<p>Also, on a more positive note Grand Valley State University just issued their 6th annual accountability report. They have a lot of good statistics about GVSU and other colleges in Michigan. They are the only college that I know of that publishes and accountability report every fall. The report is on the GVSU website, [Accountability</a> - Grand Valley State University](<a href=“http://www.gvsu.edu/accountability]Accountability”>Accountability - Grand Valley State University) page.</p>
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<p>I am shocked to hear you say this. Under EASTERN!?!? I’ve never heard anybody say that ever and we’re obviously from the same neck of the woods. I’ve always thought Grand Valley was a nice middle ground between Eastern/Western/Central and MSU/U of M. Quite squarely in the middle, too, I’d say. I probably wouldn’t mention it in the same breath as U of M or MSU but even comparing it to Eastern seems awfully heavy handed to me!</p>
<p>As for umich8790, my GPA was on the low end for GVSU when I was applying as a high school student and my ACT was above average, and I did not get in-- but that was in 2007 and my GPA was quite low. (And, for the record, I got accepted at Eastern with a scholarship.) In the end I went to CC and transferred to umich so I guess it all worked out in the end, but I’d have been very happy to go to GVSU. My friends there love it and they take the shuttles downtown all the time and don’t seem to be bothered by the distance. It can be nice, you know, to have some distance from all the activity when you need to knuckle down and get some work done. Being right in the thick of things in Ann Arbor was sometimes quite obnoxious. One thing that was a highlight for me about GVSU is that their campus is regularly recognized for its safety and security.</p>
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<p>Lmao. You really are delusional, aren’t you?</p>
<p>Really, Ema? That’s so strange. I’ve always heard people put Eastern and GVSU on the same level if not slightly below Eastern. In fairness, most of the people I was friends with went to U of M or nowhere. Some to EMU honors (teachers). Not much in the middle. Selection bias most likely. 6000+ in our hs definitely has people running around in different circles 
lol. Hmm… That’s interesting though. In my own personal opinion, it’s solidly between the directionals and MSU. </p>
<p>Also, GVSU is a very solid regional U. MSU and U of M are top 100 national Us. No one is going to put GVSU above MSU.</p>
<p>Finally, I think it’s HILARIOUS that gv is going to rank GVSU above MSU and yet he tells all the VERY low MSU applicants on the MSU forum that they’ll likely get in to GVSU.</p>
<p>Sorry to pop your bubble Romanig…but things have changed. The ACT for GVSU last year 25-75% was 24-26 and 29.5% had a GPA of 3.75 or higher for Eastern the 25-75% was 17-26 and 12% has GPA 3.75 or higher. GVSU has come up in the world the last five years. It’s pretty firmly next in line behind Michigan and State and gaining on State in terms of the stats of admitted freshman. They don’t have the volume of State, but they are neck and neck stats wise for their size. BTW none of my kids attend or apply so horse in the race so to speak. I’d agree that Eastern is equivalent to the other directionals but GVSU is pulling ahead in the face for good students.</p>
<p>(Michigan State: 23-28 for 25-75% ACT and 36.82% 3.75 or greater so State is still just behind michigan, but I’d put money GVSU is right behind State if ranked on these statistics.)</p>
<p>No bubble burst. I frankly don’t care about GVSU’s ranking. Doesn’t affect me. I admitted I might be wrong about the perception and I said it was above Eastern. I have no pterodactyl in this fight. (Just for emphasis: I was wrong about GVSU’s ranking. Again, my information is 4 years old. At that time, that was what it was seen as IN MY EXPERIENCE.)</p>
<p>I was in high school 4 years ago. That was the last time people even discussed the race between EMU and GVSU. Things may have changed drastically since then. I don’t know, and I don’t care. Again, no bubble burst. </p>
<p>It’s great if GVSU is rising in the rankings. The more good universities in Michigan, the better. Maybe eventually they’ll rise to the rank of a national university. We’d be incredibly lucky to have 3 nationally ranked Us in this state.</p>
<p>But to put GVSU above MSU is just not right. Especially when gvnee him/herself refers MSU low admits/rejects to GVSU. Why would you ever refer someone to a HIGHER school if they’re going to be rejected? It makes no sense. And his/her comparison of Mud Hens to Yankees is also way off base. When GVSU is considered a national university then we can talk about it nipping at MSU’s heels. In the mean time, it is a very solid, if not stellar, regional university and a GREAT option for Michigan students.</p>
<p>ETA: gv, where are you getting the 63% number from? I keep looking and all I’m getting is the 2010 number (83%). Link please? Thank you :)</p>
<p>No prob…you just seemed so enthusiastic about Eastern and I know it’s strong in Detroit and the suburbs and I know where you went so I know you also have no horse in the race. There will always be a competitive spirit between the east and west coast of Michigan in many, many ways. But it’s hard to deny that Grand Rapids has done a spectacular job of growing itself as a city which just enhances the GVSU experience compared to the “cultural center” of Detroit and I’ve spent enough time on that side of the state that I’m not talking out the side of my mouth. GVSU continues to strengthen it’s programming and offerings which coupled with Grand Rapids and GVSU’s strength in sports makes it an easier choice especially for people not from the area who might be afraid of being in downtown Detroit. I would not say that GVSU is “better” than State, if anything State has gained in stature since Michigan has gotten more selective about its admission. But Michigan State is a better choice for kids interested in certain majors and with it’s use of the residential colleges. For kids that fear the gigantic Michigan and State campuses GVSU has enough sprawl and enough sports and enough kids to fit the bill…and it’s clean and new and West Michigan is beautiful and kids are choosing it enabling the college to be more selective about its admissions.</p>
<p>I agree that MSU and GVSU will definitely attract different types of people. And again, I think it’s great that we have such great options in this state. We’re lucky. I do admit I get defensive about people trying to knock MSU down (and yes, putting it below GVSU is knocking MSU down, gv.) Too many years of being a Spartan in a blue area of the state (not to mention being a Spartan on here with so many pro-U of M people).</p>
<p>Fwiw,
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<p>I would love to hear ^ that argument. </p>
<p>I also agree that Tech is a great school in Michigan that often gets overlooked. My best friend goes there and loves it. Maybe it will be the next to rise, after GVSU.</p>
<p>I’m also simply amazed that they managed to knock down their acceptance rating by 20% in a single year. That’s quite incredible. I want to see the numbers to see the increase in applications. I wonder if they’re starting to get more from OOS or just different areas of the state.</p>
<p>Oh yeah…Tech is definitely “overlooked”…agree with you there. Great school…just so very far away for Michiganders. It’s easier to get there from Wisconsin or Chicago than from the lower penninsula. I talked until i was blue in the face with my applying senior but I should NEVER have taken him to visit Tech. Scared the bejeezus out of him to have to go so far even though he was considering Bozeman and some of the ne rural schools. To take a plane would require flying DOWN to Chicago and then UP to Michigan Tech.</p>
<p>I have to say that this thread is really highlighting the vast discrepancy that can exist between grad and undergrad reputations, as EMU has a <em>very</em> well-reputed clinical psychology PhD program as does MSU. UM’s is <em>extremely</em> well-reputed but very research-heavy while EMU and MSU are more balanced between clinical and research work.</p>
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<p>Umm . . . you do realize that Michigan Tech is in Michigan, right? So it can’t be “so very far away” for all Michiganders, since its very closest neighbors would be . . . Michiganders!</p>
<p>Unless you’re doing that Trollish thing and excluding Yoopers from the category of “Michiganders.” </p>
<p>Which would not be the first time that very insulting error has been made. My own DW, who grew up in Detroit and ought to know better, once proudly announced to our Brazilian friends as we crossed the Mackinac Bridge from the Upper Peninsula to the Lower, “Now we’re in Michigan!” To which my UP born-and-bred brother, also traveling with us, muttered, “■■■■■!” </p>
<p>(■■■■■■ live below the bridge).</p>
<p>It is very far away for the MAJORITY of Michiganders. It’s closer to Chicago than Lansing.</p>
<p>Going to have to chime in and agree with romanigypsyeyes on a couple of points. MTU is an 11 hour drive from our house in MI. I know because we drove it. There are many other schools in other states that are closer. It’s also in the middle of nowhere which is what made my son decide against it. But it is an excellent school for engineering and I would definitely rank it higher than GVSU. We didn’t even look at that one.</p>
<p>I would also agree that GVSU is much better than Eastern. But I don’t know many people that would choose it above MSU unless they were just very unhappy with MSU’s size. We are very lucky in Michigan to have so many choices.</p>
<p>I’m so sorry to exclude the UP folks…it was the wine i was drinking last night…yes that’s it and since we were talking about Detroit and GR I wasn’t thinking straight. I do live south of the bridge but close enough not to have made that mistake. Mea culpa. (I don’t know the Latin word for ■■■■■ or I would have used that instead of culpa)</p>
<p>I do think that saying GVSU is better than MSU is just as laughable if not moreso than saying Eastern is better than GVSU, for the record. I think MSU is in a completely different league from either of the two. I spent an enormous amount of time at Eastern during my college years and it was one of my safeties both times I applied to colleges, and many of my family members go or have gone there. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t send my dog there unless he had no other choices… as an undergrad, and I guess depending on the program and the student. There are circumstances when it can be a good choice academically, I guess, if you can deal with the crime.</p>
<p>I grew up on the East side of the state and up until recently had never been to the West side, but my BF was born and raised there and most of his family is still there. We’ve spent quite a bit of time there this past year and I fall in love with it more and more every time we go. Grand Rapids is beautiful, the people are friendly, and there are so many interesting and fun things to do and see. Last time I was there we got to see Art Prize and that was just about the coolest thing I’d ever seen. </p>
<p>But, for what it’s worth, I just mentioned this thread to BF and he said he thought Eastern was better than GVSU, too. Full disclosure, he didn’t go to college, only recently became aware that anything on the East side exists, and he thinks GVSU is a “party school” which I think is funny. I’m not sure if his impression is coming from his limited experience with college in general or if it’s actually a West side thing. Perhaps the grass is always greener…</p>
<p>I live in West Michigan (very close to GVSU) and my son goes to a school where I believe the 3rd most popular school amongst high school students is GVSU (after MSU and Michigan). It seems to me that several students in my son’s school think University of Michigan>>GVSU>MSU, while my son sees it as Michigan>MSU>>GVSU. </p>
<p>There’s a lot of pride for GVSU around here in our area but my son personally does not like the school. Your BF has some right in calling it a party school. I’ve seen it as having very alcohol-reliant scene on campus.</p>
<p>I see GVSU as better than the 3 major directional publics (Eastern, Central, Western) and the other regional schools (Wayne, Oakland, Detroit-Mercy, Michigan-Dearborn, Michigan-Flint), but it’s weak when comparing it to the two best colleges in the state–MSU and Michigan. I’m not sure how it stacks up when you take into account the LACs though (Alma, Kalamazoo, Albion, etc.). </p>
<p>From what I’ve heard, Michigan Tech is a great school for engineering, but it has a very alcohol-reliant scene as well, right? It’s other programs are not as strong as MSU’s or Michigan’s though. It also seems too far away–almost as if it’s in another state!</p>
<p>I do think MTU is a great school but I think of it as a specialty school. For engineering, it is great. It is great for some other sciences, but it is a specialty school. </p>
<p>I’m an EMU grad because EMU had the second best Occupational Therapy program in the nation when I attended there. At that time though, there were only 3 OT programs in the state: Western, Eastern and Wayne. Eastern gave me a full ride tuition scholarship. I can honestly say that my basic studies courses at EMU were less demanding than my college prep track classes in my public high school. Great students from my daughter’s class who started at EMU this year are having a similar experience. It really isn’t very challenging. Then again, for someone majoring in OT, Education- especially special ed, and a few other select majors, I’d still encourage EMU for the low cost, easy access to home, etc. </p>
<p>MSU and Michigan are pretty alcohol reliant. Colleges are alcohol reliant. Kids who don’t drink still find a niche, but the party scene is present everywhere.</p>
<p>Well I meant that at GVSU and Tech, it seems that kids don’t drink will feel more out of place than at Michigan or MSU. That doesn’t mean GVSU or Tech is bad or anything. My son would hate that environment though.</p>
<p>he thinks GVSU is a “party school” which I think is funny</p>
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<p>My neighber considers it a party school - he went there in the 80’s. S’s friends who are there now party constantly. I can see why some would consider it a party school … although the parties would pale in comparison to some I witnessed when visiting MSU in the 70’s, I imagine!</p>
<p>I worked at one of the directional schools to which Bosnian refers. It took work on the part of the student, but a good education could be had for motivated students. S is currently at OU, and I am impressed with what I see of his coursework … again, he probably “could” do less & get a good grade in certain classes, but even my unmotivated S won’t do less than he is able regardless of easy grading profs. He is a bio major, and the science profs are tough.</p>
<p>I know students who thrive at UM, MSU, GVSU, Northern, Tech, Ferris, CMU, OU, UM-Flint … and I know students who attend those schools & don’t get much out of them. It always comes down to the student and what he/she is willing to put into it. FWIW, S spent freshman year at Ferris, in the pre-pharmD program. When he decided to focus strictly on bio, he transferred … he didn’t think Ferris had a strong enough bio program. That is his take on it, but others may disagree.</p>
<p>D had no interest in any of the state publics, even though most of her friends went to UM. She had profs who were surprised that she didn’t even apply to UM - it is so well-respected in academia - but it just wasn’t for her. Different schools for different folks. :)</p>
<p>P.S. Know CMU, EMU, WSU and MSU grads who got good jobs right out of undergrad in past couple years … and UM grads who did not. So it’s not like grads from the non-flagship don’t get jobs.</p>
<p>kels, really? Many on here would ever believe that statement :p. It’s top schools or McDonalds, duh! 
lol</p>
<p>As for “party” schools, I think Tech is likely the most alcoholic (for lack of a better term right now). They, frankly, just don’t have much else to do up there. Plus they have Winter Carnival which is VERY alcohol-heavy. GVSU is the only school I haven’t been to so I can’t comment on their party scene. MSU has actually gone way down in partying, though the reputation is still there and we do still love to party. However, as our rank has risen, our drinking has gone down. My aunt and uncle graduated in the early 90s and every time my uncle comes to visit for a game (and usually stays the night), he is amazed at how calm it is compared to 20 years ago. </p>
<p>I think MSU still has the party school rep. GVSU does as well but not as much, probably just because of the sheer size difference between the two schools. Western and Central are rising in their “party” status, according to friends that go there. I can neither confirm nor deny this because I don’t hang out in that type of scene.</p>