Help me choose a school! UM v. MSU

<p>Hello,
I am new here, and need help! I've been accepted to Michigan State and UMich. I know there are tons of these types of forums here, but I do need help choosing. I am on a pre-med track. I have been accepted to Lyman Briggs, so I'd have smaller classes, which means I can get LoRs much more easily than being in a class with over 300 students. Also, MSU writes committee letters, which really increases chances of Med School admissions. Finally, UMich is cutthroat; I'd have to fight for a good grade in classes like Bio and Chem.
On the other hand, UM is much more known worldwide, and has serious prestige. I know UG doesn't matter as much to Med Schools, but it could still place me a slight bit higher in comparison to other applicants. So, between me and someone from Northern Michigan U (assuming we have the same GPA, MCAT score, experience, etc), I would most likely get the spot IF they had to choose. UM also has better research and volunteering opportunities, but MSU still has great ones. I love both campuses, and both UM and MSU were VERY generous with FA considering I am of very low income.
I know to some this may seem extremely obvious, but there is a lot to think about here. Please help. Thanks!</p>

<p>PS This is also posted in the MSU forum</p>

<p>Place in Michigan forum as well. Unless you are a transfer or recruited athlete you haven’t yet been accepted at Michigan.</p>

<p>I am a transfer. It is in the UM forum</p>

<p>Committee letters may actually be a bad thing if they keep you from applying.</p>

<p>Lyman Briggs is a good thing, however. As would be research opportunities.</p>

<p>My thoughts are, if you are 100% committed to going to med school (meaning that you’re willing to go the DO or Caribbean path as well), go to Lyman Briggs.</p>

<p>UMich will likely not help at all for med school admissions and the competition among the trillions of pre-meds there would actually hurt you.</p>

<p>However, if you want to enter the business world, UMich would help.</p>

<p>I will do whatever it takes. I would go to Hell itself to get an MD. Thank you PurpleTitan!</p>

<p>that’s today, OP. you might not have a choice as to whether you go to med school. </p>

<p>nonetheless, I concur with @PurpleTitan‌’s thinking. Since you’re now sure you’re going to apply to medical school go to MSU. otherwise, run to UM. It’s a much better school in almost every category. </p>

<p>I think Michigan makes good sense…as does MSU. I do not think either university has an edge over the other where medical school is concerned, unless cost of attendance is a factor, in which case, the cheaper option is almost always the better…or unless a prospective student is not academically up to the challenge and would struggle to maintain a 3.5+ GPA at Michigan.</p>

<p>I do not put not place too much weight on advising at that level. Medical school applicants require very little, if any, advising. If a 21 year old college senior who is on her/his way to going to medical school requires hand holding and advising, they probably should go back to high school. When it comes to undergraduate research, Michigan students who seek almost always get meaningful research placement. </p>

<p>If Michigan undergrads are truly at such a disadvantage, how come 75% of those with GPAs 3.4 or higher and MCATs over 27 are placed in medical school. For students with GPAs 3.6 or higher and MCAT scores over 30, the placement rate is 86%. And how come over 50 Michigan graduates are placed in top 10 Medical schools annually. </p>

<p>This is good advice. The only medical schools that really care about where you do your undergrad are the top schools. If you look at UM for example, you can see that top undergrad institutions are well represented.
<a href=“http://medicine.umich.edu/medschool/education/md-program/people-places/class-profiles”>http://medicine.umich.edu/medschool/education/md-program/people-places/class-profiles&lt;/a&gt;
The lone exception is GVSU, which I believe has an agreement with UM to accept 4 students (correct me if wrong).</p>

<p>While there are seas of pre-meds at UM, do not underestimate the number of pre-meds at MSU. The AAMC charts what undergraduate institutions supply the most medical school applicants and I believe MSU is still in or around the top 10.</p>

<p>Also, keep in mind that the cut-throat mentality fades a lot after you finish up your med school pre-reqs. If you have taken most of these classes prior to transferring in then it may not be so bad.</p>