I’ve been accepted to the University of Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin-Madison. I have declared myself a chemistry major and am greatly considering Wisconsin-Madison. The school is the best for my major, and I was most excited when I received the acceptance from it. However, other factors are now coming in to play. Ohio State is much cheaper if I can somehow get in state tuition (was born and lived in Ohio for 5 years, now live in Michigan) it would be a great choice. It is also only 2 hours from my dad’s house. Then there’s Michigan, which I never considered until seeing their low acceptance rate and realizing it would be an honor to go there. My heart (don’t mean to sound cheesy) is set at Wisconsin though, and I started getting light feet when I realized how high its acceptance rate is. I really want to go there but is the school as good as I think it is? Please help, I need opinions.
Please post each accepted school’s COA after all the scholarships are accounted for, but without loans.
Usually in-state tuition is based upon where you went to high school and the residence of your custodial parent. The fact that you were born there is irrelevant. However, Ohio has slightly looser residency requirements than many states, and they allow a dependent student who “at least one of [their] parents or legal guardian has been a resident of the state of Ohio for all other legal purposes for 12 consecutive months or more immediately preceding the enrollment of such student.” If your father lives in OH, in order to prove that you are dependent upon him you must have been claimed by him for the most recent tax year (so he would have to claim you this year) and have other documents proving his residency (like an OH state tax return, driver’s license, voter registration and vehicle registration - which shouldn’t be difficult seeing that he lives there).
The fact that Michigan has a low acceptance rate should also be an irrelevant factor, as the acceptance rate of a school isn’t necessarily a reliable indicator of quality. There are many excellent public universities with high acceptance rates simply because they are prohibitively expensive for OOS students (thus lowering the OOS students that apply) or because there are a lot of great publics in that state, so they have to raise acceptance rates to get an acceptable yield for their freshman class. There are also a lot of excellent colleges with high acceptance rates simply because they have a pretty self-selecting applicant class (Lawrence University is a great example - a small private college in Wisconsin). So if the only reason you’re considering Michigan is because it’s a selective school, I would drop it unless you’re in-state and thus it’s a cheap option for you.
Where are you in state? And what are the costs of these places? Since Wisconsin is your first choice, if it is affordable for you and your parents without big debt then you should probably go there. But that answer changes if you are in-state for OSU or Michigan/Michigan State and could save significant bucks by going there.
I for one am not turned on by snooty schools. I actually like it that the college I am going to attend has a 96% acceptance rate. It means that they don’t look down on people, that they will give almost anyone willing to try (and pay) a chance to get an education. If you like Wisconsin-Madison and can pay for it, go. Besides, with chemistry, you probably will want to get a Ph.D, so it’s probably your grad school that employers will look at mostly anyway. I hardly think W-D is a mark of shame, probably far from that.
Being born in OH won’t make you a resident :).
U Wisconsin is indeed a great school. Did you get invited to the Honors College? (And choose one of the Living learning communities - they’re great.)
Madison battles it out to rank as the #1college town with Ann Arbor. 
Can you list (tuition, fees, room, board) - (scholarships, grants) for each university, as well as your parents’ budget (= what they can pay out of pocket).
WI has a slightly higher rated Chem dept than MI. But In state Muchigan is a great thing. I would think Michigan is the clear choice as you really won’t lose a thing academically. I do respect the fit criteria so if your heart is set on WI and your family can easily pay (without debt), then that is a fine choice as well.
Okay so here are the listed cost of attendance for each college I have been accepted too
Wisconsin-Madison: $41,366
Michigan: $24,780 (though may be less because I can receive the Michigan merit scholarship)
Michigan State: $22,450 (can also have Michigan merit scholarship because I live in Michigan)
Ohio State: $38,203 however I received the National Buckeye scholarship so that would then only be $26,203 (scholarship of $12,000 a year) and since my Dad has lived in Ohio his whole life and continues to I could possibly get in-state tuition leaving the cost at $21,703 (scholarship is for non-Ohio residents only)
So it seems as if the choice may be obvious cost-wise and location-wise, but I still can’t let go of Wisconsin. Please more opinions.
WHAT are your parents saying about how much THEY will pay? If they’ll happily pay the higher costs for Wisconsin, then go there.
BUT…if your parents won’t pay, then the question is moot…cuz were would you get the money???
Given the costs listed above, I’d go to UMichigan. Unless money is not a factor at all to your family, I just can’t see spending $15,000+ extra a year to go to UWisconsin. If you get the lower tuition at Ohio State you can consider it.
UW may be the school you are drawn to, but consider cost, even if your parents have the money. Is it worth it when you can get a similar education at the other schools? Looks like OS, UM and MSU are your best choices.
All 4 of your schools are Big 10 and have great school spirit. All well regarded and you can get a good education. Can you visit UM, MSU and OS? See the campuses. Get a feel for all. Visit the chem depts of each and find out about chem related clubs, internships, on campus research, etc… Job placement?
I am sure you can be extraordinarily happy at any of these schools.
Have you visited all of the schools since acceptance? Especially helpful to go on an Accepted Student Day, if possible. If it isn’t, ask to see dorms, eat in cafeteria, etc. UM is a City, MSU is rural, compare these to the “feel” you get from W-M. Call the Admission Dept at OH ASAP and ask about in-state tuition, no one else can answer that Q for you.
I will tell you from personal experience, both my children and 2 nieces did not get into their #1 school and ended up selecting undergrad schools that were “safeties” due to finances. They were less than happy that parents said No to “better” choices, in their mind. They all ended up being very, very happy at the schools they attend. First semesters were a bit of a “settling in” period for all, but by 2nd semester all were very happy. They are taking full advantage of opportunities at their perspective colleges- Clubs, Studying Abroad, etc. You can always study hard and apply to the other school for Grad- all rankings are actually on Grad programs, not undergrad, anyway.
PS I do have a special affinity for MSU- we are from NY, my son decided on MSU for Engineering over GA Tech, UI Champagne, Perdue AND Cornell, among others. He had received such a large scholarship and Paid research as a freshman, that combined with the Lab facilities at a large University, the vast Study Abroad (additional Scholarship) and the unlimited food-court style cafeterias, and last but not least, suite-style dorm bathrooms, led to his decision. He is now President of his dorm and has just been selected as a Peer Leader (another paid position) for next year’s CORE Engineering. He told me last week he wasn’t so sure he had picked the right school, but now he couldn’t be happier or imagine himself anywhere else. (fyi UM was too “city” for him)
So- this is a decision only you and your parents can make. Visit. Ask questions. Make a list of must-haves. And you will get a “feel” for each. That, along with $$ will lead you to the right place. And don’t let anyone else’s idea of what makes a “good” school influence you. You will go where you are meant to go- and I hope you make the most of it!
Will you get any financial or merit aid from Wisconsin?
If not, can your parents pay 35,000 dollars every year, out of pocket (from their income and savings set aside for your college - and not for anything else)?
Do you have siblings?
You’re right, it seems that UMichigan is the logical choice here. There’s no better value on your list. Have you gone there for an overnight?
Choosing Wisconsin is an additional $16,586 per year, for a total of $66,344 extra to get a degree from UW-Madison compared to U.Michigan.
Do you like Wisconsin that much?
All four of these universities are in the same general USNWR selectivity category, “more selective.” Perhaps being aware of this will help you make your choice with less of a feeling of restraint. Good luck.
It is correct that Wisconsin’s chemistry is a bit stronger than Michigan’s, but I don’t think that difference would be so significant as to merit passing on Michigan at in-state rates – a great offer for a great university.
That said, with acceptances in hand, I would recommend waiting until making a final decision. If you’re good enough to receive these acceptances, you may also receive some smaller scholarship money from Wisconsin. Depending on your personal and family circumstances, that may make it affordable and worthwhile. And it may not.
I can understand the draw of Wisconsin OOS; I attended its honors program years ago, and their chemistry program was one of the highlights that I investigated beforehand. I personally didn’t like the atmosphere and the sticker price of Michigan – nor some of the privates I was accepted to – as much as Wisconsin’s. On the other hand, Michigan has some advantages over Wisconsin, including an in-state offer for you. But this is a very individualized decision, and it merits careful consideration re: finances and your personal goals.