<p>I was accepted to the University of Michigan, and the honors college and residential college, with a huge sum of money. I was also accepted to MIT. I plan to study biology. </p>
<p>I am really undecided because I love both schools. I know that MIT is more prestigious (I don't care about getting wows when I tell them where I go to school, but I suspect that getting into grad school from MIT might be easier and that the classes are generally taught at a higher level), but I'm not sure that I want such an intense environment as MIT. Additionally, the range (not necessarily the availability) of different research opportunities seems to be greater at Umich. I also really like the sort of zany activities and hacks that MIT students seem to be into.</p>
<p>On the other hand, although I like the math/science kids at my school, my really close friends are not the ones with the highest GPAs. </p>
<p>Which would you choose? Why? Convince me that I'm not needlessly passing up a relaxed atmosphere and lots of money, OR an outstanding but really intense and education surrounded by super-smart people?</p>
<p>It's YOUR personal decision. You know your financial, academic and other needs. Did you look at the biology students currently in MIT</a> Graduate School? They DO come from all over, though I didn't notice anyone from UMich!</p>
<p>Stay away from the nerds. Don't go to MIT. Trust me on this one. Even if I got into that school, I wouldn't go near it. Go where you are comfortable. I can tell that you don't want to be at MIT because of this statement you made:</p>
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I'm not sure that I want such an intense environment as MIT.
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my really close friends are not the ones with the highest GPAs.
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<p>It's obvious you don't want to go there, you probably wouldn't fit in there, and going somewhere just because of prestige is stupid. This is the next 4 years of your life, why would you want to spend them at a place you don't want to be?</p>
<p>Michigan biology program is still world class and it would make NO difference whether you went into MIT or michigan as long as you do study hard and do well at either schools.</p>
<p>Socially, what kind of a person are you? This is what you need to be asking yourself. Do you like to party and have fun? Are you a very social person? Or, would you prefer to just have a modest group of friends and say....prefer to live an independent lifestyle? I know people who can't go a week without socializing and partying with friends or they'd go crzy with depression and I know people who can go several months without making a casual phone call and it wouldn't bother them. What kind of person are you? </p>
<p>If you are a social person, I would strongly advise going to Michigan. To me a college experience is incomplete unless you learn to grow socially as a person as well as academically. However, if you're more the independent type who would prefer to study on most weekends rather than.....go out let's say (which is OKAY); MIT would be a better fit. The college environments would be very different in the sense that people are more focused and a lot less dependent on the frivolities of life at MIT.....</p>
<p>If I were you, I'd choose michigan in a heartbeat. Even if I wasn't getting scholarships, I'd still choose Mich over MIT.</p>
<p>That's a tough decision. There is no doubt that MIT is better than Michigan...and more reputable. That is not to say Michigan isn't great and reputable, because it is...but MIT is one of the Big 5. However, the undergraduate experience at Michigan is more complete, so if you want a well rounded experience, you would probably be best suited by going to Michigan. Also, unless your family is very well off, saving your folks over $100,000 is certainly a factor worth looking into.</p>
<p>If you asked me in 1992, I would have picked MIT over Michigan. However, given what I know today, the decision would be much harder to make. I'd probably still chose MIT, but I know I would have been happier at Michigan.</p>
<p>I'd echo Alexandre's 1st paragraph. It's hard not to be swayed by the MIT "wow" factor. However, I completely understand why Michigan is still a strong option for you, because of money and the type of experience you know you can have here.</p>
<p>Michigan would love to have you (as evidenced by the scholarship) but no one would fault you at all for choosing MIT.</p>
<p>there are kids who would kill for a scholarship to Michigan too.
I'm not sure how much money the OP is talking about, but if it's significant (maybe half tuition), this isn't as simple as definitely MIT.</p>
<p>Prestige isn't everything. It's ridiculously overrated by nearly everyone on this message board, because everyone is shooting for the best schools, the "Ivy League" has it's own category, etc. Everyone came to this board because they wanted reassurance that they can get into this prestigious school.</p>
<p>My friend got into UPenn, went on a visit, she came back and said "There is no way i'm going there, that place is full of nerds". If you're a social person, you visit a school, then ask people about the parties and they respond to it being "4-5 kids drinking together", then you're not going there. The environment you will be spending the next 4 years in is more important that a slight difference in prestige.</p>
<p>Go where you'll be comfortable. If that's MIT, great, but you shouldn't spend 4 miserable years at MIT because it's slightly more prestigious.</p>
<p>I decided on Michigan over MIT when they were financially the same cost for me. Some people on CC would think I'm crazy but now that I'm at Michigan, I'm convinced every day that I made the right choice. To me, an undergraduate experience is more about social aspects than academics, especially when comparing these schools. I was looking into math, and I knew for a fact that an honors math degree from Michigan and a math degree from MIT were equal in prestige for grad schools. I have not found an honors math concentrator at Michigan that did not get in to every grad school he/she applied to. My RA got a math degree at Michigan and he got in everywhere he applied with offers from Stanford and Princeton for a $30,000 PER YEAR stipend on top of paying for his tuition, and he wasn't nearly the top math graduate this year.</p>
<p>Biology at Michigan isn't as strong as math (top 20 instead of top 10), but the same might be true for MIT. I recently talked with a graduate student here that got his undergrad at MIT and said that he came here because he wanted the college experience he didn't get as an undergrad (good football and hockey games, school spirit, laid-back feel), and I know I wanted the same as an undergrad. I have plenty of time for concentrating only on academics as a grad student, and as an undergrad I wanted to go to a school where I could wear their colors proudly (I'd probably brag about Michigan more than MIT due to sports, etc.) and just have a fun social atmosphere whenever I wanted. Admission to MIT and scholarships to Michigan are equal academic achievements, and it just comes down to what you want in your undergraduate experience. You will find that Michigan honors students are intellectually on par with the lower 2/3 of MIT, so there isn't much difference there. The professors and quality of research is pretty even, and I think everyone would agree that Michigan's got the better sports/social/quality of life aspect. I think the only real advantage MIT has over Michigan is the "WOW" factor and the insanely smart kids (top 10% at MIT). As far as grad school prestige and quality of the majority of students go, Michigan honors is on par with MIT in most areas, but Michigan is just a lot more fun. If, like you say, you don't care at all about the WOW that comes with saying you go to MIT, Michigan honors with money is the clear choice for me.</p>
<p>(Damn... Have I really not posted anything in over two weeks? It's not like I haven't been here. I guess I just switched over to lurker mode for a bit there.)</p>
<p>I've never thought that people would actually care about the WOW factor. People who gives you the "WOW" obviously have no knowledge and does not have a clue about the quality of education umich offers. I personally DO NOT AT ALL care about the WOW factor.</p>
<p>Also, you mentioned that UM honors is about the same level as MIT. I doubt that, but if it is then great... i would definitely choose UM if this is true..</p>
<p>My sister was accepted to U of M (with a full schoalrship) and MIT. She decided on U of M. The reasons were because of the scholarship, but also because of the enviornemtn. At U of M she would be able to stand out more, she had research opportunities. At MIT she was afraid that the stress would get to her. She did a double major in Math and Computer Science Engineering at U of M and now she is at Harvard doing her PhD. </p>
<p>You should make a Pro/Con list to help you decided what is best for you.</p>
<p>I feel like I can give you some perspective on this because I have some very close personal ties with MIT as well.</p>
<p>I've visited MIT many times and I've always wondered if it would be right for me. It's hard not to be impressed when you walk through the bio department and see names like Lander, Weinberg, Young, et. al. on the doors. You're not going to get that at Michigan.</p>
<p>If you were considering U of M for chemistry, mathematics or physics, I'd say to visit each school and just see which makes you happier. You mentioned biology and that's why I'd have to tell you to choose MIT in a heartbeat. Michigan's weakest science by far is biology. I was a bio major here initially and the classes are really terrible until you get to the tail-end of the major. The professors do really poor research and just tag along on projects that are done in affiliation with U-M Med School, which is a research powerhouse. It's also really upsetting to students that they don't address many of the problems that have riddled the department for years. The program is alright for pre-meds but very, very bad at producing top quality grad students in biology. Research opportunities are also limited in bio and people have to run over to the medical school. </p>
<p>MIT is such a science powerhouse that biology tends to be overlooked there but the faculty is drool-worthy. They have an excellent research sequence for undergrads where you would be able to conduct a UROP at the likes of Whitehead or Broad Institute. UROP's also receive funding there, which is really nice. They also have programs for undergrads such as bioelectrical engineering and a new program in bioinformatics. Both sound pretty hot. It's not hard to see why it's ranked one of the top 3 bio programs in the country.</p>
<p>My only problem with MIT lies in the social scene. It's like high school all over again, with the nerds cliquing off, the indie poseurs running all over campus yelling about the drugs they did last weekend and the preppy kids thumbing their noses at all of those who supposedly don't shower. I also found it really annoying that you're immediately assigned an image based on where you dorm and that people assign value to each other based on what they major in. The only two dorms that seemed to be full of nice kids were East Campus and Senior House. It's not surprising that MIT kids are rated so low on social aptitude. A lot of people are hermits not just because of the workload but because the social scene is so stratified and polarized. UM is great because people are so chill and friendly. You're respected for what you do academically and how you conduct yourself. IM sports are huge at both schools, if that factors into your decision at all.</p>
<p>Best of luck. You have a really interesting decision and I'm sure you'll rock whichever school you choose.</p>
<p>MIT OR MICHIGAN? ARE U KIDDING? MIT ALL THE WAY.............do you know how many kids dream of MIT? The clout and the doors that will open for you there plus i hate to admit it but yes the prestige of attending MIT is HUGE!! Go for it, you will not regret it and will be challeneged in a way which you obviously are fit to handle. Good luck!</p>