So far I’ve been admitted to Michigan State University and the University of Minnesota. I am waiting on my decision from the University of Michigan (deferred), but I am still pretty confident I’ll get in. So what do you guys think of the three? If you guys want to list some pros and cons of each school in your own opinions that would be awesome! Really any opinions are welcome. I am having a tough time deciding which school I like the most.
Not familiar with the other too, but I am planning on applying to the University of Michigan next year. If you get in then you should 100000000000% go there in my opinion.
Haha yeah I mean its reputation definitely bumps it up on my list, but I was raised in an MSU family so it feels like such a betrayal! What do you like about UMich so much?
@jack8205 Well, I would be an OOS. I’m interested in their biomedical engineering program. Most of the schools I’m applying to, I’m going to declare biochemistry as my intended major (since they don’t offer biomedical engineering). UMich and JHU are the only ones I’m applying to that have it (I believe). I also love the change of scenery and atmosphere. I know they have a wonderful medical program and business school as well.
I should mention that I intend to major in physics with my alternative being in engineering (not entirely sure which area atm).
@southernbelle16 I agree with the change of scenery. I assume you’re coming from the south so your change will be more drastic than mine, but I currently live in rural Michigan . The urban setting of UMich would be cool, but Minnesota offers that as well only in a bigger city.
@jack8205 yes I am from the South! I wish I could give you input on Minnesota but I have no clue 
I have heard that Michigan State has significant “commute” times between classes. i.e. you need to take a bus to get from one part of campus to the other, and things are fairly spread out. Making it difficult to schedule, say, a block of classes in the morning, you need to spread them out in order to have time to get to them. Since you have family who went there, you might want to ask about that, and if it’s a significant factor in any way.
Good luck, it sounds like you will be having some good options to choose from!
@Trisherella I do have some family who want to take me on a tour of the campus (something I havent done yet) so I expect to learn a lot more about MSU through that. Commuting is something that hasn’t really crossed my mind so thanks for mentioning that!
Michigan has the better physics department, is the best of the 3 overall academically, and is in a great college town. If you are in-state, this is a no-brainer. BUT, since you were deferred, I would not be too confident until you actually hear back.
Yesterday I talked with a friend whose child is a junior at Minnesota. She says as a physics and math major he has had research opportunities with faculty and that funding in those areas is excellent. I am also parent of a student there (in a different college, CFANS) and my observation is that advising has been lax and she seems to be one small student in a huge crowd. However, that is likely to be true at MSU or UMich as well. She is happy with her experiences there, and set to graduate at the end of her fourth year. If you are excited about the Twin Cities and can afford to go out of state, I’d give that option strong consideration.
Minnesota is much less expensive than Michigan and a very good school, esp in the sciences. Unless you’re a lower-income family at UMich, you will pay full freight at both schools. An extra 20K per year is nothing to sneeze at, no matter how much one loves a school. MSU is not of the same caliber as these other two, but I’m confident that very good students easily can find a way to get a very good education at MSU. These are huge schools, as @twintwin88 points out about UMinn, so be sure you’re ready for that anonymity. You’ll have less of that as a physics major, but most of your courses will not be in physics but in horde-size classrooms. I love flagships as educational opportunities, but they’re not for every 18yo.
We don’t know the OP’s home state. I have degrees from Michigan & Minnesota (and a kid who is a possibly physics major at another college). If you are in-state for Michigan (and get in), go there. If not in-state for any of them and money is an issue, go to Minnesota.
@intparent, we both missed it. OP says s/he is from rural Michigan. If you get into UMich, OP, go there. If you don’t, consider the 9K difference each year between UMinn and MSU and make a call. (Where is that 9K going to come from?) MSU is a reputable school and where you go undergrad really doesn’t matter in comparison to how well you do.
As far as physics majors go, you can get a solid education at just about any school and also get research experience. If you want to eventually get into a graduate program, your grades and research experience matter more than the name of the school you graduate from. MSU, Minnesota and Michigan are very good in physics and all of them can give you the research opportunities that you need.
Remember the “rankings” of physics departments are solely based on surveys and they reflect the opinions of other department chairs and graduate program directors about a school’s graduate programs, not their undergraduate programs. Choose your physics program based on finances, and how the overall school and school environment fits your needs.
What are the financial aspects of each?
Thanks for tips guys! I would really like to visit UMinn before I make a decision about the school considering I’ve never even been to Minnesota. Outside of reputation what are some of the best things about these schools? I am most curious about UMinn since I am least familiar with it. If any of you are familiar with Minneapolis, what is the city like and is it a nice place for a college student? Do any of you know what it is like transferring from one college to another at Minnesota? I was admitted to the college of liberal arts, but I’d prefer getting a Physics BS from the college of science & engineering as opposed to a BA.
Also, I am trying to not be so confident about UMich considering how it can be unpredictable at times, but a lot of my friends have gotten in with lower stats that me so I can’t help but be confident.
Sorry for the delay in the reply.
The Twin Cities are great - lots of green space (parks and lakes within the cities), a river with river banks by the university, lots of culture (concerts in all genres, theater, stanf up comedy, museums…), good transportation system, generally “cool” vibe, tops for Fortune 500 headquarters.
Main downside: the cold.
On the other hand, if you dont mind Michigan, you should be okay with Minnesota. Neither is quite Florida, or even Virginia!
I don’t think it is that easy to transfer into the school of science & engineering at MN if you weren’t admitted there to start with. It is harder to get into for freshman, I know. Minneapolis is a lot bigger city than Ann Arbor, and St. Paul is an easy light rail ride across the river (less than 30 minutes). It is colder in Minnesota (I have lived in both places, typing from MN right now). I think Michigan draws a larger pool of students from outside the state (although MN’s lower OOS tuition does bring in a fair number as well). I have degrees from both Michigan & Minnesota – if you are in-state and get into Michigan, I would go there. If you don’t get into Michigan, I’d probably pick Minnesota over MSU.
That’s good to know that there’s a lot to do around Minnesota plus I don’t fear the cold. The biggest drawback with Minnesota is the ten hour drive to get there (or expensive plane tickets). I talked to my admissions counselor and he told me a bit about transferring and it really sounds like a pain. I think the reason I didn’t get in might be due to me not getting an ACT score with writing sent to them until after the deadline (I originally sent a score without writing -_-). When you say difficult what do you mean by that? Do you just need to have really solid grades? I think it is more likely that I will attend UMich over Minnesota if I am accepted just due to the distance alone. I totally see myself getting homesick when I only come home a few times each year.
You don’t want to go to a school where you can’t major in what you want to… and you might or might not have gotten in if you had sent the score by the deadline, as you are an OOS student. Here is a link to info on transferring within the University of MN into the School of Science & Engineering:
http://cse.umn.edu/admissions/transferadm/CSE_CONTENT_374935.php