Application Time!

For the past two weeks, I have been driving all over Montana visiting our possible future Bobcats. Some seniors are really excited, some are nervous, some have turned in applications already and some are unsure of where to even start. I remember feeling overwhelmed and torn on where to go! But the time is coming my high school senior friends!

Even though we are always processing applications, now is the ideal time to apply for next fall. Our application requires no letters of recommendation or essays which makes it an easy going process. You can find our application online or request that we send you one by emailing us at admissions@montana.edu. The most important reason to get your application in soon is for scholarship consideration. Our Montana Premier Scholarship is limited as well as the Western Undergraduate Exchange Scholarship.

It is an exciting time for you seniors! Get the process going and if you are still unsure of where you want to go, keep your options open by applying anyway!

Broadway in Bozeman

It is another beautiful day in Bozeman! Which is great since there is a lot going on around town and on campus this weekend. Tonight the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on campus will be hosting the first show in their Broadway in Bozeman series. This year the series will include Cirque Dreams which is the performance tonight, Avenue Q, Cabaret, Bill Cosby and several other shows. There will also be a perfromance of Romeo and Juliet going on at MSU's Black Box theatre tonight. Off campus there is plenty going on as well, a great resource to find events in Bozeman is the weekly entertainment newpaper The Bozone. One popular spot to hang out on the weekends are the local hot springs. There are several hot springs around Bozeman and each has a different feel. My personal favorite is Norris Hot Springs which features bands on the weekends so while your soaking in the outdoor hot spring pool you can listen to some great music.

10,000 Hours Show: You Volunteer, You Rock!

MSU started a new program this year for our students to encourage more of them to volunteer within our community. It is called the 10,000 Hours Project. Each student is encouraged to volunteer 10 hours and if they complete 10 hours by April, they have free admission to a concert held on campus in the Student Union Building.

There are several options for MSU students looking to volunteer in the Bozeman area. The Office of Community Involvement actually helps students find out about local volunteer opportunities and they are one of the sponsors for this project.


Recently, a group of 25 students helped the Gallatin Valley Land Trust to clear noxious weeds from the Main Street to the Mountains trail system. Many of our students currently volunteer either individually or through involvement with campus clubs and organizations. The concert will be a great way for students to be recognized for their efforts.

Check out their facebook page for the most current information!

Western Washington

After a quick stop in Salt Lake City, my latest trip took me to Western Washington. I am originally from Tacoma, WA so it was great for me to spend some of my down time with family and friends. It was a busy trip and rainy too, but what else would you expect in Seattle?

Washington is actually the #1 state that non-resident students at MSU come from! In fact, from the class of 2009 more than 160 entering freshman were from Washington State. The college fairs in this area were really busy and I met tons of excellent potential students for MSU. It was quite an ambitious schedule, and I traveled from Bellingham, WA all the way to Olympia, WA. Since there is so much interest in this area, I tried to host as many pizza parties as possible to accommodate all the students at high schools I couldn't fit into my busy schedule. I hosted pizza parties in Bellingham, Burien, Bellevue, Tacoma, Silverdale and Olympia. The largest pizza party was a toss up between Silverdale and Bellevue. Overall, this was an excellent trip. Many of the seniors had already applied for admission, and had great questions to ask!


One of my favorite parts of this trip is getting to ride on the Seattle ferry. I was fortunate enough to ride from Bainbridge Island to Seattle at night. The view of the city is amazing and I should have taken some photos, but I did not :( Oh well, there is always next year!

GO CATS!

It has been an exciting week at MSU! The Admissions Office has been busy welcoming visitors from New Hampshire to Alaska. This weekend is parents weekend along with a home football game, volleyball game and Halloween! It is gearing up to be an eventful weekend in Bozeman!

The Bobcat Football team will host Idaho State University! The snow is starting to fly, but the weather should hold out for the game. I know I am planning to have a hot chocolate to keep warm. I am very excited to cheer on the CATS to another victory! The Volleyball team will host Portland State following shortly after the football game!

Life in the Pacific Northwest

In the last week, I have been in two of my favorite cities ever: Seattle and Portland. Ren Stoltz and I were in Seattle last weekend speaking with families at the Seattle NACAC National College Fair. It was an amazing turnout with both of us going through almost ALL of our materials in one day! Then it was off to Portland where I have seen a ton of students and the interest in Montana State University seems to be at an all time high! Today was the first day of the Portland NACAC National College Fair at the Oregon Convention Center. College fairs like the NACAC Fairs or local fairs are a great opportunity for students to get exposure to hundreds of colleges from across the United States. Students and families have a chance to ask questions, pick up information about the colleges and interact with representatives and other students. I strongly encourage high school students of all ages to try and attend a college fair, even before your senior year. It can take a lot of stress off your senior year as you can start to get an idea of the type of school or program you are looking for. Make sure to keep track of all the Admissions Representatives Travel Schedules throughout this year and see when we'll be at a college fair near you!

Autumn in New England

I had a great couple of weeks in Alaska and now I am looking forward to the next two weeks in New England. I grew up in New Hampshire so it always fun to come back and visit. Fall in New England is beautiful and I am looking forward to pumpkin carving and apple cider. However, the morning's are beginning to get a little chilly and winter is just around the corner. This also means the first powder days at Bridger Bowl are getting closer! Before they get here though there are lot's of ways to stay active on campus and around Bozeman. The fitness center is even offering a special ski and snowboard conditioning course so you can be sure your ready for the upcoming season.

Tomorrow is MSU Friday

Tomorrow is our first MSU Friday! We have over 800 students registered for this free preview day and a group of great students (the MSU AdvoCats) to show them around campus. It is a day filled with great information sessions about everything at MSU. You can attend sample classes, go on campus tours, tour individual residence halls, sit in on student panels, greek panels and find out about study abroad options. It is a very full day! Students can sign up in advance for this program, or just show up and get a schedule on Friday morning.

If you are not able to join us for our first MSU Friday, we have MSU Fridays in January and in March. Visit our MSU Friday website for more information and to sign up. Bonus - if you visit campus and want to check out the slopes while you are here, visitors can get reduced price ski passes at one of the three ski resorts under an hour from our campus. It is part of the visit experience too! If skiing is not your thing, downtown Bozeman has tons of cool restaurants and coffee shops to check out while you are in town too. We even provide visitors with a list of our favorite local spots!



October is a great month to visit schools you are thinking about attending. The school year is in full swing and you get to see what it would be like to be a student at that campus. We have had tons of visitor lately at MSU! Check out our visit opportunities website to find out how to schedule your own campus visit. We hope to see you soon!

Living on Campus

I have been traveling coast to coast. I spent three weeks in California and I am now traveling in Virginia and Maryland (DC area). There has been great interest in Montana State and I have talked to many fantastic prospective students, who would fit well at MSU! This is the time when students are filling out admission and scholarship applications, but do not forget about housing applications!



Living on campus is one of the best parts of freshman year! Montana State University has a wide variety of housing options. There is definitely something for everyone! MSU Residence Life offers 3 high rise co-ed options, 2 all female halls, 1 all male hall, honors housing and a wellness hall. There are some suite options available to upper class men. There are convenience stores, ski wax rooms, gaming areas and unlimited access to any of 3 dining halls all available to students! Living on campus is a great way to meet a ton of new friends and make a connection to the university! Check it out!

Alaska

I am currently visiting the beautiful state of Alaska for a couple of weeks. I have already visited Juneau and spent a couple days in Anchorage and now I am off to Fairbanks where I will spend a couple days for high school visits, a college fair and a pizza party. After that I will be back in Anchorage for the next week. All of the MSU Admissions Reps are currently on the road so be sure to check out our travel schedules to see if we are visiting an area near you!

I have really enjoyed my trip to Alaska so far, at the moment I am sitting in the Anchorage airport looking out at the beautiful mountains surrounding the city. This trip involves lots of flying since Alaska is such a big state and some towns can only be reached by plane or boat. I am often asked questions about the flights in and out of Bozeman and transportation options within the city. Bozeman's airport actually has quite a few flights and it is currently expanding. Just a couple of weeks ago it was announced a direct flight is going to be added from Bozeman to San Francisco from December to March. There are also direct flights to Salt Lake City, Seattle, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, LA, Chicago and Atlanta. Currently Delta, Northwest, Horizon, United, Allegiance and Frontier offer flights to and from Bozeman. Once your in Bozeman there are lots of ways to get around as well. One option is the Streamline Bus system which is free and has hourly stops around Bozeman and the Skyline Bus that offers daily rides to Big Sky and Moonlight Basin. These buses are easy to spot as they are bright yellow and are modeled after the Yellowstone tour buses of the 1930's. Another popular option is biking, Bozeman has been putting in some new bike lanes and there are lots of great trails that you can take around town as well and with downtown only a mile from campus biking can be a quick way to get around town. Any student is also welcome to bring their car to campus as well.