<p>I am a senior in high school and I cannot decide between two colleges...Michigan State and Grand Valley State University. I have been accepted to and visited both. I live about an hour from GVSU and a half hour from MSU. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>I am going into nursing and I have heard that they both have great nursing schools. I qualify for direct admit as a freshman at Grand Valley which is a big plus.</p>
<p>I have went to a tiny Catholic high school my entire life so I want to go to a college where I will experience something very different...however I still want to feel at home.</p>
<p>Any input would be greatly appreciated!! I need to make a decision soon.
Thank you!!</p>
<p>MSU is objectively a better and more prestigious school overall. However, it’s possible that GVSU offers just what you need - I don’t know anything about nursing in particular - and I’ve heard some very good things about it.</p>
<p>I’m biased b/c I am about to graduate from GVSU, and was deciding between those two colleges about four years ago. Still, the direct admit from GVSU for nursing is a VERY big deal. Especially since at both universities the nursing program is very hard to get in during your junior year. Still, the two schools are very different, MSU is one of the biggest universities in the nation (many strengths there but many weaknesses), and I’ve heard GVSU referred to as the biggest small college in the nation. Still, it depends what you want. I have friends at MSU and most classes outside of their random majors/residential colleges at MSU (Lyman Briggs, James Madison) are very large freshmen through junior years and even in your senior year. On the other hand, MSU is a Big Ten school with great sports and a great social scene, though I hear the social scene gets old after a while in East Lansing. GVSU will offer more of the small classes and professor/student interaction. If you like class discussion and getting to know your professor, the small class sizes at GV can help you in those regards. Also, Allendale is just an okay college town, but if you combine it with Grand Rapids, I think that being near GR beats EL by quite a bit. GR is a great city and really has changed a lot in the past 5-10 years.
A pretty long post but I think it comes down to small versus big, rural suburban close to great city or a pretty good college town (though both schools surrounding area are nowhere near the greatness of Ann Arbor). They are a both great schools so good luck in deciding.</p>
<p>Do you hope to spend your career in Michigan? If you do, then I would ignore the prestige differences, because employers in Michigan will know and respect GVSU. But if you’re hoping to move to California or Florida after you graduate, I think this is a bigger concern. Employers will probably not have heard of GVSU and will have no idea of its strong local reputation.</p>
<p>^^^Don’t be so sure employers will know much about GVSU or how good it is even in the state of Michigan. This state is very east-west oriented. Oftentimes neither side knows much about the going ons on of the other. With that in mind, MSU will be much more respected statewide than GVSU.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the input! Yeah I am having a really tough time time deciding…I think I will be happy at either but I am just not sure which will be best for me yet…
I like the fact that MSU is big and always has something going on…but I’m afraid that it might be too big for me.
I would probably be more in my comfort zone at Grand Valley…but I dont really know if that is a good thing. Also I’ve heard that there is not as much to do on campus at GVSU.
And yes, I am planning to stay in Michigan.</p>
<p>Also, one thing to think about. With the new proposed budget cuts, they hurt MSU much more than GVSU, since GVSU was not funded that well by the state to begin with. GVSU is supposed to lose 10-14 million dollars from the state while MSU is expected to lose anywhere from 42-60 million dollars!!! Who knows what the tuition increases are going to be next year for Michigan public universities. Still, good luck deciding on your college.</p>
<p>If you intend to look more toward the west side of the state for employment opportunities, my mother does a lot of hiring of nurses at one of the Grand Rapids hospitals and she says, in general, a nursing degree from GVSU is equally as respected as one from MSU; it’s the fact that you have a solid education in a four-year program and upstanding personal qualities that makes the difference. If Grand Valley seems like a place where you’d be more comfortable, go there, by all means. You’re going to get a great education and you’ll have lots of opportunities for nursing internships given the proximity to the booming medical facilities in Grand Rapids. </p>
<p>The claim someone else made that everyone is a “bible-toting conservative” at Grand Valley is unfounded, I think. I have many friends at GVSU with a variety of religious preferences and all of them seem to fit in just fine. Being a conservative Christian doesn’t necessarily imply being a zealot, and Grand Valley bears that out. </p>
<p>I am a bit biased because I’m from West Michigan, but Grand Rapids, just up the road from Allendale, is a fun city with a lot to do. I’m not as familiar with East Lansing, but I know it does have more of a college town atmosphere and therefore many, if not most, things to do are centered on MSU. Grand Rapids is a city in its own right and has a variety of activities for pretty much everyone. Also, Grand Valley is not too far from the beach, which will be fun at the beginning of the academic year when it’s still hot out. </p>
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