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But my experience in industry tells me that there won't be any difference in the salary offers for UM vs. MSU grads.
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<p>I agree with that.</p>
<p>Sorry that I've had people who went through UM Chem.Eng say go to MSU, and MSU ones say - go to MSU.</p>
<p>MSU..I've been accepted to both, but MSU has REALLY caught my attention..
The people are much, much, MUCH more friendly/laidback..UM kids seem to have this attitude that "well, I've proven myself..I'm SMART" and the work seems to end. Plus, there seem to be a lot of competition for the sake of competition..not just to improve oneself..
The honors college at MSU is FANTASTIC..you can take James Madison/Lyman Briggs classes without having to acutally BE in that college..very helpful for double majoring. Plus, if you have a 33 (I THINK) ACT score, you are offered a PA..and can automatically do research with a professor..not to metion the campus is GORGEOUS.
Not that I've made up my mind (plus I'm waiting for other decisions)..but its pretty clear where I'm leaning :)</p>
<p>Plus I'm really hating that CONFUSED look I get from people when I tell them that.
And UM is filled with inflated egos and surperiority complexes like MightyNick.
And REALLY..it is not that difficult to get into, esp instate..so I don't know why he's saying that its filled with SMART people..Sure, maybe the numbers are a bit higher, but overall, you're not going to notice a difference in the least..even more so in Honors.
I can't stress enough the importance of fit though, the people you will be with for the next 4 years, I've visited both (through college tours AND to vist friends) and overall..the attitude at MSU is much, much, MUCH more chill.</p>
<p>People like LaLaLa12345 are the reason I'm attracted to State.</p>
<p>LOL, this thread makes me laugh. Someone had the statement that MSU has an inferiority complex and Michigan has arrogance. That's the cold hearted truth. I should say an important point that has not been brought up. The hot girls at MSU compared to UM ratio is about 10-1. Something to think about people!</p>
<p>And yes, employers aren't going to really notice the difference between the two schools. Take it from someone who has had generations of family members and friends at both institutions. The same area companies will both recruit at the schools. </p>
<p>The only difference is that Michigan has some of the elitist companies come and recruit there. The trade off being some local companies won't hire Michigan graduates as they're overqualified for the work.</p>
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Plus, if you have a 33 (I THINK) ACT score, you are offered a PA...
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I only have a 30 ACT, but am still interested in this. Do you think that if I showed enough interest they might allow me to participate, even with the "low" ACT score?</p>
<p>All this MSU praise is making me sick!!</p>
<p>Seems like you're leaning more towards MSU, in which case just go there especially since you can't afford to pay the extra 6K for Michigan. </p>
<p>The two things I like most about Michigan are the arrogance and the really competitive atmosphere. I wasn't necessarily looking for arrogance in my college search, but I definitely wanted a competitive environment. I guess arrogance came with that. Besides, since I'm paying OOS money I'd rather get a better name on my diploma.</p>
<p>I didn't say that I couldn't afford it. ;) I can't really make a decision based on the money because I know no official numbers yet. I'm not leaning one way or the other, just keeping my options open and making sure that I choose the option that is ultimately best for me.</p>
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Besides, since I'm paying OOS money I'd rather get a better name on my diploma.
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<p>No wonder you're so quick to defend UM -- you're paying super-high OOS tuition. Ouch.</p>
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No wonder you're so quick to defend UM -- you're paying super-high OOS tuition. Ouch.
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<p>What do you mean by OUCH? That's the price you pay for a first class education. Yes, the tuition is a lot but if you look at many other top 20 universities, the tuition is about the same or even higher.</p>
<p>Seriously dude, go make love to MSU. I don't even get why you went to Michigan.</p>
<p>MightyNick,</p>
<p>Can you explain why you are glad you chose UM, without mentioning MSU? =) How are the residence halls? Do they have fitness rooms in the halls, or are the weight rooms only in the recreational buildings? Are there any pool tables/ping-pong tables in any of the dorms?</p>
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Seriously dude, go make love to MSU. I don't even get why you went to Michigan.
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<p>That's a good one, Nick. You embarrass your entire university when you say things like that. You clearly exude the overwhelming intelligence that exists at Michigan.</p>
<p>I am faced with the same decision. I am in-state, and have already been accepted to the James Madison College at Michigan State, and I am waiting for a decision at Michigan. Michigan does have that big-name factor, but the James Madison College is so far beyond anything Michigan has in that field. </p>
<p>I can see why you are so arrogant, MightyNick..you must have been pretty loaded go to Michigan as an OOSer.</p>
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Can you explain why you are glad you chose UM, without mentioning MSU? =) How are the residence halls? Do they have fitness rooms in the halls, or are the weight rooms only in the recreational buildings? Are there any pool tables/ping-pong tables in any of the dorms?
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<p>Yes, there are. However, the facilities aren't that great. I would have stayed at Penn State if I wanted a much nicer campus and more up to date facilities. I'll be the first one to admit that the UM campus is mediocre and the recreational facilities need updating. However, all of that comes after academics. My first priority was to go to a school with a great reputation, strong academics and an intellectual atmosphere. </p>
<p>I must admit that I don't know much about MSU, but from what I've heard its quite similar to PSU in the sense that it has a gorgeous campus, laid back people and a huge party atmosphere. Basically, its all about getting your priorities right - do you want better academics and prestige, or a nicer campus and laid back people?</p>
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Basically, its all about getting your priorities right - do you want better academics and prestige, or a nicer campus and laid back people?
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<p>But that would mean dismissing MSU's academics as inferior to Michigan's, and in terms of undergraduate focus and many departmental ratings that simply isn't true.</p>
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What do you mean by OUCH? That's the price you pay for a first class education. Yes, the tuition is a lot but if you look at many other top 20 universities, the tuition is about the same or even higher.
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<p>Those other institutions have smaller class sizes, better advising, prettier campuses, and accessible professors. Or they're called Harvard. Either way they're better deals than Michigan OOS. </p>
<p>A first class education is NOT being taught by overworked foreign TA's. Sorry. UM is a GREAT value for instate but for OOS it's pretty bad, in my opinion.</p>
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Seriously dude, go make love to MSU. I don't even get why you went to Michigan.
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<p>Prestige, distance from home, the fact that everyone from my school went to State (lucky bastards), and football (lol @ my first UM game being UM vs ASU). Very bad reasons.</p>
<p>I'm not comparing it to Harvard you fool. Look at schools like NYU, USC, UVA, Emory, Georgetown, Penn, and Northwestern. Their tuitions are comparable to Michigan's, and if you think those schools are better than UM, then you're just stupid. I'm sorry to hear that your experience at Michigan has not been good, but that's your own fault. Maybe if you stopped b****ing about it so much, you'd actually like it a lot more.</p>
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Basically, its all about getting your priorities right - do you want better academics and prestige, or a nicer campus and laid back people?
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<p>I want a school with all of that...:) Good academics (engineering), prestige, nice campus, and a somewhat laid back attitude. I don't really want cut-throat competition but I don't want a passive student body that doesn't care about their education. I want a good balance between work and fun. Maybe I can't get that from either school. I thought that the honors college at MSU may provide me with that type of environment, but there may be better options out there. That is why I am asking for others' opinions. Maybe I should look into schools other than MSU and UM. My parents are the kind that look at the sticker prices as what it will cost. They don't really like the idea of me going out of state with MSU and UM close by. That is why I am looking so hard at the two schools.</p>
<p>^^ In that case, I would still go to Michigan. UM Engineering is very very respectable and very challenging. At MSU, you'll meet a largely passive student body that doesn't care about academics, except in the honors college. Do you really want to limit your interactions with kids in the honors college? The honors college at MSU will give you some great resources and opportunities, but at the end of the day you'll still be getting a degree from MSU. </p>
<p>In my opinion, the positives at Michigan far outweigh the negatives. Yes, the campus isn't as nice as MSU's (but that's mostly because there's so much construction going on at the moment...once that's done I'm sure it'll look much better), and some of the facilities need upgrading (like the Central Campus recreational building). Some people are arrogant (you can include me on that list if you want) but there are lots of chill people too. The girls aren't bad looking at all either. Just think of it this way - you can brag about where you went to college if you go to Michigan. I'm sure you'll do well at both schools, so why not go to the one that has the better name? If academics are your top priority, then definitelly go with Michigan. If you don't care about prestige as much as the campus aesthetics, or if you want more individual attention and a smaller community to live in, then go with MSU's honors college. Just remember this though...Michigan might overwhelm you with its large size, but you will definitely adjust to that in a matter of weeks.</p>
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I'm not comparing it to Harvard you fool. Look at schools like NYU, USC, UVA, Emory, Georgetown, Penn, and Northwestern. Their tuitions are comparable to Michigan's, and if you think those schools are better than UM, then you're just stupid.
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<p>NYU isn't ranked in the 20's. USC's in the high 20's if at all. UM is comparable to Gtown, UVA and maybe Emory and Northwestern (wouldn't go higher than that), but I don't think you can compare UM to Penn. Penn is a top 5 school. It's right after Stanford. </p>
<p>...did you mean Penn State?</p>
<p>And yes, I do believe that those schools offer a better education than OOS UMichigan. Why? Because they have a greater undergraduate focus. AND they offer much better aid. They seem like better deals to me. </p>
<p>Glad you're having a good time at UM. It's a good school.</p>