<p>I guess I'd better start from the beginning: </p>
<p>I started college last fall, studying law at a university in the UK. I discovered the subject really wasn't for me, and that coupled with some health issues led me to drop at the end of the year. Since I made my decision pretty late, my options were pretty limited, and I ended up transferring to Eastern Michigan University for a literature degree. I feel like a degree from a higher-ranked school would give me more opportunities for grad school, etc, and anyway I'm a little frustrated with the course offerings at EMU (I started learning Russian last year and would like to continue, but the language isn't offered - stuff like that), so I figured I'd try to transfer to a bigger state school for the spring semester. The University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) is the obvious choice, but I've been thinking of applying to places out of state, too, just in case - maybe Rutgers or UMass Amherst, since their comparative literature programs sound interesting.</p>
<p>So, this was the plan. I have a good GPA at EMU (3.83) and my test scores are also good (34 ACT, 2280 SAT - I'm pretty sure U of M looks at them, anyway), so I figure I have an okay chance. BUT it turns out the combination of credit earned during high school (I attended EMU's early college) and transfer credit from the UK means I actually have junior status (!!) and could be done in 4 semesters at EMU, saving a lot of money in the process. This would be great, except I really do want to get more out of college than I think I can get at EMU, I'm afraid a degree from a lower-ranked institution would hurt my chances for grad school, and I'm a little afraid of rushing through my undergrad as quickly as possible like my parents would prefer (what do I want to do with my life?? Would taking a little more time to explore in college give me a better idea???).</p>
<p>So, here's my question: would it be better to rush through my undergrad as quickly and as cheaply as possible at EMU, or to spend more time and money getting a degree from a better-ranked public school? How much does an undergrad at a lower-ranked school affect the chances of getting into grad school at, say, a state flagship?</p>