ACT is pretty much the norm at both of these schools, and each one will require an additional application essay, so don’t worry about not having the writing sample.

St. John’s and St. Ben’s are pretty incredible schools, but they can feel pretty remote, especially during a MN winter!

In my opinion, the only first rate colleges and universities in Minnesota are The University of Minnesota, Carlton College and Macalester College. There are a couple of decent regional schools (e.g., St Thomas and some of the schools founded by Lutherans). But there is little special about the other colleges in MN.

I believe that U of MN will accept either the SAT or the ACT. On the undergraduate level, U of MN is one of the less selective of the great public universities. This is because the state legislature decided to have one large campus and a few satellite campuses rather than a large number of campuses with one being the Great University. That is why UNC-Chapel Hill, U of VA and UC-Berkeley are so hard to get into.

For liberal arts majors (like English lit, history, etc.), your best bet will be U of M Morris. However, the location of this school is not ideal and many students find the atmosphere boring.

U of M Twin Cities has a lot of clout. The downside? It’s HUGE and you’re basically a number there. If you don’t mind 500 people in your class, then you’ll be fine, but keep in mind that you need to distinguish yourself.

St. Cloud State has the benefit of a larger school, but not too big, with a good atmosphere. Some say it’s a “party college,” but what school isn’t? Their English department is gaining clout and has a lot of opportunities for English majors.

I’ve heard good things about U of M Duluth, but I don’t know much about their academics. Also considered a party school, plus it’s far away from the cities.

Since you want public, I won’t talk much about these, but Macalester, Hamilton, and Carleton are also good school–but very expensive.

I hope I’ve helped you a bit. Minnesota colleges are good schools and it’s a nice place to live, so hopefully you find a school of interest to you. Most importantly, tour the campuses–essentially, each college will give you a similar education, but the atmosphere matters more than most people consider (in my opinion).

institution. Avoid at all costs!