<p>HI, how is the life in Michigan and Maryland like? I'm a city person, so which is more suitable? Also, in terms of research in life sciences, which is better?</p>
<p>Ann Arbor has more of a city feel than College Park and the University of Michigan is stronger in the Life Sciences than the University of Maryland. As such, given your two criteria, Michigan beats Maryland. </p>
<p>This said, there is a significant difference in CoA. Assuming you are not a resident of either state…and that you do not receive any financial aid or merit award, Michigan costs ~$54k/year (including room and board, books, supplies etc…), while Maryland costs $41k/year (also including room and board, books, supplies etc…).</p>
<p>If cost of attendance is a factor, you should first see which university is more manageable from a financial point of view.</p>
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While technically true, ignoring DC is being rather disingenuous. You can take the bus from UMD and be in DC in about 30-40 minutes, which is a shorter period of time than it takes me to get pretty much anywhere in LA. This opens up research/internship opportunities at the Smithsonian, National Zoo, the US botanic garden, etc. in addition to the wide range of dining, night life, museums, shopping, music/arts, and other things offered by any major city. On the more “college town” side of things, you have places like Silver Spring, which is pretty cool albeit not a true college town.</p>
<p>For someone interested in organismal biology, nearby Baltimore with its zoo and aquarium would also be of interest.</p>
<p>And if you are interested in biotech, medical research or public health, there’s more opportunity in the DC/Baltimore area than in Ann Arbor, both for internships and professionally. I-95 between DC and Baltimore is a hub for the biotech industry. NIH is here with a great internship program. And DC is metro accessible - great city much better weather during the school year than in Michigan. What Michigan has is greater prestige. How much is that worth to you?</p>
<p>“And if you are interested in biotech, medical research or public health, there’s more opportunity in the DC/Baltimore area than in Ann Arbor, both for internships and professionally.”</p>
<p>Michigan has it’s own major medical center and is one of the stronger research universities in biotech and public health. There are more than enough opportunities in A2 than any undergraduate would ever need. Michigan’s greater prestige has been earned.</p>
<p>“While technically true, ignoring DC is being rather disingenuous. You can take the bus from UMD and be in DC in about 30-40 minutes, which is a shorter period of time than it takes me to get pretty much anywhere in LA.”</p>
<p>Warblersule, the same can be said of Ann Arbor and the affluent Detroit suburbs, which offer all the amenities that large cities have to offer. I was referring more to the day-to-day offerings availlable to students living on campus. I don’t think it is practical for a student to hop in a car and travel 40 minutes every time he wishes to be in an urban area.</p>
<p>M’s Mom, Michigan bought Pfizer’s global research headquarters which is located within walking distance of the University’s North Campus and the college of engineering. Between that world-class facility, the University of Michigan hospitals, the university’s top rated biomedical engineering program and facilities and the university’s excellent Biology programs, I don’t think the OP will have trouble finding academic, research and internship opportunities in Ann Arbor. Also, the state of Michigan and Chicago are home to several major pharma, biotech companies.</p>
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How do you take advantage of that as a freshman in college? How do you see the OP be able to do biotech or medical research in the DC/Baltimore area outside of the University of Maryland?</p>
<p>Public transportation (metro, train, bus routes) to DC provides lots of opportunities to UMD students. Faculty at UMD are well-connected in DC public policy organizations, sit on boards of biotech companies and do research in these areas, so they can help provide contacts. UMD alums are mostly from MD and they stay to work in these industries so the networks are there. Medicare is based in Baltimore. NIH is in Bethesda. There are 5 medical schools in the metro area all doing medical research - an providing internship opportunities. There are a dozen public health clinics that need volunteers and are public transportation accessible. </p>
<p>If a student has the initiative, there is no shortage of opportunity.</p>
<p>Why would any biotech research lab (which is not a teaching institution) want to have a part time undergraduate student from an outside institution working on their research team? What do you think a college freshman working a few hours a week can contribute to biotech research?</p>
<p>Similarly, why would any medical school provide research opportunity to undergrad students from another university? Would Johns Hopkins medical school take on UMD students to do research regularly?</p>
<p>The University of Michigan has an annual research budget of more than $1.3B, second only to Johns Hopkins and more than double that of UMD. Michigan has a top 10 research medical school, a Life Science Institute ([Life</a> Sciences Institute | University of Michigan | Life Sciences at Michigan](<a href=“http://www.lsi.umich.edu/about]Life”>About | Life Sciences Institute)). world class research facilities including the 30 buildings from Pfizers former global research HQs. Michigan is a pioneer in integrating research and undergraduate education, receiving the first RAIRE award from NSF in 1997 ([US</a> NSF - OIA - Archives - RAIRE](<a href=“http://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/archives/raire.jsp]US”>http://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/archives/raire.jsp)). At Michigan, you can do research as a first semester freshman ([Undergraduate</a> Research Opportunity Program](<a href=“http://www.lsa.umich.edu/urop/]Undergraduate”>Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) | U-M LSA)).</p>
<p>If research is what you’re looking for, Michigan has the edge.</p>
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Why wouldn’t they give consideration to other students if they presented compelling cases to do research there? At Duke, out of the 4-6 undergraduate who did research in a professor’s lab, 1-2 of them would be from nearby schools like UNC-Chapel Hill, NCCU, and even NC State. Similarily, I knew a few friends at Duke who worked in labs at Chapel Hill if they found professors whose research interests better fit what they were looking for. Most university students don’t have the benefit of being in an area surrounded by other high-caliber research universities but in places like Boston, the Bay Area, DC/Baltimore, and the Research Triangle, undergrads at schools in these areas have access to cumulative research opportunities that are hard to top.</p>
<p>If the OP’s goal is to go to medical school, then I would focus on cost and fit. It will be irrelevant if he/she went to Maryland or Michigan since both have more than enough research opportunities to satisfy any undergrad interested in life sciences.</p>
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Do you have cross enrollment agreement between Duke, UNC, NCCU and NC State? Otherwise, someone has to pay for the tuition.</p>
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That’s a fair statement … but the OP asked “which is better?”</p>
<p>Ann Arbor is a very lively and liveable city. You can walk anywhere, with easy and free transportation for students to those places not very close by.</p>
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<p>There is an inter-institutional program for students at UNC, Duke, NC State, NC Central, UNC-Charlotte, and UNC-Greensboro. The first four universities are all in the Research Triangle area. My understanding is that there is no extra tuition charge involved.
<a href=“http://www.registrar.duke.edu/registrar/studentpages/student/interinstitutional.htmlUNC[/url]”>http://www.registrar.duke.edu/registrar/studentpages/student/interinstitutional.htmlUNC</a>
[Inter-Institutional</a> Programs - Office of the University Registrar](<a href=“http://registrar.unc.edu/registration/special-enrollments/inter-institutional-programs/]Inter-Institutional”>http://registrar.unc.edu/registration/special-enrollments/inter-institutional-programs/)</p>
<p>NC State and UNC have a joint biomedical engineering department, which allows students to take classes on both campuses. [UNC/NCSU</a> Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering - Home](<a href=“NCSU Office of Assessment highlights what BME has done to become stronger among Graduate students - Joint BME”>http://www.bme.ncsu.edu/)</p>
<p>UNC and Duke have the Robertson Scholars Program. Half of the Robertson Scholars are enrolled at UNC and half at Duke. Each student lives for a semester on the “opposite” campus and takes courses there, in addition to taking courses as he/she can on the other campus. [Robertson</a> Scholars: Homepage](<a href=“http://www.robertsonscholars.org/index.php?type=dynamic&source=homepage]Robertson”>http://www.robertsonscholars.org/index.php?type=dynamic&source=homepage) The Robertson bus goes directly back and forth between the campuses and is open to any student enrolled at either university. [Robertson</a> Scholars: Express Bus](<a href=“http://robertsonscholars.org/index.php?type=static&source=68]Robertson”>http://robertsonscholars.org/index.php?type=static&source=68)</p>
<p>Through the Triangle Transit service, the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill bus lines are free to UNC and NC State students. I assume that Duke and NC Central students also have free bus service, but I don’t know.</p>
<p>In the meantime this thread was about Michigan and Maryland.</p>
<p>rjk – I was responding to GoBlue’s question.</p>
<p>Cost if OOS: Maryland wins</p>
<p>Environment: Ann Arbor is one of the great college towns in the country. Is Washington “better” than Detroit? Most likely, though I seriously doubt that even 10% of college students at either school regularly venture more than 10 miles from campus.</p>
<p>Life Sciences: While the university is the 800-pound gorilla in Ann Arbor, the University Medical Center is a 500-pounder. There is also a moderately sized entrepreneurial bio-tech/medical device community growing around AA. I haven’t heard of students complaining that they can’t find research opportunities around campus (there is in fact a program designed to get freshman involved in research [Undergraduate</a> Research Opportunity Program](<a href=“http://www.lsa.umich.edu/urop/]Undergraduate”>Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) | U-M LSA) ). Are there more at Maryland? I can’t say, but after all, you only need the one you’re going to accept.</p>
<p>Go to the place you can best afford.</p>
<p>“rjk – I was responding to GoBlue’s question.”</p>
<p>Yes I know. The “usual suspect” inserted Duke into the conversation.</p>
<p>These are not peer schools. Michigan is significantly better than UMD. However, keep costs in mind if you’re a maryland resident. Unless it is significantly more expensive, go to Michigan. Better college atmosphere, academics, sports (except basketball), etc.</p>
<p>“Better college atmosphere, academics, sports (except basketball), etc.”</p>
<p>Actually Michigan is ranked in the top five pre-season for basketball this year…</p>