Choosing between Ohio State and the University of Michigan?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Your post makes a presumption about my decision to attend UCLA which doesn’t apply to it. The only two schools i was seriously considering transferring to were UCLA and UCSD. Both cost the same in terms of tuition. However, I didn’t choose UCLA solely because it had a stronger program, since i’m from LA it was also cheaper to attend. With those factors combined, the decision to attend UCLA was clear.</p>

<p>The circumstances which led me to enroll UCLA were also irregular. I sent in my SIR to UCLA before i even got my admissions decision from Berkeley; and, this might shock some people, before i think i visited the campus. I’d been in westwood in the past, but not on campus. (sent my SIR in april, didn’t really walk on campus till june/july.)</p>

<p>If i were an Ohio resident, i’d probably go to tOSU. I was excited to go to UCSD until i got my admissions decision from UCLA.</p>

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<p>“If i were an Ohio resident, i’d probably go to tOSU.”</p>

<p>UCSD is more of an academic peer of UCLA than tOSU is to Michigan. You are not from the midwest, so I don’t think you are aware of the differences.</p>

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<p><<if that="" is="" true,="" it="" just="" goes="" to="" show="" you="" the="" ridiculous="" and="" absurd="" way="" many="" ohioans="" are="" obsessed="" with="" state="" of="" michigan="" in="" general="" university="" particular.="">></if></p>

<p>rjkofnovi, based on how many anti-Ohio, anti-OSU posts you show up on, I’d say you’ve got an obsession yourself. </p>

<p>The OP will meet his goals at either place. As a Buckeye I will agree he will get a better education in most fields at UM. But for $24k? I’d say no, but if I had $24k laying around gathering dust, my answer might be different. Might be. Even if the OP decided to not major in premed, is it worth that level of debt? There’s an increment of $24k between OSU and some schools, but UM is not one of them.</p>

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<p>Sorry susan64, but this is a Michigan/OSU thread. You feel that Michigan isn’t worth a premium over tOSU and I do. That is your prerogative. I feel that it is well worth the difference. That is my prerogative. </p>

<p>“There’s an increment of $24k between OSU and some schools, but UM is not one of them.”</p>

<p>So I guess you feel that only the elite private schools are worth paying a premium over Ohio State. I totally disagree of course.</p>

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<p>I saw the USNWR rankings. I know the differences. No one here’s claiming that Michigan isn’t the better school. Goldenboy, susanr64, and I have all admitted this point. What we’re debating is whether the difference is worth 24k. We don’t think that it is. </p>

<p>It’s also worth nothing that Michigan’s tuition has been on the rise recently. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if the difference became more than 6k over the years.</p>

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<p>The real question is what would the $6,000 mean to your family. If it would cause a severe hardship – well, you can get an excellent education at Ohio State. Otherwise, Michigan has the better reputation of the two. All other things being equal, I would pay the $6000/year and go to Michigan.</p>

<p>There may, of course be other factors – How did you feel about the two schools, did you love one – all of these can weigh into the decision.</p>

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<p>rjkofnovi, I am not a private school elitist, with one child at OSU on a full scholarship and another at <em>gasp</em> community college, hopefully growing up soon.</p>

<p>I know where Michigan is in the rankings, but as someone who managed people for 25 years, a bulk of that in Chicago where I saw many people come and go, I was no more impressed with Michigan grads than those that went to Northern Illinois. There’s too many other factors at play, and I think the student makes the school more so than the other way around.</p>

<p>In the OP’s case, someone who has a free ride to OSU and $6k a year to Michigan is probably pretty intelligent and will do well at either school. It’s a financial and fit decision at this point.</p>

<p>We haven’t heard from the OP in awhile. Sometimes I think people enjoy getting these OSU vs Michigan conflicts stirred up…</p>

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<p>“rjkofnovi, I am not a private school elitist, with one child at OSU on a full scholarship…”</p>

<p>That’s all I needed to read.</p>

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<p>I am from Ohio, personally I am going to northwestern but a lot of my family has gone to OSU. I bleed scarket and grey, but will not tell you to go there. I also received a full ride to OSU and guaranteed research etc. When it came down to it though, OSU was the first school I crossed off my list and ultimately my decision was between Michigan honors and northwestern. Overall Michigan is the better undergrad school and the MUCH better honors program (im assuming you got in?)and MUCH better medical school (9 vs 30something). Even though you won’t really be taking classes at the med school you most likely WILL be doing research at the med schools and frankly, umich is home to much more prestigious professors and more resources as far as money for research. If you want to do research, you are going to be able to at Michigan just fine. The better medschool is also important because both UM and OSU undergrad students are very over represented in their respectivemed schools (the med schools tend to take a lot of their own students). Also because Michigan has more prestigious/more well known or important profs, their recs (an important part of med school admissions) will likely hold much more weight. 6000 a year to go to Michigan is the bargain of a lifetime. If they had given me that kind of money I would probably be going there instead of northwestern. that’s just my personal advice. Ultimately the decision is yours. Good luck!</p>

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<p>You have got to love Goldenboy. In a similar thread pitting Michigan at $0 vs Princeton at $100k, he strongly recommended Princeton. But when the choice comes down to Michigan for $24k vs OSU for $0k, the choice is again not Michigan! I suppose the difference in quality between Michigan and Princeton is significantly larger than the gap in quality between OSU and Michigan.</p>

<p>To the OP, unless you come from a lower middle income family, I think Michigan is a better choice. As many posters have already said, one’s undergraduate institution does not greatly alter one’s chance of admission into medical school. However, the opportunities afforded to undergrads at Michigan are hard to match, even by some of the best universities. If you can easily make up the $24k, I would go for Michigan. If you cannot, then OSU would be a great choice too.</p>

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<p>US NEWS RANKING</p>

<p>First Year Experiences</p>

<p>Orientation can go only so far in making freshmen feel connected. Many schools, such as those below, now build into the curriculum first year seminars…</p>

<p>Orientation can go only so far in making freshmen feel connected. Many schools, such as those below, now build into the curriculum first year seminars or other programs that bring small groups of students together with faculty or staff on a regular basis.</p>

<p>In spring 2011 we invited college presidents, chief academic officers, deans of students, and deans of admissions from more than 1,500 schools to nominate up to 10 institutions with stellar examples of first year experiences. Colleges and universities that were mentioned most often are listed here, in alphabetical order.</p>

<p>Source: [First</a> Year Experiences | Rankings | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/first-year-experience-programs]First”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/first-year-experience-programs)</p>

<p>Excerpt:</p>

<p>"Ohio State also plans to unveil a voluntary “second-year experience” program in fall 2013 that officials said would be the first of its kind nationwide. As part of the experiment, 2,000 sophomores will be linked to 100 faculty “fellows” and staff members for academic support, career exploration and leadership opportunities while living in dorms.</p>

<p>“About 50 percent of students do not interact with faculty outside the classroom. That’s huge,” Adams-Gaston said."</p>

<p>Source: [Home</a> sweet dorm? | The Columbus Dispatch](<a href=“http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/04/29/home-sweet-dorm.html]Home”>http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/04/29/home-sweet-dorm.html)</p>

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<p>“6000 a year to go to Michigan is the bargain of a lifetime.”</p>

<p>Most in the know would agree with you nwang229. It’s not like it would cost 6K more than full tuition at OSU. It is pretty much 6K/year in total. A better school is worth some type of investment, especially a modest one.</p>

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<p>A neurosurgeon will walk out of residency at age 30 and will make more than $6000/week to start and the potential to make much more. It will take a fraction of one year to pay off the additional debt you accrue from having the opportunity to make this choice now.</p>

<p>You will have plenty of research opportunities at Michigan and a greater likelihood of working in a lab at the medical school of a nationally renowned neuroscience researcher whose LOR may have just a little more pull. OTOH, the OSU Honors program may foster a mentoring relationship that is invaluable. I disagree that money should be a big factor here. Go with your heart and best fit.</p>

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<p>I love what YaleGradandDad wrote. </p>

<p>Another thing to consider is that, no matter whether there are more nationally renowned neuroscience researchers at UMich, there are PLENTY at both places. Certainly enough to engage the intellect of even the brightest undergraduate. An LOR from your Ohio State mentor might have a little less pull than one from UMich, as YaleGradandDad suggests. But for the purposes of postbaccalaureate admissions, it will work out fine either way. Grad schools are not expecting Nobel-level achievement from you or, for that matter, from anyone you studied with as an undergraduate. </p>

<p>We are talking here about differences in quality on a global level that really needn’t and rarely do matter “on the ground” for an individual student who is motivated and engaged.</p>

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<p>Perhaps this might sway the OP towards Michigan:</p>

<p>[Major</a> Expansion Coming For UM Hospitals; New Neuroscience Building, Med School CBS Detroit](<a href=“http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/04/22/major-expansion-coming-for-um-hospitals-new-neuroscience-building-med-school/]Major”>Major Expansion Coming For UM Hospitals; New Neuroscience Building, Med School - CBS Detroit)</p>

<p>Remember too that Michigan has a huge endowment that helps keep it at the top.</p>

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<p>Riverside adding neuro facility</p>

<p>By Steve Wartenberg
The Columbus Dispatch Friday April 13, 2012 7:49 AM </p>

<p>$321 million, 10-story tower will add 330 full-time jobs</p>

<p>Already one of the nation’s largest brain and spine centers, OhioHealth’s Riverside Methodist Hospital today announced plans for a $321 million tower that will bring all these services together under one roof.</p>

<p>Nationwide Children’s Hospital is in the final stages of its $840 million expansion, Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University’s $1.1 billion cancer center is rising over the campus and Mount Carmel St. Ann’s in Westerville is building a $120 million heart center…</p>

<p>Source: [Riverside</a> adding neuro facility | The Columbus Dispatch](<a href=“http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2012/04/13/riverside-adding-neuro-facility.html]Riverside”>http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2012/04/13/riverside-adding-neuro-facility.html)</p>

<p>The new Riverside $321 million Neuroscience Institute, just down the Olentangy River Road by Ohio Stadium, roughly 1 mile from the campus, part of Ohio State Medical District where top neurosurgeons, researchers and scientists work.</p>

<p>Video Clip: [Huge</a> Expansion For Riverside Methodist Hospital | NBC 4i](<a href=“http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2012/apr/13/9/huge-expansion-riverside-methodist-hospital-ar-998907/]Huge”>http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2012/apr/13/9/huge-expansion-riverside-methodist-hospital-ar-998907/)</p>

<p>Last but not least, based on this article link provided by the University Communications of Wisconsin, Ohio State has fared extremely well even through the economic downturn of 2007~2011 and into the future in comparison to its Big Ten peers.</p>

<p>Link: [Big</a> Ten budgets not so big | mndaily.com - The Minnesota Daily](<a href=“http://www.mndaily.com/2009/09/30/big-ten-budgets-not-so-big]Big”>Big Ten budgets not so big – The Minnesota Daily)</p>

<p>P.S. Michigan CCers, please do not hate me… I actually had planned to take a long leave of absence when my post count hits 1,500 which was 1 post away as of yesterday. Fortunately, out of my surprise, 40 of my recent posts from the Michigan board were removed as of this morning. So I guess I will continue to post, and proud to testify to y’all that tOSU is the most academically up-and-coming institution in America evidence-based. Bar none! :)</p>

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<p>“I guess I will continue to post, and proud to testify to y’all that tOSU is the most academically up-and-coming institution in America evidence-based. Bar none!”</p>

<p>I’d rather go to being at the top now and staying there instead of “up and coming.” Michigan medicine is always around the top 10, tOSU is up and coming around 30.</p>

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<p>"…and Mount Carmel St. Ann’s in Westerville is building a $120 million heart center…"</p>

<p>Golly gee, who could compete with that?</p>

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<p>Curent endowment of Michigan: 7.8 billion</p>

<p>Current endowment of Ohio State: 2.1 billion</p>

<p>Ohio State will forever be up in coming as they chase Michigan. Good luck to them.</p>

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<p>OP, if you really can’t decide, try this fun exercise. We have quite a few students and alums from these two schools on CC. Read their posts, not just on this thread. Go back as many years as you want. Focus on their attitude and thought process. Now, which group do you want to join, and forever be identified with?</p>

<p>This is at least as meaningful as some random campus visits where you sit in the dining hall and eavesdrop on the conversation around you.</p>