Montana State University and skiing

MrTrevI am a high school senior based out of eastern Washington, and as I look for college I’ve gotten some scholarship offers from Montana State in Bozeman. My question is it worth going to school there just so I can spend my winters on Bridger Bowl? Is it relatively affordable, how good is the skiing there, is it too busy, and is it worth spending the fall and spring in Bozeman when there isn’t skiing?

PM'd

I live in Helena and am planning on moving to Bozeman, it’s getting to be quite a large and busy town. There’s a lot to do and big sky and Bridger are real close, I think they even have shuttles from campus to the hills.

The skiing here is always pretty good and the seasons can last pretty late, the housing is kind of on the expensive side, I’d say a 2 bed apartment usually is around $1250/ month

PM me! I did my undergrad here, work at MSU, and stayed for grad school. What are you thinking of studying?

use the searchbar and read some previous threads about MSU. Place is dope and Bozeman is awesome

there's been alot of threads on this subject in the past, youll find some good info there

if you dont go to MSU goto western, instate tutition and Baker relatively close, Also BC is next door

WyattLoneyThe skiing here is always pretty good and the seasons can last pretty late, the housing is kind of on the expensive side, I’d say a 2 bed apartment usually is around $1250/ month

As someone who went to school in Boulder, $1250/month for a two bedroom would have been a DREAM.

Kronah1As someone who went to school in Boulder, $1250/month for a two bedroom would have been a DREAM.

yeah wtf $1250 only gets you a closet in pretty much any city

Those are really broad questions, but I wouldn't say it's worth it just for Bridger. I fucking love Bridger, but summer in Bozeman is really where it's at. Winters can be pretty fucking shitty unless you are skiing, but you can do so much more stuff on a long summer day. I think students who only live in bozo during the traditional school year are really missing out.

I'm not trying to downplay getting a scholarship (I'm assuming WUE), but do you think you are really dedicated enough to balance college and the distraction of having some intense fucking skiing 30 minutes away? I'm not joking when I say that Bridger is a serious drug, I know so many people who have pretty much thrown away their education, physical, and mental health because of it. My spring semester of my junior year I was taking 18 credits of engineering classes and skiing 4 days a week and I barely passed, I was really stressed and depressed all the time, an alcoholic and stoner, and broke my body pretty bad.

Bozeman is growing really really fast and is losing a lot of the small ski town feel that is advertised, but that's more a matter of perspective and it could be a lot worse. Cost of living was pretty good compared to some of my friends at other schools, but they also weren't dropping 1-2k every season on baseline skiing expenses and other outdoor activities.

Bridger is also getting very popular. The lift lines are getting longer every year and on a pow day if you don't get up early enough you might end up having to drive back to town because the lot is full, and the lift lines can get pretty ridiculous. But I've definitely spent more time waiting for a high speed on a shitty day at some big Colorado resorts. There are rumors every year of them capping the number of ski passes. Also I've heard the IKON pass ruined Big Sky's crowds.

What kind of skier are you? If you are expecting a great park you are going to be disappointed, or if you aren't confident on steep high consequence terrain you could really fuck yourself up. Honestly the first couple seasons at Bridger I spent a lot of time being pretty terrified. Part of that is finding a good group of ski friends that you trust and will push you to be better.

What are you thinking about studying? If I could do school over again I really wish I would have done more summer classes to balance out the spring semester.

All in all Bridger was definitely the biggest draw to MSU for me, and I'm really glad for it. It's definitely not the biggest reason to go to MSU though.

That was a pretty long post, but if you got any more questions send me a PM

No.QuarterI'm not trying to downplay getting a scholarship (I'm assuming WUE), but do you think you are really dedicated enough to balance college and the distraction of having some intense fucking skiing 30 minutes away? I'm not joking when I say that Bridger is a serious drug, I know so many people who have pretty much thrown away their education, physical, and mental health because of it. My spring semester of my junior year I was taking 18 credits of engineering classes and skiing 4 days a week and I barely passed, I was really stressed and depressed all the time, an alcoholic and stoner, and broke my body pretty bad.

I can second this. I go to school a couple hours from the mountain and I still have trouble staying focused during the season.

Flunking out of college is the equivalent of throwing thousands of dollars in the shitter, so you have to make sure that school is your priority if you are going to spend that kind of money.

Not saying that you have to go to school in Gainesville and totally write off skiing, but you might want to go someplace where skiing is a planned free time activity and not a daily distraction.

All in all it just depends on where your head is at. I definitely need that 2 hour barrier to keep me straight.

The last time I visited Bozeman I was like holy fucking shit this town has blown up. It’s gotten expensive too, I had this fantasy I could move out there from Seattle and buy a cheap house and a bunch of land. Turns out 50 thousand other people beat me to that plan.

The absolute greatest thing about Bozeman is that its only 5 minutes from Montana!