back for his sophomore year. He didn't like the MSU dorm life and, outside of the outdoorsy activities, there's nothing to do in Bozoland. He liked being close to Yellowstone but he didn't like to be outdoors as much as he thought he would. He also thought the football players were cocky and arrogant. He said the MSU recruiter over-promised and MSU under-delivered. My neighbor said that's what they've been hearing from many of the MSU Minnesota connections they have. So it seems like MSU gets a ton of kids the first year and they don't return their sophomore year.

I don’t know. Seems to me like a lot of them stay to be ski bums. $510 for a pass to Bridger bowl in the winter. Float, fish, and camp all summer. Multiple concert venues. I see a lot of them on Canyon Ferry now too. But yeah if the kid isn’t into outdoors there isn’t much to do except party. I guess I don’t know what people do anywhere if they don’t do things outdoors? Shop maybe?

 

[Norsky19]

Shouldn't one wait for the Spring 2026 actual attendance figures to get an accurate account of 2025 freshman retention? Or is your figure for the 2024 freshmen class of which the OP was not referring to? Do they just grab the figures in Bozeman that suits them best without correct attribution to the relevant discussion? No wonder MSU grads have trouble finding correct snow load calculations.

Wait, you just ask a few questions then answer your own questions as if they're facts and come to that conclusion? Wow, you could be a modern journalist!

 

[GriznMN]

My daughter received the University of Montana admissions promotional pamphlet/brochure in the mail and one word comes to mind - proud. It's the best admission brochure she has received from any college, bar none.

 

[Griz til I die]

My daughter received the University of Montana admissions promotional pamphlet/brochure in the mail and one word comes to mind - proud. It's the best admission brochure she has received from any college, bar none.

Great! So she’s coming?

 

[grizfnz]

My daughter received the University of Montana admissions promotional pamphlet/brochure in the mail and one word comes to mind - proud. It's the best admission brochure she has received from any college, bar none.

Congratulations! Glad to hear the admissions material are improving.

 

[GriznMN]

Great! So she’s coming?

I keep trying but she wants to go to a private school in the Midwest like her mom. It's been hard on her dad.

 

[Skookum-Jim]

I keep trying but she wants to go to a private school in the Midwest like her mom. It's been hard on her dad.

Hmmm unless she's on scholarship or paying her own bill maybe dad should tell her no. I think for business or pre-law school it's hard to beat the ROI at UM.

 

[alabamagrizzly]

dad should tell her no

Speaking from personal experience, this is far easier said than done.

 

[GriznMN]

Hmmm unless she's on scholarship or paying her own bill maybe dad should tell her no. I think for business or pre-law school it's hard to beat the ROI at UM.

I did ROI research and UM is very high on ROI, even for out of state students (#1 or #2 on the list). This should be promoted ad nauseam by Griz recruiters.

For my daughter, the amount of aid she is receiving from the Midwest private schools compared to the amount of aid offered by Montana is making the Midwest private schools' ROIs better.

 

[Skookum-Jim]

I did ROI research and UM is very high on ROI, even for out of state students (#1 or #2 on the list). This should be promoted ad nauseam by Griz recruiters.

For my daughter, the amount of aid she is receiving from the Midwest private schools compared to the amount of aid offered by Montana is making the Midwest private schools' ROIs better.

Sounds like you did your homework and found the best for your daughter. Congratulations to her, she sounds like a great student and I'm sure you're super proud.
I went through a similar thing with one of my sons. He turned down a baseball scholarship to play non scholarship ACHA Hockey. It wound up costing more money but he is happier and the the academic situation wound up better anyway. Kids seem to find their way.

 

[GriznMN]

Kids seem to find their way.

True.

Thanks for the suggestion to look at the ROI of Montana. I had done the same with Midwest schools but not Montana. That was an eye-opener for me and I'm an alumni with brothers who have also graduated from Montana with business degrees and have been successful.

 

[THE BETCH]

What fun. Reading a thread about the good things at UM. Quite refreshing from the way to much negative bull shit.

 

[nicktaber58]

What fun. Reading a thread about the good things at UM. Quite refreshing from the way to much negative bull shit.

The negative bullshit is annoying... however, there are improvements and changes that um needs to make, and make them yesterday, to address significant issues.

I was in bozeman all weekend. That town lives and breathes all things bobcats currently. We better get our act together quick, or we're well on our way to the same level of credibility as MSU-B.

We are at a crossroads, and we better knock it outta the park with the presidential hire.

 

[Wolf777]

The negative bullshit is annoying... however, there are improvements and changes that um needs to make, and make them yesterday, to address significant issues.

I was in bozeman all weekend. That town lives and breathes all things bobcats currently. We better get our act together quick, or we're well on our way to the same level of credibility as MSU-B.

We are at a crossroads, and we better knock it outta the park with the presidential hire.

That’s why there needs to be a balance between “it’s all doom and gloom” or “everything is roses”.

We need to stop being reactionary and start being proactive and leaders. People need to give up some of the old ways. You can honor tradition and still improve the culture.

 

[Griz til I die]

The negative bullshit is annoying... however, there are improvements and changes that um needs to make, and make them yesterday, to address significant issues.

I was in bozeman all weekend. That town lives and breathes all things bobcats currently. We better get our act together quick, or we're well on our way to the same level of credibility as MSU-B.

We are at a crossroads, and we better knock it outta the park with the presidential hire.

People in Missoula aren't all Griz all the time?

 

[uofmman1122]

People in Missoula aren't all Griz all the time?

I honestly don't know how to describe it other than the vibes are night and day different. The energy for MSU in Bozeman is palpable in a way that it's just not here in Missoula, at the moment.

 

[Griz til I die]

I honestly don't know how to describe it other than the vibes are night and day different. The energy for MSU in Bozeman is palpable in a way that it's just not here in Missoula, at the moment.

I mean I would think that if the Griz beat the cats twice and went on to win the natty that the energy for the Griz in Missoula would be palpable as well. Not everything is an overarching leadership issue. Sometimes it's just circumstance.

 

[nicktaber58]

I honestly don't know how to describe it other than the vibes are night and day different. The energy for MSU in Bozeman is palpable in a way that it's just not here in Missoula, at the moment.

This is 100% true. Literally everything in bkzeman is all cats. Street signs have cat logos, every business is cat themed. Ymit is obvious people with vision got together for city / university partnership. In missoula, you can bet many on our city council and in city and county offices hardly care if weve got a university in our town, let alone athletics.

It's quite literally night and day different. I wore griz gear the entire weekend in bozeman. Had one griz fan, not wearing griz gear, came up and said hes impressed by me wearing griz in that town. Cats gear everywhere.

We can either pretend its not the case and keep our head in the sand, or acknowledge the reality, and strive to help correct the course.

 

[nicktaber58]

I mean I would think that if the Griz beat the cats twice and went on to win the natty that the energy for the Griz in Missoula would be palpable as well. Not everything is an overarching leadership issue. Sometimes it's just circumstance.

Bozeman didn't just put cats logos on all their downtown street signs after they won the natty (one tiny example). Ive been to Bozeman several times in the past handful of years for youth sports tournaments... its been the case. Its from leadership with a shared vision at both the city and university level. Waded cruzado's vision and leadership along with a willing partner in the city of Bozeman have come together for a significant movement.

 

[uofmman1122]

I mean I would think that if the Griz beat the cats twice and went on to win the natty that the energy for the Griz in Missoula would be palpable as well. Not everything is an overarching leadership issue. Sometimes it's just circumstance.

It's been this way for years, man. It's over the top right now, but I've felt this way every time I've been in Bozeman over the last 5 or so years.

I don't want it to be the case just as much as you, but it's just the truth.