I am a current junior living in the state of Michigan and have visited University of Michigan many times. Most of my family attended and it is currently my #1 pick. I was wondering what colleges/universities are most similar to Michigan. I love Michigan because it offers the quintessential college experience, is located in an incredible city, and is academically strong. I have a great shot at getting admitted next year. However, admission to a selective school is never guaranteed. I want to apply to schools similar to Michigan so that in case I am rejected I can still receive a similar educational/social experience.
What colleges/universities are similar to Michigan?
Money does not matter and MSU/OSU are NOT options.
If you love Michigan and would select it as your first-choice school, but feel less than fully certain as to your admission prospects, then, for additional options, it would make sense to consider mostly colleges that place below UM by (approximated) selectivity: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-610-smartest-colleges-in-america-2015-9.
UW-Madison might be an example of a good alternative based on your stated criteria.
Thank you everyone for your replies. Texas, Wisconsin, and Washington seem to be very similar. How hard are they to get into OOS?
Would University of Southern California or Northwestern be considered similar? I use to live in SoCal and have a lot of friends at USC.
I am really looking for more schools with good academics, a great college town, and big time football.
@LLAMALOVER101 Northwestern is a Big Ten school like U-M, but both Northwestern and USC are extremely selective private schools and offer a different college experience. You may also want to consider UCLA or Berkeley
WISdad23, Have you ever been to a Michigan football game in Ann Arbor? Michigan is not only historically better than Wisconsin, they will be much better next year. Anyways, this is not a football debate.
@Goodwork18 I lived in SoCal and Berkeley/UCLA seemed to be having issues with money. A lot of people thought Berkeley was living off of an outdated reputation and was going downhill. Is this still true?
Clemson University, University of Kansas would fit your criteria (including being safeties if your application makes you very competitive at UM) and give you some better weather. You might get some money at these as well. Maryland is a good recommendation, as are UIUC and Purdue, though they are probably going to cost more.
USC is pretty different from Michigan, but maybe you’d like it even better. You might well be accepted to Berkeley and/or UCLA, but they are very competitive for OOS students and very expensive for OOS students, especially when you factor in things like class size.
UNC and UVA would give you what you want but would be a tougher admit for you as an OOS applicant, relative to in-state at Michigan. The same with UT Austin and Florida, which, like UNC, only have a small % of OOS students. Here’s a good article from the Washington Post with the % of in-state students at state flagships.
If the purpose is to apply to target and safety schools, I would look at several options. Indiana University-Bloomington, University of Colorado-Boulder and University of Iowa are good safeties, while Penn State-University Park and University of Wisconsin-Madison are good targets.
Would state schools care more about ACT or GPA?
I am valedictorian in my class with the highest GPA possible. However, my ACT score is only 30. I took the ACT two times and got a 30 each time, but it has a super-score of 34 and I got 11 on writing both times.
Your GPA/class standing would get you into most state schools, including, in good likelihood, Michigan. Your ACT, not incidentally, could help you get into highly selective private colleges that superscore this exam.
Out of state publics may fit what you are looking for, but they will likely be expensive. Before putting a school on your list, make sure it’s affordable.
@suzy100 Money is of no concern. I will not qualify for any financial aid and can afford to spend upwards of $50K a year on education. If I go to grad school I will have to pay 100%. Just in case I will apply to either Wayne State or Alabama as a financial safety.