Minneapolis is the largest city in Minnesota and the 47th largest city in the United States, having a population of roughly 374,000. Prior to the mid-1800's the area was home to the Dakota American Indians, also known as the Sioux. In 1680 a European, Father Louis Hennepin, explored the area and discovered a waterfall on the Mississippi River, which he named Saint Anthony Falls and around which Minneapolis grew. A lumber mill was built on the falls to supply the nearby Fort Snelling in 1822 with several towns, including Minneapolis, springing up around the fort and mill. As the area continued to grow, then Hennepin County School Superintendent Charles Hoag suggested the name Minneapolis, which means "city of waters". In 1856, Minneapolis was named as a town; in 1866, it was incorporated.

Minneapolis enjoys the benefits of all four seasons. With wet springs, hot summers, cool and colorful falls, and snowy winters, the city offers a variety of outdoor activities for everyone to enjoy. In the spring and summer seasons, area lakes including Lake Calhoun in the Chain of Lakes District offer sunbathing, swimming, canoeing, and fishing. Having more than 150 parks, Minneapolis was named "second best city for running" in the U.S. by Runner's World magazine. In fall, the spectacular colors that come with the change of seasons can be seen in the Riverfront District. For fans of cold weather, the area parks and lakes become ice-skating rinks and ski slopes during the winter months.

Beyond outdoor recreation Minneapolis offers a diversity of activities in which people can take part. Sidewalk cafés and restaurants like the 8th Street Grill line the streets in the downtown area. Venture into the various neighborhoods and small, ethnic restaurants such as the Bombay Bistro can be found around every corner. The heart of Minneapolis nightlife is in the Warehouse District, where streets are lined with dance clubs, trendy bars, and specialty food establishments. For art lovers and history buffs, Minneapolis has more than 57 museums including The Walker Art Museum, called "possibly the best contemporary art museum in the country" by Newsweek. (http://www.newsweek.com/) As well, Minneapolis is a sports town boasting the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, the MLB's Minnesota Twins, and the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.

Historically, Minneapolis' economy has been based on the agriculture of adjoining cities. Over the years, however, that has changed. Today, Minneapolis has a diverse, robust business base. Several business sectors including manufacturing, milling, electronics, healthcare, food services, and graphic arts all comprise the force of the city's current economy. Several major corporations call Minneapolis home including Target Corporation, US Bancorp, Thrivent Financial, Ameriprise Financial Inc., 3M, and General Mills Corporation.

There area almost 2 million people over the age of 25 in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Over 90% have a high school diploma or the equivalent; 23.3% have a bachelor's degree; and 10.1% held a graduate or professional degree in 2000.

Private Colleges & Universities

• Augsburg College
• Walden University
• North Central University
• College of Saint Catherine - Minneapolis

Public Colleges & Universities

• University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
• Minneapolis Community and Technical College

Professional Schools

• The Art Institutes International Minnesota
• Minneapolis College of Art and Design
• Aveda Institute
• Dunwoody College of Technology
• Herzing College - Minneapolis Drafting School Division

Choosing an area of study can be a difficult decision. In Minneapolis, students are given a wide variety of programs to choose from. The following are a small sample of programs available to students in Minneapolis:

Dental Hygiene, Agriculture Management, Greek, Nutrition, Urban and Community, Economics, Entrepreneurial Management, Forestry, Animal Science, Clothing Design, Acting, , Environmental Design, Art, Actuarial Science, and Forest Resources.

With so many choices available, how does a student decide which one they'll pursue? A student may want to take a closer look at the industry in the area. The Minneapolis economy is very diverse, presenting potential employees with numerous opportunities. "Medical Device Technology and Healthcare are really big right now. We have companies here like Guidant and Medtronic," says Todd Klingel, President of the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce. "Finance is doing extremely well too. We've got 16 Fortune 500 companies here, and 30 Fortune 1000 companies."

Economic success and an expanding job market have created a shortage of workers in some occupations as well. "Healthcare is in demand," says Heather Isaacs, Director of Career Development at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College. "While nursing is popular, we need a lot more workers," she adds.

However, there's more to choosing an area of study than looking at an areas economic profile. "Figure out what your interests and skills are," Isaacs says. "Find something that seems like a good fit and then research it. Find out about the training that's needed; find out about the wages that you could earn."

After a student picks his/her program, Isaacs recommends that students continue to investigate it. "Try to get experience," she says. "Some of our programs require this and it's a good way to learn if you really want to be doing what you're majoring in."

Private Universities

• Augsburg College - $21,460

Public Universities

• University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - $20,452 (full-time non-resident); $8,822 (full-time resident)

Technical/Professional Schools

• Minnesota College of Art and Design - $11,775 per semester

The examples provided do not include additional charges including meal plan fees, lab fees, book fees, housing fees, and miscellaneous fees that schools may apply. Students are advised to research these charges as well.

Grants are available to students as well. Usually awarded on financial need, these do not need to be repaid. The state & federal governments, as well as the schools themselves, make these awards.

Through the state & federal governments, loans are available. Usually beginning 6 months after the conclusion of studies, these must be repaid. The Federal Plus Loan, the Perkins Loan, the Federal Stafford Loan are a few examples of these. Every year, nine out of 10 million students receive these loans.

Lastly, students can pursue scholarships as a means to pay for higher education. Some scholarships are available to anyone, while others have specific guidelines and may be awarded to students based upon ethnic origin, sex, location, age, financial neediness, and major.

Examples of scholarships available to students in Minneapolis are:

• AIA Minneapolis Scholarship - For students that demonstrate superiority in design thinking and representation
• Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund - For students that are dependents of those disabled or killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001
• The Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences - $2,000 for high school seniors interested in careers in television, broadcasting or electronic media
• Twin Cities Black Journalists Scholarship - For African American journalism students
• Target All Around Scholarships - $1000 for students that volunteer for their communities
• Coca-Cola Scholarships - Up to $20,000 for graduating high school seniors
• Minneapolis Builders Exchange Scholarships - For students attending technical school or college pursuing fields related to construction

Scholarships like these, and many more, are available. As well, students will find that many institutions themselves have scholarship programs. All students are encouraged to investigate those, and other scholarships.

The Career Development Services at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College are an example of this process at work. "All of our programs have advisory boards," says Heather Isaacs. "These boards work with industry to make sure that the training that students receive is up to date."

As well, they effectively utilize job fairs and assist students in finding job opportunities. "We do a lot of job fairs for students and we host an annual career fair every spring for graduates," says Isaacs. "Students usually find opportunities on their own, but we help as well because companies come directly to us with them."