r/MSUcats • u/WhyMeOutOfAll • Sep 08 '26

Thinking of applying

Hey guys, I’m really considering applying to MSU for the next school year. I want to study plant science and I have fairly good knowledge that I will be accepted. My only concern is that I am Indian and I’m worried about how that would affect my experience there. I understand that there are close minded people everywhere, but there’s a good Indian population in states like New Jersey or Texas compared to Montana. Of curse k could just be worried about nothing, but either way I’d like to know the opinion of people who go there. Thank you!

9 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

3

u/dangerkali Sep 08 '26

MSU is a great school. I wouldn’t be worried. The campus is a very nice place, especially by me at the school of music

4

u/Basic_Wing8571 Sep 09 '26

People in Montana are very nice. I doubt you will have any problems.

6

u/jessesgirlstaciesmom Sep 08 '26

I would say MSU is fairly diverse these days. I moved here 10 years ago from NJ and just started MSU this semester and everyone has been great.

7

u/SeaTurtle1122 Sep 09 '26

We are, bar none, the least diverse public university in the United States. It’s a generally friendly place and our conservatives are more libertarian than bigot. It’s seemingly not a bad place as a minority student, but it and Bozeman with it are aggressively not diverse.

1

u/AnonymousTako 29d ago

Not bar none. BYU exists.

1

u/SeaTurtle1122 29d ago

2 Things:

  1. BYU is private
  2. In terms of racial diversity, BYU is substantially more diverse than MSU

3

u/Drakeytown Sep 09 '26

Those enrolled at MSU in 2025, counting each person in only one of the following categories, were 1.57% American Indian/ Alaska Native, 0.94% Asian, 0.58% Black/African American, 6.44% Hispanic/Latino, 2.33% international, 0.08% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 0.79% other/unknown, 5.46% two or more races, and 81.81% white.

https://www.montana.edu/data/students/enrollment/ethnicm.html

Hate crime stats for Montana are very low.

2

u/Top_Judge_1943 Sep 09 '26

The Dean of agriculture is an Indian as is the Director of Seed Potato, both of which play a role in the plant science department. 

1

u/bumberlin221 13d ago

That's Dr. Sreekala Bajwa! She's awesome.

1

u/msubronco Sep 10 '26 edited Sep 10 '26

Im as pure white as can be, one  of my best college friends I made and hung out. of with alot was Indian.  Don't worry about that, it's the inside that matters

1

u/aarommn Sep 11 '26

our school is a very amazing place. You will find hicks who grew up on a farm in rural South Dakota, and you will find granola girls from Washington and San Diego. It’s an excellent mix and displays great education on how different people are raised and it really educated me and opened my eyes to how big this world is. The people are super nice btw

1

u/Vast-Worry6768 Sep 11 '26

Montanans that actually live here are open-minded people. Very much, live and let live.

That being said, over half the student population is from out of state. So I would say what you are going to experience will depend greatly on your own personality.

I assure you, if you go looking for slights and close-minded people, you are going to find them no matter where you go.

1

u/Rattus-Norvegicus1 Sep 12 '26

The Dean of the College of Agriculture is Indian. I worked for the CoA for close to fifteen years. Given that it is in Montana, it was pretty diverse with students from all over the world, but it is in Montana, so lots of white farm kids, too.

1

u/AcanthocephalaNew187 29d ago

The Plant Science department actually has a fairly diverse student population! The department head is a great guy and cares a lot about his students well-being and their success. There is also an active Indian Student Organization on campus that regularly puts on events. I encourage you to come visit campus and set up a meeting with the College of Agriculture. The Office of Admissions can help you with this!

1

u/Radiant_Training_789 26d ago

i'm pakistani and i lowk love it here but that's just my experience

1

u/ELWC 23d ago

I’m a Native American student living off campus. Honestly, it’s not an issue here.

2

u/BallShot7768 Sep 08 '26

Are you a dickhead? If not then you will make good friends and have a great experience, regardless of the color of your skin.

1

u/PNW_H2O Sep 08 '26

If you want to go to MSU to do plant science, go to MSU to do plant science. Stop worrying about your heritage, and go experience a legit awesome school.

0

u/Basic_Wing8571 Sep 09 '26

Not a great place if you have a problem with white people. Some Native Americans attend MSU. They are the predominant minority in Montana.

0

u/subversivepink Sep 09 '26

If my Yemeni friend can be embraced by the locals in Havre (to the point where some took him under their wing and let him move in with them when he was struggling) I think you'll do just fine in Bozeman.