<p>@darkomi,</p>
<p>What you do or do not believe doesn’t matter. I said that to show that he is just as successful as most UM grads, despite his decision to go to what you consider to be an inferior school. He is happy with the education he received at Michigan State, and I don’t think you’re in any position to dispute that.</p>
<p>^^They (engineering schools) get recruited by virtually the same list of companies. Not very many companies would send recruiters to UofM and not run them an hour or so up the road to MSU. Engineering starting salaries are tightly clustered. </p>
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<p>Actually most midwest engineering programs are recruited pretty similarly…like Purdue, Illinois etc. UofM engineering is strong, but there’s no premium pay for newbies over some of the other engineering schools. Aerospace at UofM of course is an outlier and well known and was very popular a few years ago for people that didn’t want to stay in the midwest, might still be. I’m out of the biz now for 3 years.</p>
<p>Please cite your sources that the #9 engineering grads are getting same salary as #51.</p>
<p>I did 4 years ago. Don’t regret it one little bit. I went because I wanted to be closer to Lansing (which was great because I interned with a Senator) and liked MSU’s RCAH better than Michigan’s RC.</p>
<p>I grew up in the Detroit metro area (closer to Ann Arbor during high school). I still do not like Ann Arbor all that much. I am going there for grad school but thankfully am commuting from further away. Meh</p>
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<p>is one of many reports but they all are quite similar.</p>
<p>Plus I worked in HR for 5 years and we hired lots and lots of engineers mechanical, software, computer, electrical primarily for locations all over the globe. (not an auto company). The only thing that impacts starting salary is cost of living. Companies tend to know what other companies are paying and the salary bands tend to cluster. Companies won’t pay “less” if they want the talent, but they won’t pay “more” either…because they don’t need to. Once you are in a company all bets are off, since your success will depend on you and the financial where with all of the particular company.</p>
<p>darkomi don’t worry about it. If you graduate in engineering you will meet people throughout your career from whatever college you pick unless you go somewhere obscure and you’ll work side by side with engineers from all different places including these days kids from ITT and non-US engineering schools.</p>
<p>I help host info sessions here and there are top companies coming in, like Lockheed Martin, saying they only bother recruiting a handful of schools nation wide. Sure, once you’re at a company no one really cares where you went to school. But a better school can open better doors for you right out of school. Plus the alumni base may help</p>
<p>Reasons I could have attended MSU:
<p>Reasons I picked UMich:
<p>This was basically my thought process in high school, so I can see how someone in my shoes could reasonably pick MSU over UM.</p>
<p>I was hoping that Romani would join in on this thread and glad she did because MSU worked on well for her. What may appear obvious isn’t the case for everyone.</p>
<p>Other reasons I have heard to choose MSU over U-M:</p>
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<li><p>There is a program at MSU that guarantees admission to DO school after graduation which attracts some students.</p></li>
<li><p>There is a belief among some (not universally held) that MSU is a more attractive option for premed because the pre-req science classes are strong and the less competitive environment will result in a higher GPA.</p></li>
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<p>There are numerous grads of MSU who are very successful. I had no interest in going there but there are definitely people who get into U-M who choose MSU.</p>
<p>I’ll also be waiting for bearcats’ inevitable “HERP DERP MOO U SUCKS” comments.</p>
<p>There are also residential colleges that appeal to students like James Madison and Lyman Briggs. Majors like animal science (I don’t believe Michigan has that) which are available at MSU but not Michigan. </p>
<p>I know several future vets who chose MSU over Michigan for undergrad.</p>
<p>Then there are personal factors. For me, MSU was much more laid back which I wanted. I also liked the MSU campus better. </p>
<p>We’re very lucky in Michigan to have two top 100 universities. MSU gets overshadowed by Michigan but it’s ranked higher than several state flagships… a fact we often forget.</p>
<p>My son didn’t like the urban campus feel of U of M. He didn’t love MSU either, but preferred it to U of M. His first choice was Michigan Tech, followed by MSU. </p>
<p>My daughter will not be applying to U of M either because she wants to be in the Residential College of Arts and Humanities at MSU. </p>
<p>I agree - it’s great to have so many great options in Michigan.</p>
<p>(By the way, I’m not “hanging out” on the Michigan thread…I use the “New Posts” link to find topics of interest.)</p>
<p>"@wayne Of course not! But MSU is also cheaper, that would make up for the difference. Also, many of the students that get into Michigan would be eligible for some merit aid at MSU. I personally prefer, along with most people, Michigan over MSU. I’m just trying to explain that for students coming from families that are upper middle class that get accepted into both schools, MSU would most likely be their cheaper option and therefore affecting their decision."</p>
<p>UM is 2.2% higher for in-state tuition using 2012-2013 tuition figures. $12,674 for MSU and $12,948 for UM. If someone is using that difference as the only reason for going to MSU, they simply aren’t using there head.</p>
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<p>They’re using their head… to lie.</p>
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<p>A non-URM has to gun very hard to get accepted into State. How many HS gunners that earn the 3.8, 30 ACT score, etc. to get into Ann Arbor say to themselves, “I want a laid back campus”? Further, at competitive high schools, State is where the idiots go. It’s not even a school the top quartile even entertain, as they’d be embarrassed to go there.</p>
<p>Well, I had a 3.7/8 (can’t remember now) GPA, 33 ACT, founded two clubs, worked, was the president of a basketball league, and so on and yes, I wanted a laid back school. I knew a few with similar stats who chose MSU for various reasons. I went to a very good high school in Michigan, too. </p>
<p>No need to be insulting because people make different choices.</p>
<p>So is the OP just a ■■■■■ or what?</p>
<p>Here’s hoping, ThisIs. I would hate to have gone to a school that only “idiots” go to ;)</p>
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<p>I am not. Just expressing my opinion after being in East Lansing for four years, Ann Arbor for two and then conversations with colleagues and friends. At public HS in the Bloomfield, Birmingham and Troy area, the top kids laugh at State. At the privates in the area, literally the entire class is accepted by State–it’s where slackers end up. I used to believe friends in undergrad that said they were accepted by both, but now I find it REALLY hard to believe. That’s all.</p>
<p>I think most are probably lying, yes. The two schools are VASTLY different in academic strength, prestige, strength of student body, alumni network, and (most would agree) college town and campus life, with Michigan coming out ahead in all categories. There are some that pick (foolishly in most cases) MSU because their family went there or for the honors college or whatever, but at the end of the day for an in-state kid to turn down such a great tuition deal at a school like Michigan for a merely average state school is almost always a ridiculous choice. Wanting a “laid back campus” (whatever that means, it’s not like UM is in NYC and Ann Arbor is consistantly touted as one of the best college towns in the country) is no reason to choose State over Michigan.</p>
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When you go out to get your first job, the school you went to does matter. Your later jobs will be dependent on your past job experience. So prestige does matter, just not as much as some people seem to think.
Prestige is given for a reason. Prestigious schools tend to have more opportunities than less prestigious schools.</p>
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<p>Your alma mater is social currency far beyond the first or fifth year out of college. It comes up every time you meet new people, applying to grad school, discuss where your kids are going, country club membership, and on and on and on. And your alum network will always get tapped for jobs, new business, etc.</p>
<p>Just because you’re smart enough to get into U of M doesn’t mean you’re foolish to apply and attend somewhere else. </p>
<p>I chose a full ride to a state school here in MI, and I plan on graduating debt free and attending a higher class grad school if I choose a more prestige-based path. </p>
<p>It all depends on where you’re coming from. If you’re poor, follow the money. If you’re filthy rich, follow your academic potentials without worrying about the price tag. </p>
<p>The fact is that you have no idea what individual people are going through in their life when they chose State or Oakland or Wayne over U of M.</p>