<p>How do University of Michigan (Ann-Arbor), University of Minnesota (Twin Cities), University of Wisconsin (Madison), University of Illinois (Urbana-Champagn) and University of Maryland (College Park) compare in terms of their biology program?</p>
<p>All of them should be fine for bio. Some will be much more expensive for an out of state student.</p>
<p>The bio curriculum is quite similar everywhere. Go where you will excel and get a high GPA and research opps. Any of these schools will, theoretically, do that, but which will do it for you? Find out by doing your own research. Get to know each school’s program intimately. Ask admissions to put you in touch with some bio majors at each school and ask them what they think of the program and how you’d fit in. Speak to the director of undergraduate studies at each school. Go and visit the schools. At UMD, for instance, there is easy local access to NIH, Howard Hughes, and Walter Reed, but every major city is going to have such research opps. It ain’t where you go, OP; it’s what you do there. </p>
<p>bump</p>
<p>I’m curious what more you’re trying to find out with a bump.</p>
<p>At this level most schools break biology into specialties. Wisconsin does not even have a specific dept for general "biology:. These might include the following</p>
<p><a href=“http://biology.wisc.edu/Undergraduates-BioscineceatUWMadison.htm”>http://biology.wisc.edu/Undergraduates-BioscineceatUWMadison.htm</a></p>
<p>Go where you can afford to go without much debt and where you best will fit in. </p>
<p>Is one of these in-state for you? Bio isn’t a major with a lot of distinction at the undergraduate level… but to get anywhere with it (med school, research career, etc), you have to go on to more education after your undergrad degree. So top grades are important, and keeping your debt down is a good idea (esp. if you are thinking about med school).</p>
<p>All are similar. Your choice would depend on cost, first, and a distant second (hopefully) environment (city vs. suburbs vs. college town, for instance); you could also look at ease of adding a minor, whether they have an interesting other major (if Biology turned out not to be what you want - very typical for freshmen, most change majors), opportunity to get involved in research as an undergrad, criteria for admission to the Honors College, whether their study abroad programs are interesting, etc.</p>
<p>@intparent, none of these schools is instate for me, but my state flagship is pretty bad. </p>
<p>@"Erin’s Dad" your answer was succinct, while covering all relevant points, but I was just hoping for different perspectives–perhaps an individual that currently attends/has attended one of the aforementioned universities can proffer a reason not to go there.</p>