<p>So i've gotten into both and i'm out of state for michigan and w/small scholarship from USC so they cost the same. For USC i'm in the Viterbi Engineering school and at Umich i'd probably study neuroscience. you guys have any tips or knowledge you'd like to share that would make this decision easier? something like the life/education i'd get at any of these schools? thanks</p>
<p>michigan if the cost is the same... they have top ranked departments in most departments. USC i don't know too much about. Michigan is a very prominent and established university and many consider it on par with Ivy League schools. But I have midwest bias.. but I'm an OSU fan saying this, so take it as you wish.</p>
<p>Well, there's a big difference in weather ;)</p>
<p>I would personally choose UMich because it's a very pretty campus, seems like a nice environment, excellent reputation. USC is a good school but it's actually not in a great area and its engineering program is nothing like UMich's, which you could internally transfer into somewhat easily if you decided to later on.</p>
<p>USC definitely, firstly, the weather, and as brand_182 said "its engineering program is nothing like UMich's," because Viterbi is one of the best engineering schools in the nation and outshines almost everywhere else in the country.</p>
<p>actually I was saying it the other way around - UMich's engineering program is considerably better than USC's.</p>
<p>I'd say USC, better weather and better S:F and all that. From an out of state perspective I have a hard time going to a state school. UM wouldn't be a bad choice at all though, and Ann Arbor is a cool town.</p>
<p>DSC, care to say why you would have hard time going to a state university?</p>
<p>You are going to have more of the weeder style courses and larger classes if you are going to these schools. At the upper levels they are top notch, but to start, well their performance is more demonstrative of their instate costs rather than out-of-state costs.</p>
<p>If I was going to a state school from OOS I would do it as an upperclassman/grad where I would experience what brings these schools up, not what holds them down.</p>
<p>State schools are very very good from an instate perspective, but OOS, unless you have a schollie reducing the cost, I don't get it. Personally at least.</p>
<p>The Umich bias on this board is amazing. UMich isnt on par with the Ivys or the top ranked colleges, get over it. Stay private, USC.</p>
<p>DSC, most top research universities (private or public) have weeder-style courses. You should check out pre-med classes like Orgo and Biology at Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Northwestern or WUSTL. The curve in those classes is often steep and intended to steer students away from a career in medicine. </p>
<p>Intro classes at all major research universities are large (Michigan and USC are no exception). My friends who attended schools like Columbia, Cornell, Northwestern, Penn and Stanford all complained of classes with 200 or even more students. Once you have more than 50 students in a class, a professor isn't going to be able to give students individual attention.</p>
<p>There is no real distinction between public and private universities. Public universities aren't cheaper for in-staters because they spend less on students, they are cheaper because in-staters have been paying txes to support those institutions for years and as such, the state subsidizes their education. </p>
<p>You are confusing a few issues which aren't necessarily a function of private or public. </p>
<p>The first is the university's philosophy. Some universities believe that research drives academics and that undergrads are old enough to fend for themselves and navigate through the complexities of an undergraduate education. Those institutions are called "research universities". Schools like Cal, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, MIT, Michigan, Stanford, USC, Wisconsin etc... all fall under that heading. Other universities believe that close interaction between faculty and students is what determines the quality of undergraduate education because undergraduate students still require guidance and assistance. Those institutions are called "Liberal Arts Colleges". Schools like Amherst, Bowdoin, Carleton, Davidson, Grinnell, Haverford, Pomona and Williams all fall under that heading. </p>
<p>The second is resources availlable to students. Again, this is not a function of private or public, but of endownment and wealth. Some state universities, like Michigan and UVa have huge endowments and healthy annual incomes coming from state appropriations, even when you take their size into consideration. Some private universities aren't so well-off financially. </p>
<p>SweetLax, there is no Michigan bias on this thread. I am the only person on this thread who attended Michigan or is a fan of Michigan and I have not made a comment on whether the OP should elect Michigan or USC. The others who have recommended Michigan are Brand (from Texas) and Antonius Maximus (an Ohio Buckeye). Just because a school is respected doesn't mean those who respect it are biased.</p>
<p>Alexandre, I wasn't refering to you. Of course Umich is a great university, I just disagree with this comment:
"michigan if the cost is the same... they have top ranked departments in most departments. USC i don't know too much about. Michigan is a very prominent and established university and many consider it on par with Ivy League schools. But I have midwest bias.. but I'm an OSU fan saying this, so take it as you wish."</p>
<p>I agree with the established part but not so much the on par with the Ivy part.</p>
<p>^^^^^ same here. though I stand by my recommendation of UMich over USC.</p>
<p>SweetLax, I think the term "Ivy League" is misused. Michigan and other major research universities, have little in common with Dartmouth but a lot in common with Cornell and Penn. Having experienced Michigan and Cornell first hand, I can say with a great deal of certainty that those two schools have a lot in common. They are peers and on par with each other.</p>
<p>usc = u suck coc?</p>