<p>So there are two (possibly three) options of where I'll end up next year. I've been accepted to Hope and MSU, and deferred from UoM and I'm waiting to hear back from mid-April. I'm top ten percent of my class with a composite ACT of 31, so I'd say I might get in, it's hard to tell. I'm not a huge party guy, but I'll definitely be going out from time to time still looking for a good time. I'm still undecided on a major, but it will be somewhere in the math or science field. Possibly business. Possibly mechanical engineering. Maybe accounting. </p>
<p>Hope College
Positives: Small school (I love smaller classrooms), Christian atmosphere with chapel every day, very well-rounded kids I could see myself hanging out with.
Negatives: Not the same rep as MSU(?). No big-time sports games like at MSU or UoM. I've always pictured myself going to football games and jumping around in the Breslin. Not going to have the same thing at Hope. </p>
<p>MSU Honors
Positives: Big time sports scene. Fun parties. Better rep (?). Some of my really good friends already going there.
Negatives: Huge school = bigger classes. Not as conservative as Hope, no Christian atmosphere. Most kids are cool, but some are really not. </p>
<p>I'm really leaning towards Hope, but I'm scared that it doesn't have the same reputation that a bigger state school like MSU honors or UoM. When I get out after four years at Hope, will it be impossible to find a job when I'm competing against big state school students? </p>
<p>Should I just discard UoM? I'm looking to make a choice earlier rather than later, so waiting til mid-April is kind of a drag. But maybe it's worth it if I get in? </p>
<p>In terms of academic reputation, all three schools are excellent. IMHO I’d rank them UofM, Hope, and then MSU.</p>
<p>It’s your choice on whether you forget about UofM or not; however, I’d wait to see how that plays out if I were you.</p>
<p>In terms of Hope vs. MSU, I can understand your quandary (big school with more opportunities, more people, bigger sports scene vs. smaller school, less people, closer relationship with teachers). Both of my parents have taken several classes at MSU and I think they enjoyed them. I have a friend who currently attends Hope. For me, the toughest part of Hope vs. MSU is dealing with the more conservative atmosphere of Hope. After living in a conservative area the first 16 years of my life, I’d like to get away from that. If you can deal with the more conservative atmosphere (I don’t think it’s that bad, but still noticeable) of Hope, then I’d say go to Hope.</p>
<p>In terms of UofM vs. Hope, I’d say that really comes down to you deciding whether you want BIG or small. Eventually you have to decide. If you haven’t visited already, I’d recommend doing that.</p>
<p>I know this is delayed, but I figured that I would give my opinion. I currently attend Hope and turned down schools like UofM, Purdue, and Johns Hopkins. I really love it here. The small class sizes are amazing. Over the semester break I was talking with my friends from high school (most of whom attend MSU honor or UofM), and it kind of came as a shock to me when not many/if any of them had professors that knew their name. I am currently in my second semester at Hope, and I have to say that the only professor that doesn’t know who I am was my religion professor, but in my professor’s defense, I didn’t really make an effort to be known. On the other hand, I have developed great relationships with my other professors.
The atmosphere is great. People choose to go to chapel, and people generally care about each other. If you are looking to go to the occassional party, there are parties. I don’t party and there are plenty of people who don’t so there are things to do if you are looking to stay away, but there are parties available to attend if you wish. In terms of the sports thing, basketball is HUGE at Hope. No it isn’t like attending a game at MSU, but it is still a really big deal. The student section is known as the Dew Crew and we have a big rivalry with Calvin (look here-<a href=“Hope College - Official Athletics Website”>Hope College - Official Athletics Website) and is one of the best rivalries in college basketball (and is 4th on a list of D1 schools). Football is terrible, but people go to the volleyball games, hockey is big (played in the national d3 championships a few weeks ago), and basketball is way bigger than I think people would expect.
If your looking to do engineering, I would suggest UofM(if you get in) and maybe State, but otherwise I might suggest Hope, especially if you are looking at doing research. Hope if nationally known for the sciences (especially Chem) and has many great oppertunities in a great building. I could go on and on about the science here (I am double majoring between a science and math) but if you want to know more, pm me and I can tell you about the natural sciences division and Hope in general.
I would agree, I would say Hope is better than MSU in many regards, and if you are looking for small class sizes (which are awesome) then I wouldn’t pass them up for being a number (as told by current MSU students and alums). My cousin and her husband are MSU alums and loved it (got married there last summer) and would tell you that MSU is the place to be, but it definately fit their personalities and what they were looking for in an education, which I think, when it comes down to it, fit matters more than reputation (just look at what I did. I have to say that I am by no means alone in turning down “better,” higher ranked schools here. I know countless people who turned down UofM and MSU and other schools). </p>
<p>I would be happy to answer any questions. :)</p>
<p>Wow that was REALLY long! I am so sorry. I just started typing, and couldn’t stop.lol</p>