I have been accepted to both University of Michigan (I just got accepted to their LSA Honors College also) and Case Western Reserve University, and I am deliberating between the two. I’m deliberating between the two, and am seeking advice
Financial:
I live less than an hour away from Ann Arbor, so I have grown up with UMich in my backyard. I would get in-state tuition (27k), and they also offered me a one-time merit scholarship of $1500. CWRU, which is about 3 hours away, is offering me a 25k/year scholarship, but I’m not really in a position to pay the additional 37k/year without taking out some serious loans.
Career Plan:
I want to major in Biology, possibly with a double major/minor in French and/or International Relations (or some combination of that sort). I want to pursue a career in medical research, possibly something with global health. However, all of this could change pretty drastically (Two years ago, my dream was to major in English and become an author, and now my plans are nothing like that :)>- ).
Interests:
Study abroad is a must for me, as well as maybe finding a summer internship that would help me in my field (I would love to find one in a big city like Chicago, NYC, or DC, but I’m not sure how exactly that would work). Since I want to go into medical research, so I would like to get some experience with that during my undergrad years. I know Michigan has their Traditional UROP program, but Case has such strong ties with Cleveland Clinic and other hospitals…
Personality:
I consider myself on the geekier side, which would probably mesh with Case Western better, but I also like the athletics, big-school spirit, and diversity of Michigan. It’s much bigger than CWRU, but I wonder if being in the Honors College would make it feel a bit smaller and more unified than the rest of the university.
It’s not an honors college, it’s an honors program. There are many ways to make Michigan smaller. This is really a no brainer jp2015, but I think you know that already.
As a Michigan undergrad, I’m definitely biased, but Michigan all the way!! If only for the fact that it’s so much cheaper. You DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES want to saddle yourself with $40,000 in loans for an undergraduate degree when you have a more affordable option that will provide a comparable education.
But if that isn’t enough to convince you, here’s what I have for your other points:
Michigan is great because there are so many highly ranked programs, so you have plenty of choices if you do change your mind again, which I can almost guarantee that you will.
We have a wonderful study abroad program. I know people who have gone to Japan, Switzerland, Chile, Canada, Ecuador, China, Australia and France. There are also tons of people who pursue summer internships. I get emails all the time from programs and professors about opportunities. No need to go into all the details now, but if you want to get an internship, Michigan can help you find one.
As for medical research, have you never heard of the University of Michigan Health System?? Because it’s one of the best in the country as far as I know and I believe there are some opportunities for students to do research there! You can volunteer there after your first semester, too. And the UROP program is a great opportunity; I was a part of it. There’s also the Michigan Research Community, but I don’t know too much about that, other than it exists.
There are tons of nerds here, I promise—I might be one. It’s a big campus but that means there are allllll sorts of people here. The learning communities are a great option; look them up. (I’m in the Residential College, which I adore, and you might be interested in since you mention wanting to minor in French!)
I am familiar with CWRU. And you can check the student reviews on-line about it. The big problem is Euclid Avenue, the main street in Cleveland, goes right through the middle of campus. It would be as if State Street in Ann Arbor was the size of Woodward Avenue, Although the cultural institutions of Cleveland are nearby, it is not as nice an area as Ann Arbor, and not as safe. If you were a graduate student, it’s a fine place to go and the Cleveland Clinic is huge. But, as an undergraduate, I would pick U of M over it every time. CWRU does have fine engineering, medical, and law schools.
University of Michigan is so good that about the only reasons for any Michigan residents to choose any other college besides UM is either: 1) they could not get admitted to UM; 2) they did get admitted to Harvard or Stanford or Yale or Notre Dame, etc… or; 3) got a full tuition scholarship somewhere else.
You don’t meet any of those three conditions. Pack your bags for Ann Arbor.
As a graduate of both schools, I would advise you to go to UM and never look back. You should also note that the primary hospital system affiliated with CWRU is in fact University Hospitals and not CCF. While CWRU and CCF have a good working relationship, I would not assume that you will have an “in” through the school.
In this case though it does seem like a no brainer.
There are plenty of medical research opps without being in UROP.
There are many study abroad opportunities both at U of M and at other schools that you can go on even if you’re not a student. For example, I did my undergrad at MSU and my study abroad had a U of Toronto student on it through MSU’s program.
Finally, trust me when I say that there are plenty of geeks at U of M
