Hello all, I’m looking for advice from some more “experienced parents”. My son, senior in high school, won a full-ride “Presidential Scholarship” to Eastern Michigan University, which is basically a “Tier 2” mid-size school, but he was also accepted to the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), which as most know, is basically a public Ivy… He wants to study either International Relations/Affairs (1st choice) or foreign language teaching (2nd choice)…Both he and I are really struggling with this one. A full ride scholarship is an incredible opportunity, and he will graduate debt-free, etc. etc. However, a degree from UM carries MUCH more weight (I would think) than a degree from EMU would… I’ve spoken to many friends and relatives and the feedback I’ve received is pretty much a 50-50 mix, with many saying, “no brainer, go to EMU, he can go to a prestigious graduate school later” and “it doesn’t matter where you get your undergrad”; and the other half saying, “not even close, UM all the way”; “employers in those fields (except teaching) don’t recruit at Eastern Michigan”, and “the long-term benefits of a degree from UM far outweigh the short-term benefits of a free ride from EMU”, etc., etc. I’m sure there are some parents here who have faced similar “dilemmas”? If he were your child what would you do and what guidance would you give" (Note that money is not a top consideration factor here for me, as I am solely concerned with what’s best for him). Thanks for any replies & insights!!
Often the kids who get full ride scholarships are go getters that would shine at EMU and would have the initative to look for International Relations interships.
What is the cost difference between the two? If one is full pay and one is no pay, then go with NO PAY and take any money you would use to support a semester abroad!
“Money is not a top consideration factor” means that UM is comfortably affordable without compromising your other savings goals (e.g. retirement savings), or requiring parental loans or student loans beyond the federal direct loans?
If you can swing it overall UM exp>>>>>>>>>>>anything at EMU
If he wants to stay local professionally, EMU. Otherwise, you can’t give up UM at IS tuition.
Thanks for the quick replies, all - Much appreciated. To clarify, I have enough saved (via Michigan Education Trust) to pay for most of his IS tuition at UM, so we can swing it financially, not a problem. However, if he did go to EMU, there would be nothing out-of-pocket plus his trust money would be paid to him… what a way to start life after college, huh, with no debt and $30+k in cash from his trust. … That’s why we are having such a hard time with this one!!
No merit at all at UM?-- I guess it depends a lot on what other factors are at play
Which school did he feel more comfortable at?
One factor to consider is whether the student anticipates attending grad school. If so, then being a scholarship student at EMU (AND getting very high grades there) will make him a good candidate for grad school at U of MI. If that pathway works, then he IS a U of MI grad, one without any undergraduate student debt.
The other factor is whether he anticipates a lifetime living in Michigan or hopes to move out of the midwest. U of MI will help him be more marketable nationally.
Finally, there is the “rubbing elbows” effect of going to a highly rated university - at U of MI, he will interact with a greater density of academically talented, motivated students. The networking opportunities later on could prove quite useful. Also, I’m a big believer that having a higher average academic aptitude in the classroom raises the “level of play,” so to speak.
Speaking broadly, the empirical evidence on the benefits of attending highly rated universities suggests that it is not particularly “tarnishing” to attend mid-level universities as long as the student earns a very strong GPA. The last thing he will want is to get a 3.0 at EMU (not that I’m suggesting that would happen!)
I would say…If he wants to study foreign language teaching and wants to be a teacher than Eastern Michigan University with full scholarship would make more sense. As an International Relations/Affairs major he needs to be in an Public Ivy like University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). That is just my opinion. Good luck.
Sorry, UM, hands down. The opportunities are so much greater. The experience will be so different than Eastern. Since money is not that much of a consideration I would pick Michigan.
Has he always wanted to go to UM? I would imagine many top students in Michigan might have that as a goal . EMU not so much? If you have been prepared to pay for your state’s flagship and he prefers it, that sounds like a good choice. If he doesn’t really prefer UM, that is a different story.
I’d have to say he felt very comfortable at EMU only because he spent a lot of time there competing for the scholarship and mingling with EMU students. But we live in Ann Arbor, and UM has been his “dream school”. He knows many UM students as well. He’s the type of kid who could fit in at either school I think… He really doesn’t know which way to go. If he was set on teaching, I’d say EMU, but I think he will end up in the foreign service, or State Department or the International affairs division of a global company, etc. as he speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese. … I think he would be better served at UM in this regard, no?
Do you have to decide now? Why not mull it over for a few months, revisit each campus, talk with professors in his department, ask about available opportunities during UG, Grad, work world, etc.? I assume he has until May 1 to officially decide.
If UM has been his dream school and it is affordable instate, that sounds like a great choice. The choice has been complicated by having a free option like EMU. Free money is hard to turn down though so I can see where the choice has become more difficult. I would pick UM in this case but it’s not my money! Good luck with the decision!
This is a tough call but a good dilemma to have Here are the questions i suggest you ask yourself and your son as you choose between two good choices.
- Is your S more of a big fish little pond person or little fish big pond? This really matters for this decision. At UM he will be one of many brilliant motivated students. He will fight for opportunities and recognition from a large pool of very qualified candidates. On the other hand he will be surrounded by motivated, brilliant students. At EMU he will come in as at or near the top of the student pool with a more diverse mix of academic abilities. He is much, much more likely to attract the attention of profs and personalized attention can make or break a kid. There isn't a value judgement here. Some kids really need to be surrounded by top notch peers to bring out their best. Some kids really shine when they can rise to the top and receive that extra ego boast and have opportunities fall in their lap rather than fight for them.
- How much does money matter to you in the next step after college?
If he goes into foreign language teaching the relative prestige of the two schools probably doesn’t matter very much in hiring. On the other hand teaching isn’t a terribly lucrative job so coming out with a nice little nest egg opens up so much potential. But teaching is a nice stable profession so if money is not super important to your son and he vastly prefers the environment of UM, why not go for it since it isn’t like he’ll start out in debt like so many others.
International Relations on the other hand is a highly competitive field to break into. Most people will need to do some unpaid (or extremely low paying) internships to have any hope of getting a job. Most people will also go on to graduate school. Both of those require having money available. Getting in to grad school ironically may be easier from EMU where your S will presumably rise to the top than from UM where he will be just one of many.
IR is also a field were who you know matters. The alumni network of UM and the prestige could be very useful there BUT if you go on to graduate school you have the prestige of that school and it really is true that for hiring where you attended last really matters.
For hiring/networking, all levels actually may matter. From HS to college to grad school.
If UMich isn’t a financial hit and you think he can do well academically there even with the tougher competition, I don’t see how this is a tough decision.
Plus, being in-state for UMich means you’re essentially getting a scholarship there just for being from MI. You have kids with high achievements and stats who’s family is paying $250K for them to attend UMich (needless to say, no one is paying that to attend EMU).
What does he think? My S goes to UM. For me, that is $58k a year. I told him if he went to one of his scholarship schools, I would give him the difference, which over 4 years was $128k. He chose to go to Michigan. You only get the experience once.
I grew up and went to school in Michigan, so maybe my story/insight may be helpful.
In my case, I decided to go to Oakland University on a full scholarship. Oakland is actually really well-known for my field (writing and rhetoric) and helped get me into a top grad program (all while graduating debt-free). It worked out well for me because the prestige of any other institution in MI wouldn’t matter since I was able to work with leading scholars in my field, get a lot of attention, work on research, attend conferences, and so much more because of the strength of OU’s writing and rhetoric program. Everything worked out for me and I’m so happy with my college experience since, in the job market of academia, my undergraduate degree has put me at an advantage (even if the institution itself is not as prestigious as U of M or even MSU).
Regarding your son, I think it really is a matter of what he wants to do. It’s so hard to determine now since it can all change, and I’d say thay unless he knows exactly what he wants to do, going to U of M can open more doors. I’d hate to see him go to EMU thinking he wants to teach but then realize he wants to go to grad school for Spanish literature or something. I know this is contrary advice since I went to a lesser-known school and made out, but I was pretty lucky in that I knew what I wanted to major in before I chose my school.
As others have said, EMU is fine if he wants to stay local. I live between Detroit and Port Huron and I know a lot of people in this area who got solid educations at Eastern and who got solid jobs. But U of M, obviously, carries that prestige and can open more doors in more majors if he changes his mind. It’s a tough call, but I’d err on the side of U of M if there’s any doubt in what he wants to do (and how, exactly, he wants to do it. He may want to go to grad school or something and a degree from U of M will look a lot better, although he may be able to do more at EMU and get more attention).
With all that being said, though, your son will likely do well for himself regardless of where he goes. If he could get into U of M and get EMU’s top scholarship, he’s bound to go places. Now it’s just a matter of how he gets there and where, exactly, he goes.
Hard to say. I have a family member here in Michigan whose first two kids have turned down UofM for free rides at other Michigan unis…they were fully supported by their MBA and PhD parents. I believe their rationale was that an undergraduate degree is a commodity and doesn’t define smart kids. I’m sure, being full pay, that not paying out $100,000 definitely feels like an inducement and a nice nest egg for grad school. To me alot is on the shoulders of the parents and the student and how loyal they are to UofM or how attractive they feel the “prestige is”…Smart Michigan kids choosing not to go to Michigan are not unheard of today or back in the 70s when I chose not to attend.